Democratic world must be able to stand up to Russian imperialism in the long term - Smiltens

  • 2023-07-20
  • LETA/TBT Staff

RIGA - The democratic world must be prepared for a long-lasting confrontation because for centuries Russia's policy has demonstrated its imperialist character, said Saeima Speaker Edvards Smiltens (AS) during a meeting with Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chavez-Robles.

Smiltens noted that Latvia and Costa Rica are separated by a long distance, but this is not an obstacle to a close partnership between the two countries.

The Latvian politician noted that cooperation between like-minded countries is more important than ever in the defense of freedom, democracy and a law-based international order.

The Saeima speaker highly appreciated Costa Rica's strong support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.

The President of Costa Rica expressed his conviction that the country was on the right side of history and was also actively advocating for Ukraine in international organizations. The UN General Assembly has adopted six resolutions on Russia's aggression in Ukraine, and Costa Rica, like Latvia, supported them in all votes.

The Saeima speaker acknowledged that Russia's full-scale invasion had also united Western allies. NATO's Article 5 is "cast in steel and filled with equipment and soldiers ready to defend every inch of the alliance", Smiltens stressed.

The Costa Rican President expressed his interest in developing closer economic ties with the European Union and Latvia. ;;Our country sees prospects for cooperation in a number of sectors, particularly in the field of information and communication technologies,'' the Saeima speaker noted.

This is the first visit to Latvia by the President of Costa Rica, Rodrigo Chevez-Robles.