Confirmation of his signature came in a MFA press release December 28 which was notable for not mentioning the word 'Istanbul' at all.
"The permanent representation of Latvia to the Council of Europe will deposit the document with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, thereby notifying the Council of Europe that Latvia has ratified the said Convention," said the MFA.
"Accession to the Convention is a major step by which Latvia recognises the gravity of the problem of violence against women and of domestic violence and affirms its commitment to addressing the issue at the international level," said the release.
The Convention will enter into force in Latvia on the first day of the month following a period of three months after the date of deposition of the ratification instrument – so most likely April 1.
As previously reported by LSM, the Latvian Saeima ratified the convention by a paper-thin majority on November 30 after heated debate. If you would like to read the text of the convention for yourself, you can do so here: https://www.coe.int/en/web/istanbul-convention/text-of-the-convention.
