"The purpose of the trips is to facilitate Latvia’s bilateral relations, to present opportunities for investment, economic cooperation and tourism in the region, as well as to showcase the diverse cultural and historical heritage of Latvia," said the Ministry, adding that Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dace Melbārde, will be taking the role of tour guide to the town of Kuldīga, recently added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
On their way to the city of the extremely wide waterall, the foreign diplomats will visit Jaunmoku Palace to see its special Victorian gothic architecture.
Activities in Kuldīga will include visiting several local companies – Duna Brewery, Curonia Coffee Roastery, the Klavins Piano workshop, an environmentally-friendly Raitums colours manufacturers, a natural cosmetics company, Etīde, and ‘a co-creation place for creative energies’, Adatu Fabrika – a renovated 19th century needle factory building that hosts professionals and enthusiasts in various creative fields, including participants of international student exchange programmes.
The foreign diplomats will then visit one of Latvia’s leading wood industry companies, Stiga RM Group, and a rural entrepreneur in Snēpele Parish, Pēteris Gobzems, who specialises in goat and ostrich farming. In his Strauss and Kaza (Ostrich and Goat) eatery, the visitors will be treated to the food produced on the farm.
The regional trip will be concluded with a tour of Abava Vineyard and – one can only assume – a certain amount of diplomatic toasting.
Each year, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs arranges a trip to a particular Latvian region for the heads of diplomatic missions accredited to Latvia. There are 135 diplomatic missions and 14 representations of international organisations accredited to Latvia.