MINSK, 27 April (BelTA) - The working group on cooperation with the Latvian Parliament of the National Assembly of Belarus and the working group on cooperation with the Belarusian Parliament of the Latvian Sejm held an online meeting on 27 April. The parties discussed further development of parliamentary ties, BelTA has learned.
"Our states have developed warm, good-neighborly relations. Our interaction, social, cultural and economic ties have been constructive. Since 1996 we have been actively cooperating in the format of working groups,” said Anna Starovoitova, a member of the Standing Commission on International Affairs of the House of Representatives, the head of the working group. “Belarus is interested in developing mutually beneficial cooperation across a wide range of issues. We welcome increased inter-parliamentary cooperation. This will contribute to dialogue in the spirit of good-neighborly relations."
The MP noted that 2020 - early 2021 set new challenges for all countries. "Given the current geopolitical situation, one of the priorities of state policy is to deliver a timely and correct response to the challenges and intensified confrontation, especially in socio-political field," she said.
Anna Starovoitova stressed that in recent decades the competitor-countries have been working to destroy the positive image of other states. “Recently, Belarus has learned it first hand: the international coverage of the events in our country has been distorted and solely negative. In this regard, my colleagues and I suggest building a trajectory that will enable us to promote sustainable development and maintain the accumulated positive experience in cooperation with the countries friendly to us," she added.
According to the MP, the pandemic has changed the structure of global trade, but Belarus has largely been able to maintain its positions in foreign markets. "Judging by our GDP, Belarus performed well in 2020 and retained positions across many economic indicators. Despite the political tensions, Latvia and Belarus have maintained active ties in economy. Bilateral trade came at $393.6 million in 2020, which shows that our economic ties have not been disrupted,” she said. “Today we are ready to provide comprehensive support to joint projects targeting the markets of both the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union. In order to develop mutually beneficial cooperation, we need to resume the work of the joint bodies of the Belarusian-Latvian intergovernmental commission on cooperation in economy and science.”
"We would like the Republic of Latvia to be a friendly country and the relations between our countries to contribute to the social and economic stability and well-being of our citizens," Anna Starovoitova added.
