The Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia on a first-ever visit to Latvia

On 20 August 2020, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, H.H. Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, arrived in Latvia on a first ever visit. During his stay, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edgars Rinkēvičs; the President of Latvia, Egils Levits; and the Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš for a discussion on the bilateral relations between Latvia and Saudi Arabia and the state of affairs in the Middle East.

The Foreign Ministers of the two countries talked about bilateral relations, including the ways to expand economic cooperation, especially in the IT sector. The officials also shared views on latest developments in the European Union and the Middle East, including the Middle East peace process. Edgars Rinkēvičs addressed the human rights issues, calling on Saudi Arabia to continue its efforts towards improving the human rights situation and to begin a structured dialogue with the European Union on this matter.

Background information

The Latvian Foreign Minister, Edgars Rinkēvičs, was on a visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 6–7 November 2019.

Diplomatic relations between Latvia and Saudi Arabia were established on 21 March 2003.