Latvia builds its relations with Ukraine on the basis of bilateral cooperation principles and Latvia's status of an EU and NATO member state. Ukraine is one of the priorities for Latvia in the European Neighbourhood Policy and Eastern Partnership. Both countries are engaged in a constructive political dialogue and have a well-developed legal framework covering all fields of cooperation.
- Chronology of diplomatic relations
- Inter-parliamentary cooperation
- Economic cooperation
- Most important visits
CHRONOLOGY OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
Ukraine recognised the independence of Latvia on 26 August 1991. Diplomatic relations between both countries were established on 12 February 1992.
The next important step that brought these bilateral relations to another level was made in 1993 when Latvia opened its embassy in Kyiv and Ukraine opened its embassy in Riga.
Since 16 November 2013, Latvia's Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Ukraine has been Dr Argita Daudze. Since 10 May 2015, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Latvia has been Yevgen Perebijnis.
Latvia has three Honorary Consuls in Ukraine: Volodymyr Hartsula in Lviv and Lviv Region; Olena Vishnyakova in Chernihiv and Chernihiv region; and Oleg Veretennikov in Odessa and Odessa region. The Honorary Consul of Ukraine in Latvia is Oleg Stepanov. The Honorary Consulate is located in Ventspils.
INTER-PARLIAMENTARY CO-OPERATION
A Group for Interparliamentary Relations with Ukraine, established on 6 December 2011, is working within the 11th Saeima. The group comprising 53 MPs is chaired by Ilze Viņķele (Vienotība).
The Ukraine-Latvia Cooperation Group in the Ukrainian Parliament comprises 34 MPs. Its chairman is Ruslan Lukyanchuk (Bat'kivshchyna party)
ECONOMIC COOPERATION
Economic cooperation between Latvia and Ukraine has a good potential for development. All prerequisites are currently in place for further development of economic cooperation especially given Ukraine’s membership of the WTO and the course towards integration with the EU, which promotes ensuring equal market preconditions and economic standards.
After 4 May 2004, Latvian–Ukrainian bilateral business and trade relations have been regulated by agreements signed between the European Union and Ukraine.
The meetings of the Latvia–Ukraine Intergovernmental Commission on Matters of Economic, Industrial, Scientific and Technical Cooperation have been held on a regular basis since 2007 (the first, on 10–11 May 2007, Riga; the second, on 4 June 2009, Kyiv; the third, on 29 June 2010, Riga; the fourth , on 29–30 June 2011, Kyiv; the fifth, on 4–5 July 2012, Riga).
Trade statistics (source:Central Statistical Office)
- Exports to Ukraine in Q1 2014 amounted to 20.8 MEUR, which is by 2.1% or 0.4 MEUR less than in Q1 2013.
- Imports from Ukraine in Q1 2014 amounted to 24.1 MEUR, which is by 5.4% or 1.1 MEUR less than in Q1 2013.
- In terms of total goods turnover, Ukraine with 44.8 MEUR ranks 5th among Latvia’s foreign trade partners outside the EU (19th among all of Latvia’s trade partners).
Latvia-Ukraine total goods turnover has decreased by 2.5% or 1.1 MEUR compared to the respective period in 2013.
In 2013, Latvia had a negative balance of trade in goods with Ukraine to the amount of -3.3 MEUR.
In 2013, the total trade in services between Latvia and Ukraine amounted to -20.0 MEUR (exports -16.7 MEUR, imports 3.3 MEUR)
The balance of trade in services was negative and amounted to -20,0 MEUR
In 2013, Latvia mostly exported to Ukraine transportation services (for the most part, air, rail and road) and other transport-related services.
In 2013, Latvia mostly imported from Ukraine transportation services (air, and especially rail) and other services.
