President Iohannis, Latvian counterpart meet in Tokyo; agree to intensify dialogue through mutual visits

President Klaus Iohannis had a bilateral meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday with his Latvian counterpart, Egils Levits, on the sidelines of the participation in the enthronement ceremony of Japan's Emperor. 

The two heads of state have agreed to intensify the dialogue at the highest level by organizing mutual visits in the two countries, to stimulate bilateral cooperation in all areas of interest, as well as increased interaction at EU level, according to the Presidential Administration. 

During the meeting, President Klaus Iohannis emphasized that the relations between Romania and Latvia are excellent, based on similar historical experience and common membership of the European and Euro-Atlantic family, sharing common interests at the external border of the European Union and on the Eastern flank of NATO. In his turn, President Egils Levits mentioned the very good bilateral relations and appreciated the increasing size of the economic cooperation between the two states, as well as the importance of intensifying the cooperation within the EU, reads a press release of the Presidential Administration. 

In this context, Klaus Iohannis stressed the importance of the two countries' joint action to strengthen cohesion at European level, as well as the position of the European Union as an external player. 

The two interlocutors pointed out that the two states have many common positions on topics of interest on the European agenda, including on the future budget of the European Union post-2020. 

"President Klaus Iohannis mentioned that Romania is supporting an ambitious budget, with substantial allocations for the cohesion policy and the common agricultural policy, which will provide an adequate response to the new challenges at EU level," the Presidential Administration said in the said release. The Romanian president presented the difficulties related to the negotiation of the new Multiannual Financial Framework, evident following the recent European Council. 

The two heads of state also discussed the situation in the Republic of Moldova, President Iohannis pointing out the strong support of our country for the European integration of this country and for achieving the energy interconnections to which our country directly contributes. 

Security issues and the cooperation of the two countries within NATO were also addressed, both states allocating 2pct of GDP for defense. Presidents Klaus Iohannis and Egils Levits agreed that the partnership between the EU and NATO should be boosted, by highlighting complementarity and avoiding duplication in building the European defense. The relationship with Russia was also discussed at the meeting and the importance of the transatlantic relationship was underlined. 

Klaus Iohannis highlighted the growing relevance of the Three Seas Initiative - in which both states are actively participating - which has established itself as an effective tool to stimulate regional economic development, increase European cohesion and strengthen transatlantic ties, and underlined the contribution of our country, in Bucharest, in 2018, to "the conceptual and political maturation of the Initiative and its endowment with concrete instruments, which will contribute to the implementation of interconnection projects on the North-South direction, in which both states are directly interested." 

This is the first meeting of the two heads of state after the election of Egils Levits as President of the Republic of Latvia on May 29. 

President Klaus Iohannis has been in Japan since Monday. He had meetings with the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, and with the President of Finland, Sauli Niinisto. 

On Tuesday, the Romanian head of state attended, alongside his wife, Carmen Iohannis, the Enthronement Ceremony of Emperor Naruhito. Also on Tuesday, the head of state and his wife will attend the imperial banquet organized on this occasion.