Daugavpils, which is Latvia's second largest city and has the highest proportion of Russian speakers, is extremely important for Latvia's security, and cooperation between the local government, its residents and the state is important for its protection, the President said.
"The most important thing for me right now, as President of Latvia, is to have a very clear understanding that Daugavpils, Latgale are an absolute part of Latvia, that we all operate according to several principles," said the President.
After visiting several schools, as well as cultural and medical institutions, the President sees more frequent use of Latvian in public institutions as one solution.
"I will invite different ministers to visit more often, to look at specific problems. Including in what way, say, to promote more, to advocate more for the national language to be used in the public sphere," Rinkēvičs said.
Daugavpils Mayor Andrejs Elksniņš, on the other hand, believes others tell Daugavpils what to do and split the society even more, but the real problems of Latgale are being addressed too slowly.
"Such an approach towards Latgale, like we are from the sticks, has always been there, it should not be allowed to be developed with tags, with judgments, with calls for people who think differently, just because you don't like them," Elksniņš said.
This was Rinkēvičs' first visit to Daugavpils as President of Latvia.