Main exports to Ukraine in 2013
- Products of chemical and allied industries – 23%
- Machinery and mechanical appliances; electrical equipment – 22%
- Food industry products – 16%
- Textile materials and articles – 14%
Main imports from Ukraine in 2013
- Products of chemical and allied industries – 31%
- Machinery and mechanical appliances; electrical equipment – 26%
- Food industry products – 10%
- Textile materials and articles – 8%
Trade between Latvia and Ukraine from 2005 to 2014 Q1, in EUR
|
Year |
Export |
Import |
|
2005 |
56 633 712 |
132 254 551 |
|
2006 |
82 030 534 |
95 445 205 |
|
2007 |
85 130 774 |
110 728 078 |
|
2008 |
91 732 612 |
100 388 279 |
|
2009 |
53 618 783 |
81 207 944 |
|
2010 |
75 160 635 |
93 077 585 |
|
2011 |
75 616 111 |
138 217 795 |
|
2012 |
97 716 961 |
174 528 998 |
|
2013 |
91 588 623 |
129 522 684 |
|
2014 Q1 |
20 755 081 |
24 077 252 |
Principal exports to Ukraine by commodity types in 2014 Q1, in EUR
|
Commodity type |
EUR |
Share of total exports |
|
Total |
20 755 081 |
100% |
|
Products of chemical and allied industries - Pharmaceutical products – 84%; |
6 094 925 |
29.37% |
|
Food industry products - Alcohol – 16% - Prepared or preserved fish – 16% |
3 839 950 |
18.50% |
|
Machinery and mechanical appliances; electrical equipment - Telephone sets – 71%; - Monitors and projectors – 16%; |
3 216 248 |
15.50% |
|
Textile materials and articles - Woven fabrics of synthetic staple fibres – 23%; - Textile fabrics impregnated, coated with plastics – 13%; |
2 763 087 |
13.31% |
|
Live animals; animal products - Fish, frozen – 71% - Meat of swine, fresh, chilled or frozen – 18% |
1 244 653 |
6.00% |
|
Plastics and articles thereof; rubber and articles thereof |
805 267 |
3,88% |
|
Transport vehicles |
748 938 |
3,61% |
|
Wood pulp, paper and cardboard |
597 459 |
2,88% |
|
Miscellaneous manufactured articles |
578 867 |
2.79% |
|
Mineral products |
236 859 |
1.14% |
|
Metals and metal articles |
156 528 |
0.75% |
|
Stone, gypsum, cement, glass, ceramic articles |
150 101 |
0.72% |
|
Timber and articles thereof |
114 093 |
0.55% |
|
Optical instruments and apparatus (incl. medical); watches, musical instruments |
80 915 |
0,39% |
|
Vegetable products |
46 722 |
0,23% |
|
Weapons and ammunition |
31 760 |
0.15% |
|
Footwear, hats, umbrellas and other articles |
28 400 |
0.14% |
|
Raw hides and skins, furskins and articles thereof |
7 237 |
0.03% |
|
Fats and oil |
6 736 |
0,03% |
|
Precious or semi-precious stones, precious metals and metals clad with precious metals |
6 336 |
0.03% |
Principal imports from Ukraine by commodity types in 2014 Q1, in EUR
|
Commodity type |
EUR |
Share of total imports |
|
Total |
24 077 252 |
100% |
|
Metals and articles of metal - Ferro-alloys – 71% - Flat-rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel – 13% |
11 714 775 |
48.65% |
|
Textile materials and articles -Men's or boys' suits – 54% -Men's or boys' overcoats, car coats, capes – 21% - Tracksuits – 17% |
2 424 527 |
10.07% |
|
Vegetable products - Maize (corn) – 57% - Rye – 36% |
2 146 751 |
8.92% |
|
Food industry products - Pasta – 31% - Alcohol – 14% |
1 945 |
8.08% |
|
Products of chemical and allied industries - Pharmaceutical products – 47% - Casein – 20% |
1 485 098 |
6.17% |
|
Machinery and mechanical appliances; electrical equipment |
737 486 |
3.06% |
|
Timber and products thereof |
680 685 |
2.83% |
|
Wood pulp, paper and cardboard |
618 850 |
2.57% |
|
Transport vehicles |
534 823 |
2.22% |
|
Miscellaneous manufactured articles |
480 146 |
1.99% |
|
Stone, gypsum, cement, glass, ceramic articles |
419 974 |
1.74% |
|
Plastics and articles thereof; rubber and articles thereof |
409 987 |
1.70% |
|
Mineral products |
314 637 |
1.31% |
|
Fats and oil |
122 433 |
1,12% |
|
Optical instruments and apparatus (incl. medical); watches, musical instruments |
32 061 |
0.51% |
|
Footwear, hats, umbrellas and other articles |
9 665 |
0.13% |
Investments (source: Latvijas Banka, Lursoft)
Ukraine’s direct investments in Latvia amounted to 93.7 MEUR as of the end of 2013, including financial intermediation (63.9 MEUR), and professional, scientific and technical services (6.40 MEUR), information and communications services (6.4 MEUR), real estate (5.3 MEUR), processing industries (1.2 MEUR), wholesale and retail trade (0.8 MEUR), construction (0.1 MEUR), and unspecified activities (9.6 MEUR).
