Head of PFG with Baltic States Meets with Latvian Ambassador to Serbia

At the beginning of the meeting Karanac welcomed the Ambassador, emphasising her pleasure to be at the head of the Parliamentary Friendship Group with the Baltic States, which currently has 10 members, and added that the establishment of the friendship group is very important, both for getting to know parliamentarians better, and for better parliamentary cooperation. She said that the two countries have good relations and that she believes that parliamentary cooperation and diplomacy are important in the development and promotion of bilateral relations, both in the political and economic segments, but also in other areas of mutual interest. She pointed out that 6 bilateral agreements are currently in force between the two countries and expressed her belief that there is room to improve interparliamentary cooperation, as well as economic relations between the two countries. She used the opportunity to point out to the Ambassador that the Republic of Serbia is committed to European integration and that it is our country's official position that the EU is the strategic commitment of the Republic of Serbia. She noted that Latvia's support on the road to the European Union is important for Serbia, as well as its support for the reforms it is implementing on that road.

Karanac suggested to the Ambassador areas in which the two countries can deepen cooperation, by connecting business and scientific communities, start-ups, research centres and institutes, alluding to new technologies, information and communication technologies, biotechnologies and artificial intelligence. She also mentioned cultural exchange, which would contribute to a better understanding between the two peoples.

Karanac thanked Latvia for its positive attitude to EU enlargement and added that speeding up the integration process of the Western Balkans would be mutually beneficial.

Briede agreed that the two countries can intensify and deepen cooperation and pointed out that Latvia is opening an honorary consulate in Serbia tomorrow, expressing faith that it will serve as another instrument of bilateral relations between the two countries. She said that the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia, Marko Djuric, during his visit to Riga in July of this year, met with the President of the Latvian Chamber of Commerce, which resulted in an agreement to sign a Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation between the two countries. The Ambassador also expressed her satisfaction that the two countries are connected by a direct flight by a Latvian company, which proved to be one of the most attractive new destinations from Riga. She congratulated Serbia on its role as host of EXPO 2027 and added that Latvia firmly supports EU enlargement. The Ambassador used the opportunity to point out that Latvia is running, for the first time, for the position of Chair of the United Nations Security Council for the 2026-2027 mandate.

The officials also discussed mutual parliamentarian visits, with the Ambassador saying that the Latvian Parliament has set up a Parliamentary Friendship Group with Serbia last month, which has six members, while Karanac asked Briede to convey the invitation to the Lithuanian parliamentarians for an official visit and stated that the deepening cooperation can also be achieved through departmental committees.

Foreign policy was also discussed at the meeting, with the Ambassador stating that Latvia provides humanitarian, military and financial aid to Ukraine and does not support violent changes of state borders. Karanac agreed with the Ambassador and pointed out that the Republic of Serbia condemned the invasion of Ukraine, but that the position of the Republic of Serbia is that all countries must respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries. "We know best what it means to change state borders by force, we felt it on our own territory with Kosovo-Metohija. This is what we consider unfair and what we will never put up with. We do not arm countries in conflict, but we stand for respecting international law, sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries.

The officials also discussed tourism, joint cooperation between Latvia and Serbia on the security level, as well as migrant movements due to conflicts in Europe and the Middle East.