Levits thanked the New Unity and National Alliance political forces for their support for his re-election.
"I represent clear values – they are western-oriented and Latvian values, [..] which I have, I think, proved in these four years. I think that the election of the President of State with a majority vote where the deciding role is played by pro-Kremlin parties is not acceptable in this situation as it would be a completely wrong, dangerous signal to society and our allies.
"So, in this situation, I would be ready to run [for president] for the term of the next four years," Levits said.
"I think the President of State should be elected not by a numerical majority but a political majority which does not include pro-Kremlin parties," he added, asking the coalition to be unified and responsible.
Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš (New Unity) expressed appreciation of Levits' work over the past four years.
The other official candidate currently is entrepreneur and founder of the United List political grouping, Uldis Pīlēns.
It is by no means certain that Pīlēns and Levits will be the only contenders. There is still plenty of time for other candidates to come forward, each with their own particular appeal to a part of the political spectrum.
The presidential vote will take place on May 31, 2023. For a full account of how the president is chosen on voting day, check this story from our archives. In addition, the official presidential website has plenty of information in English.
