sentences:  Rinkevics and Peres agreed on the key significance of education and knowledge-based economies for the development of small countries further paving opportunities for our future cooperation between the two nations.Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman also corroborated claims that Israel is interested in forging closer relations with Latvia as Rinkevics emphasized the 20th anniversary of relations between Latvia and Israel in 2012 and both foreign ministers expressed their commitment to strengthening economic and trade cooperation, including contacts between Latvian and Israeli entrepreneurs and a more cooperative operation in the fields of education, culture and science.Israel recognized Lithuania's independence in 1991.