Minister Darmanović paid working visit to Republic of Latvia

Riga, Latvia (17 May 2017) -- Minister of Foreign Affairs Srđan Darmanović met today with Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs Edgars Rinkēvičs, Minister of Defence Raimonds Bergmanis, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Saeima (Latvian Parliament) Ojārs Ēriks Kalniņš. Montenegrin delegation also visited the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence in Riga and on this occasion Minister Darmanović had a meeting with Director of the Centre Jānis Sārts.

During the meeting with Latvian officials, Minister Darmanović put the focus on a further strenghtening of the traditionally good and friendly relations with the Republic of Latvia as an important foreign policy partner, especially when it comes to Montenegro's membership to NATO and the process of negotiations with the European Union. In this regard, he also highlighted the importance of maintaining regular political contacts.

Minister Darmanović emphasised appreciation for the rapid and unanimous ratification of the Protocol on Montenegro's Accession to NATO in the Latvian Parliament (Saeima) on 6 October 2016, pointing out to the continuous support of this country during the current negotiation process with the EU, which was exceptionally considerable during the Latvian presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of 2015, when Montenegro opened four negotiation chapters.

Latvian officials expressed satisfaction with the visit of Minister Darmanović, stressing the importance of further strengthening the political dialogue between the two countries. They welcomed the upcoming Montenegro's membership to NATO and invited Montenegro to join NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence in Riga. 

The officials agreed that an additional impulse to international relations will be given by the continuation of the bilateral political consultations. Thanks to the participation of members of the Army of Montenegro in the Baltic Defence College, defence cooperation was especially affirmed in the previous period, as they noted, adding that there is an additional space to improve the political and overall relations, particularly in the fields of economy, tourism and science. 

The officials exchanged their views on the security challenges and emphasised the importance of continuing the integration process as an important instrument to preserve stability in the Western Balkans and Europe as a whole. 

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS