Gada Parskats 2004 KOPA - Latvijas Republikas Ārlietu Ministrija

Gada Parskats 2004 KOPA 7/28/05 10:40 Page 5
LATVIJAS REPUBLIKAS ÅRLIETU MINISTRIJA
gadagråmata
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Artis Pabriks
We are in the European
Union and NATO.
Where do we go from here
Historians and the coming generations will probably characterize our era as
a period of transition from the bipolar world of the Cold War to something for
which we do not yet have a name. The historic enlargement of the European
Union and NATO has largely resolved those moral problems that were exposed
continually throughout the second half of the twentieth century in the maps of
Europe. The question, therefore, arises: what next
The emergence of a New Europe in international politics is associated with new
hopes. Democracy, freedom of expression and other Western values are perhaps felt
more keenly in the countries which regained their independence recently because the
people of these countries, including Latvia, still remember vividly their peaceful
revolutions and their recovery from the effects of the Soviet occupation. Aware of the
political “thaw”, which has begun in Ukraine, Georgia and other countries, Latvians tend
to see it as a harbinger of potentially profound changes in the political map of the world.
The great powers, especially the United States and Great Britain, pay very
serious attention to terrorist threats and ways to prevent them; they want to
preclude the repetition of the situation - the sarcastic description is from The
Economist where Arab men complete training as pilots without wanting to learn
how to land an airplane. Commensurate with its capabilities, Latvia contributes
to the global fight against terrorism. Latvia cooperates with partner countries
and sends its armed forces to the “hot spots” in the world. Nonetheless, terrorism
is only one aspect, albeit a very threatening one, of the contemporary
international political situation, which Latvia takes into consideration.
In 2004 we were gratified with our foreign policy - two major goals were
achieved: membership of the European Union and membership of NATO. At the
same time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, like the political milieu and the society
as a whole, came to the realization that it is necessary to work in completely
different conditions, in a different “format.” This annual review surveys how well
we have met the new challenges.
A look at Latvia’s current foreign policy reveals several new policy aspects
as well as a new and revised approach to traditional foreign policy problems and
tasks. The context of our activity is not just the European Union and NATO - all
the more so because these organisations provide us with a protective umbrella
against the rain, wind, snow and even hail of politics.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, well known for being one of the most
effective state institutions, oriented itself with due speed to the new situation and
has performed its tasks with resolve. We have achieved professional maturity.
5
yearbook
THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA