RIGA, Aug 26 (LETA) - On August 25, the Abgunste manor in Latvia hosted an informal seminar of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Latvia and Lithuania, at which the senior officials of the two ministries discussed international policy issues of current importance, LETA learned from the Latvian Foreign Ministry.

The diplomats discussed developments in Afghanistan and the eastern neighborhood as well as sharing views on topics high on the European Union agenda: the Conference on the Future of Europe; the climate policy; the rule of law; and a coordinated response to COVID-19. The current state of play with infrastructure projects important for the Baltic region was also discussed, as were bilateral cooperation matters.

During the seminar, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics (New Unity) had a bilateral meeting with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis. The Foreign Ministers noted the importance of cooperation between Latvia and Lithuania in response to the hybrid operation of Belarus against the borders of Latvia and Lithuania. The Ministers underlined that the close contacts and coordination should be continued both by cooperating bilaterally, and with the EU and other international partners.

The informal seminar of the Latvian and Lithuanian Foreign Ministries is being held for the fifth time. The event is hosted on a rotational basis in Latvia and Lithuania.