RIGA - E-services that are the most popular with Latvian nationals abroad include communication with the State Revenue Service, inquiries to state and municipal institutions, declaration of residence and online notary services, Jurijs Pogrebnaks, head of the Consular and Diplomatic Facilities Directorate at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, said on Thursday.
A meeting of consular officials of the European Union member countries' missions to Latvia took place at the Foreign Ministry on Thursday. The meeting was organized by the French Embassy in Latvia, the country that currently holds the Presidency of the EU Council, in cooperation with the Foreign Ministry.
Pogrebnaks informed participants in the meeting about the efficiency and availability of Latvia's e-services, which facilitates consular work. He also commented on the workload of the Latvian consular service during the Covid-19 pandemic, especially in 2020.
Also in 2020, 43 repatriation flights were organized for Latvian nationals in cooperation the national airline airBaltic. Pogrebnaks also spoke of the digital Covid-19 vaccination certificate and travel restrictions in Latvia.
Participants in the meeting got acquainted with the priorities of the French Presidency of the EU Council. There was also a discussion on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on consular affairs. The meeting was opened by the French Ambassador to Latvia Aurelie Royet-Gounin and Pogrebnaks.
In her opening remarks, the French ambassador emphasized that a number of priorities of the French Presidency of the EU Council concerned consular affairs: Schengen area reform, migration and asylum issues, strengthening the EU's borders, European values, rule of law and others.
It is important to hold this discussion for the EU member countries' consuls in Riga so they could share their experience and efforts to maintain free movement of citizens at a time of a global pandemic, said Royet-Gounin.
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