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Conference of Presidents meets the incoming Latvian Presidency in Riga
Created on 2014-12-04
Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament (EP) are meeting today with the Latvian officials in Riga to discuss the incoming Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), scheduled for the first half of 2015. The Conference met with the Latvian Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma and the government ministers this morning. The officials discussed the priorities of the Latvian Presidency: competitive, digital and engaged Europe.
“We had very fruitful discussions with the colleagues from the European Parliament about the ways how we will work together for Europe and its citizens in 2015 and beyond,” said Prime Minister L.Straujuma in after the meeting. She noted that the President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz spoke highly about the Eastern Partnership Summit that is scheduled to take place in Riga in May 2015: “It is important for the Eastern Partnership countries to demonstrate their achievements. They have the right to make decisions about their values as well as their road to belonging to Europe.”
Photo: EU2015.LV
M. Schulz said that "there is a great agreement in opinions about the Latvian EU Presidency and the EP's priorities. Latvia has ambitious targets: Junker's 300 billion investment plan, digital internal market, energy union. They will be ongoing for a longer time, but the first six months will be crucial for their launch. Government in Riga has decisiveness and courage to face these questions. My experience shows, that Presidencies from small countries are very much involved in the success of reforms."
Conference of Presidents is scheduled to have meetings with President Andris Bērziņš and the members of the Latvian Saiema in the afternoon.
The Conference of Presidents is represented in Riga by Martin Schulz, President of the EP and the Leaders of the Political Groups of the EP: Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, Vice-Chair of the group of the European People's Party, Gianni Pittella, Chair of the group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Roberts Zīle, Group Member of the Bureau of the group of the European Conservatives and Reformists, Guy Verhofstadt, Chair of the group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, Gabriele Zimmer, Chair of the Confederal Group of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left, Rebecca Harms, Co-Chair of the group of the Greens/Europe Free Alliance, and David Borrelli, Co-Chair of the group of the Europe of Freedom and Democracy.
Media contacts:
Kaspars Rūklis, Press Secretary in Riga
Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Phone: + 371 67016439, + 371 29405048
E-mail: kaspars.ruklis@mfa.gov.lv
Website: www.eu2015.lv
