Foreign Affairs Minister concludes official talks in Baltic countries

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Joe Borg, concluded on Friday three-days of official talks in the Baltic countries of Estonia and Latvia, both of which are candidates for membership of the European Union.

In Tallinn, Estonia's capital, Dr. Joe Borg held talks with the Minster of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Mr. Toomas Hendrik Ilves. During the meeting, held hours before the publication by the European Commission of the Regular Reports on the applicant countries, the two Ministers updated each other on their Governments' efforts towards membership of the EU. In the context of the recommendations the Commission was expected to make later in the day, the two Ministers also discussed the upcoming Helsinki Summit and agreed to co-ordinate more closely on EU-related matters. In this regard, the Estonian Minister briefed Dr. Borg on a meeting hosted by Estonia two days earlier for the six Ministers of Foreign Affairs representing those Governments with which negotiations had already began.

Both Ministers also agreed to intensify bilateral relations between the two countries.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Joe Borg, also paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister of Estonia, Mr. Mart Laar. Mr. Laar inferred that the recommendation to start negotiations with Malta as soon as possible was to be expected in the impending report of the Commission.

Dr. Borg was also received by Vice-President of the Estonian Parliament and the Chairman of the Parliament's European Affairs Committee, Mr. Tunne Kelam with whom cooperation on a parliamentary level was discussed. Before leaving Estonia, Foreign Minister Joe Borg also held an exchange of views with officials from the Estonian Office of European Integration.

Minister Borg then travelled to Riga, where he had talks with the Latvian Foreign Minister, Mr. Indulis Berzins. The two Ministers expressed their satisfaction that the Commission had recommended the start of negotiations with both countries. The Foreign Minister of Latvia described as "impressive" Malta's membership efforts over the last twelve months and added that these had been recognised by the Commission in its recommendations to the Helsinki Summit. Foreign Minister Benzins remarked that Malta had all the credentials of a reliable partner in the European Union. The two Ministers discussed at length the content of the respective reports and agreed to keep in regular contact, particularly in the weeks leading up to the Helsinki Summit and throughout the negotiation process.

At this point, Minister Borg extended an invitation to Minister Berzins to visit Malta in the coming months in order to ensure that discussions between the two countries continue in constructive and fruitful manner.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Joe Borg, also paid a courtesy call on the President of Latvia, Mrs. Vaira Vike Freiberga, and met with members of the Latvian Parliament's European Affairs Commission, with whom inter-parliamentary cooperation on European matters was also explored.

Before leaving Latvia, Foreign Minister Dr. Joe Borg held talks with the Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Mr. Vents Balodis. Their meeting was followed by the signing of an Agreement on Co-operation between Malta and Latvia in the Field of Tourism.

The Minister was expected to return to Malta last night.