OREANDA-NEWS. November 22, 2012. While on a working visit to Brussels Latvian President Andris Berzins met with the chairman of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, to discuss issues related to Latvia’s move toward joining the euro zone, the European Union’s next multi-year budget (2014-2020), and other issues which are of importance to Latvia and the Baltic States.
 
 Mr Barroso praised Latvia’s achievements in overcoming the economic crisis and in posting good economic growth indicators, adding that Latvia’s growth is very important and impressive for all of Europe and that it is an evident success story. The chairman also called on Latvia to observe the Maastricht criteria so as to demonstrate the sustainability of growth. He added that he personally supports Latvia’s goal of joining the euro zone.
 
President Berzins, in turn, said that Latvia will take all of the necessary steps to ensure that the country continues to observe the Maastricht criteria. He emphasised the fact that Latvia is fulfilling the criteria at this time and that according to third-quarter indicators and 2012 forecasts, Latvia’s development will be more positive than had initially been expected. Mr Berzins also confirmed that implementation of the euro would be advantageous both to Latvia and the EU, adding that Latvia has been implementing and will continue to implement fiscally responsible policies. Confirmation of this fact is that Latvia has ratified the EU’s fiscal agreements and is moving toward the adoption of a fiscal discipline law.
 
Turning to the issue of the EU’s multi-year budget, Mr Barroso said that negotiations have not been easy and probably will continue to be difficult. “This is a time of serious negotiations, and there will be decisive moments in November,” he said. The Council of the EU will meet on November 22 and 23 to talk about the multi-year budget, and that means that the next few weeks will be of critical importance.
 
In relation to this matter, President Berzins noted that in advance of his visit, he reached agreement with the heads of state in Lithuania and Estonia on those issues which are of the greatest importance to the Baltic States – cohesion policies and direct agricultural payments. In discussing the policies and the influence which EU funding has had on Latvia’s economy, the President clearly justified the positive effect which the funding has had on Latvia’s major macroeconomic indicators – GDP and employment, particularly during the period of time when the country was overcoming its economic crisis. Mr Barroso welcomed these calculations and said that this is a serious argument in future negotiations. He also confirmed that he supports the full continuation of the EU’s cohesion policies.
 
At the conclusion of the meeting, President Berzins insisted that it is of key importance for the Baltic States to deepen co-operation and to preserve human resources not just in cities, but also in the countryside. For that reason, he said, decisions on the next multi-year budget for the EU will be not just of economic, but also of political importance for Latvia and for the Baltic States as a whole.