On 30 June 2020, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of countries involved with the 'Three Seas Initiative' (TSI) met in a video-conference, with Latvia's Edgars Rinkēvičs among the participants.
Diplomacy
The Latvian Foreign Ministry has released a statement June 20 pointing out that a piece of writing with Russian President Vladimir Putin's name attached is misleading and full of inaccurate information.
On 18 June 2020, the Latvian Foreign Ministry's Political Director, Jānis Mažeiks, met with the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Latvia, Yevgeny Lukyanov (Лукьянов Евгений Владимирович) to present Latvia's position on draft legislation now pending in Russia's State Duma, that would aim to revoke resolution No. 979-1 of 24 December 1989 adopted by the Congress of People's Deputies of the USSR that condemned the secret protocol of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.
Acting on an initiative inspired by Latvia, 130 countries of the United Nations Organization (UN) on June 12 delivered a cross-regional statement on countering widespread disinformation -- the neologism "infodemic" is used to describe it -- in the context of the COVID-19 health crisis.
In the village of Kaelase in Pärnu County, Estonia, on 12 June 2020, the fifth informal seminar of the Latvian and Estonian foreign ministries was held along with a bilateral meeting between the Latvian Foreign Minister, Edgars Rinkēvičs, and, his colleague, Urmas Reinsalu, the Estonian Foreign Minister.
On Friday, June 12, the U.S. ambassador in Latvia John L. Carwile handed over test kits and laboratory equipment to the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Defense, U.S. embassy said in a media statement on June 12.
During the pandemic, wider public events and foreign visits did not take place. However, there are questions about representation expenses for public officials during the time, Latvian Radio reported on June 1.
France's ambassador to Latvia, Mme Odile Soupison made the short trip from her embassy beside the Freedom Monument to Rīga Castle May 27 to collect Latvia's highest state award, the Order of the Three Stars.
On 20 May 2020, the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Baltic States and Germany held security policy consultations online, Latvia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Ineta Ziemele has been re-elected as President of the Constitutional Court of Latvia on Wednesday, May 6.
Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš announced May 6 that the three Baltic states of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania plan to open their borders to each other from May 15.
Latvia has confirmed its contributions to coordinated international efforts to tackle COVID-19.
Members of Latvia's diplomatic corps have attempted to prove the pen is mightier than the sword by publishing a collection of essays to mark the upcoming hundred year anniversary of Latvia’s de jure international recognition.
On 29 April 2020, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs participated in a videoconference with the other two Foreign Ministers of the Baltic States, focusing on the regional cooperation beyond the COVID-19 crisis.
The prime ministers of the three Baltic states had an online meeting April 22 in which they discussed the coordination of their border opening procedures when it becomes possible.
Latvia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced a grant project competition "Support for development cooperation in recipient countries selected by the Republic of Latvia" which applies to specific European Union Eastern Partnership countries – Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine – as well as the following countries in Central Asia – Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
On 14 April 2020, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the extension of the posting of Jeļena Suvorova, a civilian expert, to the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine (SMM), the government press service reported.
On 7 April 2020, the Latvian Cabinet approved the extension of the posting of four civilian experts – Raimonds Deičmanis, Eva Ikauniece, Raimonds Koptenkovs and Oskars Kastēns – as part of the European Union (EU) Advisory Mission for Civil Security Sector Reform Ukraine (EUAM).
Latvia offered words of encouragement to Ukraine April 4 after the Ukrainian parliament passed a major reform package in its first reading.
Latvian State President Egils Levits had a telephone call with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko March in which the pair discussed a future visit of the authoritarian leader to Latvia, reported the Latvian presidential press service.
Latvia lined up with a longlist of other states March 23 to condemn elections held in the occupied Georgian territory of Abkhazia as illegitimate.
Latvia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced March 13 some temporary changes to the manner in which consular services are provided overseas.
Senior officials from the Baltic states and Poland on March 5 released a joint statement voicing their full backing for the European Union membership hopes of countries in the western Balkans. The statement was released at the end of a joint visit to the region and is reproduced below.
From 3 March to 5 March 2020, the Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edgars Rinkēvičs, is visiting Albania and North Macedonia together with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Jacek Czaputowicz, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Linas Linkevičius, and the Undersecretary for European Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Märt Volmer.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, François-Philippe Champagne was in Latvia March 2 for a series of meetings to discuss bilateral and regional relations.
In the wake of the various controversies surrounding the Kristīne Misāne extradition case, on 27–28 February 2020, the non-resident Ambassador of Latvia to the Republic of South Africa (RSA), Raimonds Jansons, and Counsellor, Head of the Consular Legal Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dagnija Lāce-Ate, were on a working visit to the country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported February 28.
Latvia and the United States on February 27 signed a "Joint Declaration on 5G Security" in a move that effectively aligns Latvia's future development of its 5G communications networks with the U.S. line on avoiding the use of Chinese companies, and in particular Huawei, in vital parts of 5G networks.
A Copenhagen court on February 14 ruled that Latvian citizen Kristīne Misāne should remain in custody pending an extradition request in place from South Africa, where she will face charges of kidnapping, document forgery and other charges.
On 12 February 2020, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova, Aureliu Ciocoi, who was in Latvia on a working visit.
With the Latvian Foreign Ministry and Justice Ministry already deeply involved in negotiations with Denmark over the controversial extradition of a Latvian citizen to South Africa, a minister without any obvious brief to get involved in extradition cases has also charged into the fray.