"Edgars Rinkēvičs expressed gratitude to the United States for its huge contribution to the strengthening of Latvia’s defense capabilities and its eastern border. The Minister welcomed the U.S. commitment to increasing the U.S. military presence in Europe and said that the NATO Warsaw Summit in July this year should adopt the necessary decisions on the strengthening of Allied capabilities along the eastern flank through pursuit of an effective policy of deterrence," a statement from the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Rinkēvičs and Shaheen also discussed Latvia's troubled OECD membership bid and the controversial Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which the Latvian government officially supports.
The Minister and the Senator also exchanged views on other issues of international importance: the conflict in Syria, developments in Ukraine, migration-related problems, relations with Russia, and energy security.
Jeanne Shaheen is a Democrat. First elected in 2008, she was re-elected in 2014 and her current term is till 3 January 2021. She visited Latvia in June 2015.
While in Brussels, Rinkēvičs also met with Pavlo Klimkin, the Foreign Minister of Ukraine. Rinkēvičs called on Ukraine to carry out the necessary reforms in all fields, including the fight against corruption.
