The foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania today continued their talks on abolishing restrictions on movement in the Baltic States in view of the decision of the prime ministers of the three states to make coordinated efforts towards the goal of opening borders between the countries on 15 May.
The ministers also outlined the state of play of the spread of the virus and issues related to reopening air and ferry links and necessary confidence-building measures.
Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu assured that the states are cooperating closely towards a coordinated approach, and the measures necessary for containing the spread of the virus are a primary concern when opening borders. “We are working with the aim of opening borders between our states on 15 May, so we need to introduce specific measures, which would be stipulated in a relevant trilateral memorandum of understanding. We will discuss which measures should be applied to passengers from outside the Baltic States. It is also important to inform individuals arriving from other destinations about the restrictions in force in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.”
The ministers also welcomed ongoing discussions between the health ministers, interior ministers, and economy ministers of the three countries, and the work of high-level officials on preparing a memorandum of understanding. “The cooperation of the Baltic States has been close and efficient throughout the crisis,” Reinsalu emphasised. “After the discussion of health ministers next week, we will meet again with the Baltic foreign ministers as well as with the Nordic and Baltic foreign ministers to discuss current restrictions in the region and the possibility of easing them."
Photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmN5F1zk
The next meeting of Baltic foreign ministers is on 12 May.
Additional information:
Pia Kuusik
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Media Adviser
Communication Department
+372 637 7628; +372 5635 7866
www.vm.ee
