“All people have the right to live in peace and security in their own country,” Latvian President Raimonds Vējonis declared during his address at the 71st session of the United Nations on September 21 in New York. Decisive political action to address and prevent conflicts that cause massive displacements and suffering is more urgent than ever before. The international community must find political solutions.”
On 25-26 August, Riga will host the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Baltic and Nordic countries in the NB8 format. Latvia will welcome the region’s representatives as the country coordinating the NB8 cooperation in 2016. The programme includes a reflection on cooperation in the region over the 25 years since the Baltic States regained their independence and a discussion on current developments in Europe as well as security issues in the region and beyond.
On 24 August, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a meeting of the Diaspora Working Group, at which an informational report on the activities of the Foreign Ministry in the diaspora sector from 2013 to 2015 was presented to the diaspora organisations and cooperation partners.
Latvian President Raimonds Vējonis and the First Lady of Latvia, Iveta Vējone, had an audience with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in London on Tuesday, July 19. During the audience, the President of Latvia invited Her Majesty to visit Latvia in 2018 for the celebration of Latvia’s centennial.
During a working visit to Riga, Canadian Foreign Minister Stéphane Dion met with Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs and the diplomats spoke together about the decisions made at NATO’s Warsaw Summit concerning the NATO battalion in Latvia in which Canada is the framework nation.
From June 30 to July 2, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is hosting a meeting of Latvia’s Honorary Consuls with the aim of discussing the issues high on the foreign policy agenda of Latvia, its economic development and opportunities for business cooperation, including involvement in the export promotion and attraction of foreign investments. The Honorary Consuls will also hear the latest news concerning consular work and the events to commemorate Latvia’s centenary.
There are no direct indications that the United Kingdom's decision to leave the EU would have a long-lasting impact on the economy and financial markets, said Valdis Dombrovskis, Vice-President of the European Commission, as reported by Latvian Radio.
The United Kingdom will remain an important ally and international partner to Latvia. Close relations will be maintained including in foreign affairs and security policy.
On June 27, the Second European Media and Information Literacy Forum (MIL) started in Riga, Latvia. How can Media and Information Literacy be used in this shifting media landscape to ensure open and secure societies? This is the opening theme of the Forum that will, throughout three days, explore many different angles and approaches of MIL not only in Europe, but also in the world.
On Thursday, June 2, Latvian Prime Minister Māris Kučinskis and the Secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Angel Gurría, signed the Agreement on Accession of Latvia to the OECD in Paris. Upon parliamentary ratification in Latvia, the country will officially become the organisation’s 35th member state.