Latvia and Estonia announced on Thursday that they are pulling out of the 16+1 cooperation format with China.
According to Latvia’s foreign ministry, Riga took the decision “in view of Latvia’s current foreign and trade policy priorities”.
Meanwhile, Tallinn did not give reasons for its withdrawal.
“Estonia will continue to pursue constructive and pragmatic relations with China, including the development of relations between the European Union and China in accordance with the rules-based international order and values such as human rights,” the statement said.
Lithuania withdrew from what was then known as the 17+1 format for economic and political cooperation between China and countries in Central and Eastern Europe in May last year.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis called the platform divisive, as Beijing should be dealing with the EU and not individual countries, according to him.
He echoed the same sentiment when Latvia and Estonia announced their decision to withdraw from the format.
“China’s 17+1 format was already redundant and divisive long before Lithuania quit. Latvia and Estonia are now closing the door too. 14+1 should be replaced with EU27+1,” Landsbergis wrote on his Twitter account on Thursday.
China's 17+1 format was already redundant and divisive long before Lithuania quit. Latvia and Estonia are now closing the door too. 14+1 should be replaced with EU27+1.
— Gabrielius Landsbergis (@GLandsbergis) August 11, 2022
The three Baltic countries have been part of this cooperation format since 2012.
The cooperation platform also include Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
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