RIGA, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- President of the European Parliament (EP) Martin Schulz on Thursday praised Latvia for its preparedness to take over the presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2015.
Latvia is very well prepared for its first presidency term, local media cited Schulz as saying. The country is scheduled to hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2015.
Strengthening the economic growth of EU will become a priority after Latvia takes over the presidency, according to media reports.
In a meeting with Latvian President Andris Berzins in Riga, Schulz and Berzins discussed EU's economic challenges, the development trends of internal policy, and regional security under the influence of the Ukraine crisis.
During their meeting, the EU's global role was discussed with emphasis on the Eastern Partnership program and central Asia.
Schulz also met with the Latvian Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma and other officials.
