The Rīga Conference 2021 will take place October 15-16 in hybrid format.
The program of the event is available to view online, along with a list of speakers at https://www.rigaconference.lv/. The first discussion will feature the Prime Ministers of Latvia and Estonia.
✨A spectacular opening panel of the #RigaConf2021 ✨Prime Minister of 🇱🇻Latvia @krisjaniskarins and Prime Minister of 🇪🇪Estonia @kajakallas, moderator - @edwardlucas from @cepa. And a special video address from 🇺🇳@UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres! pic.twitter.com/gXXLvuhtT7
— LATO (@LATO_LV) October 6, 2021
On the conference days themselves, LSM will carry a live stream from the venue, the Latvian National Library.
Despite the rapidly worsening epidemiological situation in Latvia, there are as yet no plans to postpone the conference or switch it to a fully distanced format, despite the risks inherent in having several hundred people from many different countries all sitting in the same windowless room.
Consequently all attendees in person must have a valid vaccination certificate. Nevertheless they will also be in close contact with each other during dinners, including a closing "gala dinner" hosted by President Egils Levits, and over drinks at so-called "night owl" off-the-record sessions.
"We are closely monitoring the current Covid-19 situation and we are aware that there might be some changes, therefore, if necessary, we are ready to adjust the format or rules of the conference to make it safer for all the participants," organizers told LSM.
"On-site participation is possible only with an interoperable EU certificate confirming vaccination or recovery from the Covid-19 virus, and the majority of participants will be people who are residents of Latvia. Compared to other years the number of participants on site is greatly reduced, in order to lessen the threat of the spread of Covid-19," they added.
