The Latvian Institute of International Affairs (LIIA) on January 22 launched the publication of the annual Latvian Foreign and Security Policy Yearbook 2020.
With a view to improving the reception of consular services at the diplomatic and consular missions of Latvia abroad, an online application system is being phased in as of January 2020, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced January 20.
Latvan Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš made the short trip across the eastern border to Belarus January 16 for meetings with his Belarusian counterpart Sergei Roumas and long-time President Alexander Lukashenko.
The Latvian government will donate 50,000 euros to international efforts to respond to catastrophic wildfires in Australia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced January 15.
On 14 January in New Delhi, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, met with the Minister of External Affairs of India, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and used the occasion - not for the first time - to invite India to open an embassy in Rīga.
On 10 January 2020 in Riga, the Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edgars Rinkēvičs, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Péter Szijjártó, who was in Latvia on a brief working visit to discuss bilateral relations and issues important for the European Union in its relations with neighbouring countries.
Latvian officials suspect that around 40,000 Latvian citizens of an estimated 117,000 who currently live and work in the United Kingdom have yet to register with the British authorities, one of the consequences of the "Brexit" withdrawal of the UK from the European Union.
Riga mayor Oļegs Burovs met with recently-intstalled United States Ambassador to Latvia John L. Carwile December 16 with the sun-kissed Californian city of San Diego on the agenda.
On 12 December 2019, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Andris Pelšs, held political consultations with the First Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Titov, the ministry said in a news release.
On 12 December 2019, the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosts a conference devoted to development cooperation, titled “Latvia’s contribution to sustainable global development: Seeking new cooperation models”, organised in cooperation with NGO the Latvian Platform for Development Cooperation.
On 6 December 2019, the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), António Guterres, approved Ilze Brands-Kehris as his Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, the highest-ranking post in the UN structure ever held by someone from Latvia, according to a release from the ministry of foreign affairs.
On Friday 6 December Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš met with Prime Minister of Estonia Jüri Ratas, Prime Minister of Lithuania Saulius Skvernelis to discuss issues of importance to the Baltic region – most pressingly the Rail Baltica project following recent resignations from executives overseeing the project and expressions of concern from other employees, as previously reported by LSM.
On 3 December 2019, the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers approved a draft resolution prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that will mean Latva pays contributions to various international organizations from the Foreign Ministry's budget.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia said November 23 it felt "astonishment" at a comment made by the Information and Press Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation "questioning the judgement of the Constitutional Court of Latvia about the language of instruction in private education institutions in Latvia."
Latvia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement November 22 pointing out that the Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman was being less than wholly accurate in her pronouncements on Latvia.
The new ambassador of the United States of America to Latvia presented his credentials to President Egils Levits at Rīga Castle November 5.
Russian singer Grigory Leps will likely have to cancel planned performances in Latvia after being blacklisted by the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, effectively barring his entry to the country.
Current European Union (EU) Ambassador to Canada Pēteris Ustubs has joined European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s cabinet as diplomatic advisor. The new cabinet will begin their work in November.
On 21 October 2019, Riga hosted an e-PINE (Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe) meeting of cyber-experts from the Baltic States, Nordic countries (NB8) and the United States of America, Latvia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said October 22.
On 17 October 2019, the Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edgars Rinkēvičs, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, Sameh Shoukry, who was in Latvia on an official visit: the first visit to Latvia by an Egyptian Foreign Minister.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was on an official visit to Latvia October 16.
Another high-profile visitor dropped into the Latvian capital October 15 in the form of Charles Michel, who will take over from Donald Tusk as President of the European Council on December 1.
Latvia on October 11 followed the lead of Lithuania and Estonia in noting the inappropriate nature of a "celebration" planned in Moscow this weekend, describing it instead as an "unfriendly action."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will make his first official visit to Latvia October 16, the Latvian Presidential Chancellery has announced.
On 9 October 2019 in Riga, the Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edgars Rinkēvičs, had a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Sweden, Ann Linde, during which the Ministers discussed bilateral relations, current issues for the European Union (EU), international relations and cooperation in international organisations, the ministry reported.
On 7 October 2019, the Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edgars Rinkēvičs, during his official visit in Ukraine, had meetings with the Speaker of Parliament, Dmytro Razumkov, Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vadym Prystaiko, using the occasion to "express Latvia’s readiness to provide rehabilitation services for Ukrainians released from detention in Russia on 7 September 2019," according to a statement from the ministry.
Latvia is minded to back a new Brexit postponement in order to prevent the UK's disorderly withdrawal from the European Union (EU), Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs (New Unity arty) told the LETA newswire through his spokesman Martins Dregeris October 6.
On 1 October 2019, the Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia approved the posting of the civilian expert, Dace Meilija, to the European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) Ukraine as of 7 October this year, reported the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Opening an embassy in Australia, which has a sizable Latvian diaspora of post-WWII refugees and their relatives, is among the named budget priorities for 2020. Together with Brazil, Australia is the second country that the Foreign Ministry named as an important location for opening an embassy.
Latvia's foreign minister has repeated a suggestion that India should open an embasy in Latvia.