RIGA, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Belarus' Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei arrived in Riga Thursday on a working visit for talks with Latvia's top state officials aimed at enhanced bilateral cooperation.
At a news conference after the meeting between the foreign ministers of the two neighbor countries, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics announced that talks are under way on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's possible visit to Latvia, which in Rinkevics' words might take place "in a foreseeable future".
Latvian Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis who also met with Makei, said that Belarusian businesses are welcome to Latvia's ports.
Makei said that the route via the Latvian ports is highly important to Belarus, and that there are already concrete plans and proposals to work on.
The Latvian prime minister noted transport and logistics as one of the main cooperation areas, saying Belarusian companies have been using the Latvian transport system with its three large ports for shipping their cargos for many years but this cooperation can still be intensified and enhanced.
"I would like to underline that the Latvian ports are open to Belarusian entrepreneurs," Kucinskis said.
Both Rinkevics and Kucinskis drew Makei's attention to the railway electrification project, which Latvia has launched to boost the efficiency of the East-West Transport Corridor.
Latvia has good neighborly relations with Belarus, and the two countries have cooperation in various areas. Belarus is Latvia's fourth largest trade partners outside the European Union.
