Edgars Rinkvis: EU-Russia relations depend on adherence to the Minsk Agreement

On 19 January, Latvia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edgars Rinkēviās, took part in a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels.

The EU Foreign Ministers discussed strategic relations between the EU and Russia. Edgars Rinkēviās noted that opportunities for normalisation of EU-Russia relations depend on Russia, and what it does next in Ukraine. The Latvian Foreign Minister emphasised that in relations with Russia, the EU ought to pursue a solidarity-based approach. If the Minsk Agreement is not fulfilled, no grounds exist for reviewing sanctions against Russia. The main elements of the Minsk Agreement include Russia's commitments to stop supplying arms to separatists, to withdraw troops from the territory of Ukraine, and to facilitate restoration of Ukrainian control over its border utilising OCSE monitoring. Edgars Rinkēviās also drew attention to propaganda spread by Russia. This creates a common challenge for EU member states, and

the Foreign Minister emphasised that Latvia, during its Presidency of the Council of the EU, will implement concrete measures in the field of strategic communication among the Council configurations.

In response to the recent tragic events in Paris, the Foreign Ministers also debated issues related to terrorism. Edgars Rinkēviās directed attention to the need for greater internal coordination, more intensive dialogues with third countries, and countering the phenomenon of foreign fighters.

The Foreign Affairs Council also addressed the issues of climate change, with an eye on pertinent activities scheduled this year in EU Member States.