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Latvia-China security policy consultations concluded
On 22 October, Latvia-China security policy consultations were
concluded in Beijing.
The Latvian delegation was headed by Ilgvars Klava, the Political
Director of the Foreign Ministry, and the Chinese delegation – by
Deputy Foreign Minister Wu Dawei.
During the consultations, both parties discussed previous bilateral
co-operation between Latvia
and China,
focusing on co-operation in economics, education, culture, and between
municipalities.
The Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister invited Latvia to continue its active bilateral
co-operation with China
and to advance EU-China dialogue especially preparing for the EU-China
Summit scheduled for 28 November.
Current regional and international security policy issues were
considered both from the perspective of the regions surrounding both
states and within the context of EU-China dialogue. In 2004, the EU
defined China
as its strategic partner.
Both parties discussed the role of regional and international
organisations, especially emphasising the UN as a significant forum for
the discussion of global security policy issues.
During his stay, Ilgvars Klava visited the Shanghai Co-operation
Organisation Secretariat (SCO) at which Secretary-General Bolat
Nurgaliev introduced the Latvian delegation to the priorities of the
SCO and provided an overview of its current projects. The SCO was
established in 2001, uniting China,
the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan,
Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan
as its member states.
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