LATVIA ON IRISH NO VOTE: NOTHING RUSHED, NOTHING

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIGA 000358 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/16/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV EUN LG SUBJECT: LATVIA ON IRISH NO VOTE: NOTHING RUSHED, NOTHING RADICAL Classified By: DCM Stuart Seldowitz for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) In response to the June 12 Irish vote on the EU Treaty of Lisbon, the MFA posted a press announcement on the Ministry's web site on June 13. The announcement states that FM Maris Riekstins "is of the opinion that the democratic choice of the citizens of the Republic of Ireland should be respected". It goes on to note that more than half of the EU member states (including Latvia) have already ratified the treaty, and suggests that in response to the Irish vote no hasty decisions should be made, that further solutions should be searched for, and that the ratification process should continue in the remaining member states. ¶2. (C) PolEcon Off also spoke with the Director of the MFA's EU Affairs Division, Anda Orchard, on June 16. Orchard stated that she could not get into the details of Latvia's position, the details of which were still being discussed, but did say that at the upcoming EU Council meeting on June 19, Latvia would be urging that the EU do "nothing rushed, nothing radical". LARSON