Foreign Minister Baiba Braže discussed current issues of international law and Latvia's participation in supporting Ukraine with the Independent Council of Experts on International and European Law, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported to the LETA agency.
During the meeting on Friday, attention was focused on the establishment of a Special Tribunal in connection with Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Experts discussed Latvia's recent statement to the Council of Europe regarding its readiness to become one of the founding countries of this tribunal, as well as analyzed further practical steps for its creation.
Additionally, the approval in the Saeima of the Convention on the Establishment of a Commission on Claims for Ukraine, related to damage compensation mechanisms, was discussed, as well as Latvia's national sanctions regulation and its improvement.
During the meeting, the Council of Experts also assessed other relevant areas of international and European Union law that influence Latvia's foreign and legal policy.
The meeting was chaired by the council's chairman, Māris Leiniieks, who is a lecturer at the Department of International and European Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Latvia. This was the third meeting after the council's composition was updated.
After the meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs separately met with UN International Law Commission member Mārtiņš Paparinskis. During the conversation, Latvia's priorities in the UN Security Council and other relevant international agenda issues were discussed.
The Council of Independent Experts on International and European Law was established to ensure in-depth analysis of international law issues and to provide professional support in shaping Latvia's foreign policy position. It helps assess legal aspects and make informed decisions in the international environment.
The council includes several internationally recognized legal experts, including Paparinskis, as well as other representatives from the academic and legal community. The experts work in the council on a voluntary and unpaid basis.
In its updated composition, the council met for the first time in September 2025, and its task is to strengthen the analysis and development of international law in Latvia.
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