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On Tuesday, January 24, Aigars KalvÄ«tis, Prime Minister of the Republic of Latvia, will go on a working visit to Portugal. During the visit Aigars KalvÄ«tis will have meetings with top officials of Portugal: State President, Speaker of the Parliament, Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs. Also, meetings with representatives of the Union of Industrialists are planned. The visit of the Prime Minister to Portugal takes place on a significant date -today it is 85 years since Portugal recognized LatviaâÀ™s independence and 15 years since it recognized the restoration of LatviaâÀ™s independence. In addition, January 26 is the day of international de jure recognition of the Republic of Latvia. The visit of the Prime Minister will promote political contacts outside the traditional regions and help develop common understanding between similar small and medium member states of the European Union (EU). Political contacts are a contributing factor for formation of coalitions in the legislative process of the EU. Latvia is interested in PortugalâÀ™s experience of 10 years of joint work with its Mediterranean neighbours within the framework of the Barcelona Process. The EUâÀ™s New Neighbourhood Policy is a new instrument, therefore it is important for Latvia to study the Portuguese experience. Also important is Portuguese expertise on cooperation mechanisms between Mediterranean countries, and topical political issues of the region. The Prime Minister will return to Latvia on Friday, January 27.
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