Latvia and Estonia to start talks on new agreement about cooperation in emergency situations

RIGA - The Latvian-Estonian Intergovernmental Commission at a meeting today decided to start the talks about a new bilateral agreement on cooperation in emergency and crisis situations, the Latvian Ministry of Environment and Regional Development said.

The Intergovernmental Commission meeting for facilitation of cross-border cooperation took place in Smiltene, north-eastern Latvia, and was co-chaired by the Latvian Minister of Environment and Regional Development, Kaspars Gerhards (National Alliance), and the Estonian Public Administration Minister, Mihhail Korb.

It was agreed to keep working on amendments to the agreement about mutual assistance in providing emergency medical aid in the border areas and also to start the talks about the possibility of signing of a new agreement on cooperation in emergency and crisis situations.

Latvia and Estonia will also continue the talks about amending the bilateral convention for the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.

The national delegations underlined the importance of looking for new cooperation opportunities within the framework of the Intergovernmental Commission. In conclusion of the meeting, the participants were informed about the joint activities and cooperation projects in the border areas in preparation for Latvia and Estonia's centenary that both countries will mark in 2018.

Gerhards said that the European Commission had praised the Latvian-Estonian Intergovernmental Commission as the format of regular cooperation between neighboring countries, saying at present it was rare among the EU member states but should be considered good practice which other countries ought to adopt to deal with problems in the border regions.