Press release on First Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov’s meeting with Latvian State Secretary of the Foreign Ministry Andris Pelss
On December 12, First Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov held political consultations with State Secretary of the Foreign Ministry of Latvia Andris Pelss.
The talks were held in a businesslike and frank atmosphere. The parties had an in-depth discussion on the status of bilateral relations, which have deteriorated in several areas because of, among other things, Latvian authorities’ unfriendly rhetoric regarding Russia. The Russian side also emphasised that concerns still remain over the plight of Russian compatriots living in Latvia and efforts to squeeze the Russian language out of education.
It was agreed to continue the dialogue in order to shape a more positive agenda for Russian-Latvian relations and to promote areas of cooperation that are of mutual interest.
The officials discussed a wide spectrum of issues on the regional and international agendas, including European security, relations between Russia and the EU and NATO, the Ukrainian settlement process, and cooperation between Baltic Sea states.
It was agreed to maintain contact.