On Wednesday, 5 June, Minister of Agriculture Armands Krauze met with Minister of Agriculture and Food Industry of Moldova Vladimir Bolea in Riga to discuss potential cooperation between the two countries in agriculture and other related sectors, as well as to sign a cooperation programme.
According to the European Commission's report on Moldova's progress towards the EU, Moldova is at an early stage of preparation in most criteria, but has reached a certain level of readiness in food safety, veterinary and phytosanitary policy.
Latvia has already gone through the process of entering the EU and is ready to share its experience and expertise on various issues related to agriculture and food safety. In addition, Latvia and Moldova are already cooperating closely in the field of food safety.
"I appreciate Moldova's efforts towards EU accession, despite the difficulties caused by the war in Ukraine caused by Russian aggression. Cooperation between Latvia and Moldova is vital, both in expanding trade opportunities and in exchanging information in crisis situations. Given the growing tensions surrounding food security at global level, cooperation between countries is more important than ever," said Armands Krauze.
During the visit to Latvia, Moldovan representatives have met with the management and specialists of the Rural Support Service, the Food and Veterinary Service, the State Plant Protection Service and the Latvian Rural Advisory and Education Centre.