In Rīga they will be welcomed by President Egils Levits and his wife Andra Levite. On the afternoon of 15 February, the two Presidents will hold political talks followed by a joint press conference, and the following day, the Federal President has been invited by President Levits to give a speech entitled "For democracy and freedom in Europe – Lessons from our shared constitutional tradition" at the international conference "100 Years of the Constitution".
Federal President Steinmeier and Elke Büdenbender will also visit the Richard Wagner House and the Žanis Lipke Memorial in Rīga on that day. The memorial is dedicated to the Latvian Žanis Lipke and his wife, who managed to rescue many Jews from the Riga Ghetto during the Nazi occupation period.
Steinmeier is no stranger to Latvia, having visited several times during his lengthy tenure as German Foreign Minister, and he also paid a visit as president back in 2017. Last year he hosted President Levits and the other Baltic presidents in Germany during a visit that was notable for the warmth of mutual feeling.
