By the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia
September 12, 2014
On 11 September, the Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics took part in the annual meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Nordic and Baltic (NB8) states in Tallinn, Estonia.
During the meeting, the Foreign Ministers discussed regional cooperation, current developments in Ukraine, the outcomes of the NATO Summit, and regional security matters.
The Foreign Ministers issued a joint statement expressing deep concern over the 5 September incident in south-eastern Estonia, when an officer of the Estonian Internal Security Service (KAPO) was abducted. Ministers called on the Russian Federation to ensure his immediate release. What happened on 5 September is a violation of international law, Ministers asserted.
In a discussion on energy security, the Latvian Foreign Minister emphasised that the current geopolitical situation calls for efforts to enhance energy security. Edgars Rinkevics pointed out that regional energy projects have acquired a security dimension.
As part of the meeting, Foreign Minister gave an interview for the Estonian public TV channel, ETV, on the developments in Ukraine.