During his official visit to Latvia on 14 and 15 November, the Secretary-General met with the President, H.E. Mr. Andris Berzinš, Prime Minister, H.E. Mr. Valdis Dombrovskis, Foreign Minister, H.E. Mr. Edgars Rinkevics, and other senior Latvian officials.

The Secretary-General and his interlocutors discussed a range of global topics of mutual concern, as well as UN-Latvian cooperation. The Secretary-General took the opportunity to thank the Latvian leadership for the country’s steadfast contributions to the work of the United Nations.

The Secretary-General and the Latvian leadership exchanged views on the global economic crisis. The Secretary-General expressed his hope that the global economic environment would improve in 2014. He also commended the country’s leadership in securing Latvia’s economic recovery and noted that it had become the fastest growing economy in the European Union.

The Secretary-General also encouraged the Latvian leadership to share the country’s positive experiences regarding its democratic transition with those countries around the world facing challenges in their own respective quests for democracy.

They also discussed the crisis in Syria and efforts to find a political solution to the conflict and prospects for Afghanistan post-2014. They also discussed developments in Iran, Central Asia, the Sahel and Guinea-Bissau. The Secretary-General and his interlocutors exchanged views on the process of crafting the United Nations Post-2015 development agenda. They discussed the European Union's Eastern Partnership and the role Latvia could play when it has the EU Presidency in the first half of 2015. They also discussed climate change, forestry, sustainable energy and education. The Secretary-General commended the Latvian leadership for the country’s promotion of women’s empowerment and Internet governance.