As of the end of 2013, Latvia’s direct investments in Ukraine amounted to 39.2 MEUR. Investments had been made in financial and insurance activities (22.5 MEUR), wholesale and retail trade (13.0 MEUR or 30%), professional, scientific and technical services (2.7 MEUR), construction (1.8 MEUR), administration and auxiliary services (-1.1), transport and storage (0.3 MEUR), unspecified activity (0.2 MEUR), processing industries (0.1 MEUR).
As of 21 May 2014, there were 892 companies with Ukrainian capital operating in Latvia.
Most important visits and meetings
| 5-6 November 2015 | Working visit to Latvia by the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Arseniy Yatsenyuk | ||
| 2 October 2015 | Official visit to Ukraine by the President of Latvia, Raimonds Vējonis | ||
| 5-7 July 2015 | Working visit to Latvia by Vice-Speaker of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada, Oksana Syroid | ||
| 22 May 2015 | President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko participates at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Riga. A bilateral meeting with the President of Latvia Andris Bērziņš | ||
| 27-28 April 2015 | Working visit to Ukraine by the Prime Minister of Latvia, Laimdota Straujuma. Meeting with the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Arseniy Yatsenyuk | ||
| 22-25 April 2015 | Working visit to Ukraine by the Minister of Culture of Latvia, Dace Melbārde | ||
| 10-20 March 2015 | Working visit to Ukraine by the Minister of Education and Science of Latvia, Mārīte seile | ||
| 17-19 March 2015 | Working visit to Ukraine by Aleksejs Loskutovs, member of the Saeima, Chairman of the Corruption Prevention Sub-committee of the Saeima Standing Committee on Defence, Internal Affairs and Corruption prevention | ||
| 15-16 March 2015 | Working visit to Ukraine by the Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, Gundars Daudze, as part of the working visit to Ukraine by Speakers of Baltic and Nordic Parliaments | ||
| 21-22 February 2015 | Working visit to Ukraine by the Prime Minister of Latvia, Laimdota Straujuma | ||
| 12-13 February | Visit to Ukraine by the Speaker of the Saeima, Ināra Mūrniece | ||
| 10 January 2015 | Visit to Ukraine by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia,Edgars Rinkēvičs | ||
|
29–30 September 2014 |
Visit to Ukraine by the Minister of Justice of Latvia, Gaidis Bērziņš |
||
|
23–24 September 2014 |
Visit to Ukraine by the Minister of Defence of Latvia, Raimonds Vējonis |
||
|
26–26 August 2014 |
Visit to Ukraine by the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Health of Latvia, Renārs Putniņš |
||
|
15–17 July 2014 |
Visit to Ukraine by the Foreign Minister of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs |
||
|
1–2 July 2014 |
Visit to Ukraine by the Saeima (Parliament) European Affairs Committee delegation |
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|
7 June 2014 |
Visit to Ukraine by the Prime Minister of Latvia, Laimdota Straujuma |
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|
22–26 May 2014 |
Visit to Ukraine by members of the Latvia-Ukraine Parliamentary Cooperation Group of the Saeima (Latvian Parliament) |
||
|
8 May 2014 |
Working visit to Ukraine by the Speaker of the Saeima, Solvita Āboltiņa |
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|
15-16 April 2014 |
Working visit to Ukraine by the State secretary of the Foreign Ministry of Latvia, Andrejs Pildegovičs |
||
|
28 February 2014 |
Working visit to Ukraine by the Foreign Minister of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs |
||
|
2 October 2013 |
Working visit to Latvia by the Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Leonid Kozhara |
||
|
26–27 June 2012 |
Official visit to Latvia by the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine, Volodymyr Lytvyn |
||
|
14–16 March 2013 |
Official visit to Ukraine by the President of Latvia, Andris Bērziņš |
||
|
9–10 February 2012 |
Official visit to Latvia by the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Mykola Azarov |
||
|
16 January 2012 |
