During the consultations, both sides discussed various regional and international issues

India and Latvia discussed bilateral issues as well as regional and international concerns at the Foreign Office Consultations on Tuesday.

Both sides discussed the entire range of bilateral relations, including political, economic, commercial, consular, and cultural linkages, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

They exchanged views on regional and global issues, including developments in the Indo-Pacific, India’s neighbourhood, EU, Ukraine conflict, cooperation in multilateral fora including the UN, and UNSC reforms, the MEA added.

The Indian side was led by Secretary (West) MEA Sanjay Verma while the Latvian side was led by State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Andris Pelss.

The next round of foreign Office Consultations will take place in Riga on a date that works for both sides.

India and Latvia share warm and cordial relations with historical and cultural linkages and have recently completed 30 years of diplomatic relations, the MEA noted.

A shared commitment to democracy and the popularity of Indian culture among the Latvian people further contribute to the close and cordial relations that exist between the two nations.

They currently have strong commercial links, which led to the signing of a double taxation avoidance agreement between Latvia and India in 2013. This deal enhanced Indian exports to Latvia, which was beneficial for the economies of both countries.