Working visit to Latvia by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Kostyantyn Gryshchenko |
||
|
29–30 June 2011 |
Visit to Ukraine by the Minister of Economy of Latvia, Atis Kampars (4th meeting of the IGC) |
||
|
18–19 April 2011 |
Working visit to Ukraine by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis, to attend events commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster |
||
|
15 December 2010 |
Official visit to Latvia by the President of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovich |
||
|
29 June 2010 |
Visit to Latvia by the Minister of Economy of Ukraine, Vasyl Tsushko (3dr meeting of the IGC) |
||
|
25 February 2010 |
Participation by President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers in the Inaugural Ceremony of the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovich |
||
|
22 November 2008 |
Participation by the President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers in the Golodomor victims’ commemoration event in Kyiv |
||
|
25-27 June 2008 |
State Visit to Ukraine by the President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers |
||
|
23 May 2008 |
Participation by the President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers in the Energy Summit in Ukraine |
||
|
31 Jan –1 Feb 2008 |
Official visit to Ukraine by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Māris Riekstiņš |
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|
27–28 April 2006 |
State Visit to Latvia by the President of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko. |
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13–15 February 2006 |
Visit to Ukraine by the Speaker of the Saeima, Ingrīda Ūdre. |
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|
2 December 2005 |
President of Latvia Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga attends the Community of Democratic Choice in Kiev; a meeting with the President of Ukraine Victor Yuschenko. |
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|
28 Nov –1 Dec 2005 |
Official visit to Ukraine by the Prime Minister of Latvia, Aigars Kalvītis |
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|
26–28 April 2005 |
Official visit to Ukraine by the Minister of Defence of Latvia, Einars Repše. |
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|
29–30 March 2005 |
Official visit to Latvia by the Speaker of the Parliament of Ukraine, Volodimir Litvin. |
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|
23 January 2005 |
Participation by the President of Latvia Vaira-Vīķe Freiberga in the Inaugural Ceremony of the President of Ukraine Victor Yuschenko. |
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|
5–6 October 2004 |
Official visit to Latvia by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Konstantin Griscenko. |
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|
7–8 November 2003 |
Official visit by to Ukraine Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Sandra Kalniete |
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|
5–7 February 2002 |
Official visit to Latvia by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Anatoly Zlenko |
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|
23–24 February 2000 |
Official visit to Ukraine by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Indulis Bērziņš |
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|
24–26 February 1998 |
Official visit to Ukraine by the Prime Minister of Latvia Guntars Krasts |
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12–13 February 1998 |
Working visit to Ukraine by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Valdis Birkavs |
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28–29 November 1997 |
Unofficial visit to Ukraine by the President of Latvia Guntis Ulmanis |
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24 July 1997 |
Visit to Latvia by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Gennady Udovenko |
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11–12 July 1996 |
Visit to Ukraine by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia Valdis Birkavs |
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