Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs said August 13 that two persons from Latvia were known to be among the thousands detained by forces loyal to the regime of Alexander Lukashenko in Belarus as a brutal crackdown on civil liberties and dissent escalates.
Politics
Latvian President Egils Levits on August 13 met with organisers of a civic protest in support of Belarusian people that took place in Riga yesterday. During the meeting in the Riga Castle, President Levits thanked Lolita Čigāne, Sandra Kalniete, Inese Vaivare, Kristīne Želve, Andris Gobiņš, Mārtiņš Vaivars and Selma Levrence for their active stance in support of free and democratic Belarus.
Hundreds of people gathered in Rīga Wednesday evening to stage a peaceful protest outside the Belarusian embassy in Rīga. The picket expressed support for Belrusians suffering under the regime of Aleksander Lukasheno following recent rigged presidential elections.
The parliaments of the three Baltic states and Poland have become the latest to decry the brutal actions of Alexander Lukashenko's regime in Belarus following rigged Presidential elections.
Juris Kokins, head of Riga City Central Election Commission (CVK) said August 12 on Latvian Television that he is worried about following precautionary measures for the prevention of COVID-19 spread during election period.
A green city includes the state and quality of parks, greenery, pollution control, nature entertainment sites, air quality, and other aspects. Ahead of the extraordinary Riga City elections, political parties mention city environment in their programs, Latvian Television said August 11.
The foreign ministers of the Nordic and Baltic states issued a joint statement August 11 on the situation in Belarus following presidential elections and a brutal crackdown by the regime of Aleksander Lukashenko. The statement is reproduced below.
Ahead of the Riga City Council's emergency elections, various political forces and candidates are increasingly active - but the pre-election campaign materials do not always end up where intended, Latvian Radio said August 11.
The foreign ministers of Estonia, Finland and Poland came to Rīga August 11, ostensibly to mark the centenary of the signing of a Latvia-Russia peace treaty, but with current events in Belarus overshadowing the events of one hundred years ago.
In order to reinforce the rule of law and combat corruption in Latvia, a special Council chaired by the Prime Minister will be set up, Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš (New Unity) told Latvian Radio August 10.
Latvian President Egils Levits issued a statement August 10 expressing hope that the Organization for Security and Economic Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) might be able to intervene to improve the situation in Belarus after President Alexader Lukashenko launched violent suppression of protests against an unbelievable election landslide in his favor.
Government proposals for the revision of the minimum income level in Latvia are more reminiscent of accounting calculations than real innovations in social protection according to deputies on the Social and Labor Affairs Committee of the Saeima on Tuesday, August 4, after examining the Ministry of Welfare's ideas for raising the guaranteed minimum income (GMI) level.
Over the recent years, Riga streets have caused a lot of discussion regarding potholes and bumps. Ahead of Riga City Council extraordinary elections, political parties have made promises to improve the city's infrastructure, Latvian Television said August 6.
Saeima MP Jānis Iesalnieks (National Alliance), who mid-July had retweeted a post allegedly of a discriminating nature against sexual minorities, has not violated the Saeima Code of Ethics, Latvian Television reported August 5.
On 11 August 2020, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Urmas Reinsalu; the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland, Pekka Haavisto; and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Jacek Czaputowicz, will arrive in Riga in response to an invitation from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edgars Rinkēvičs, and take part in events to mark the centenary of signing the Treaty of Peace between Latvia and Russia, the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said August 5.
With important municipal elections looming in the Latvian capital, Rīga, on August 29, the latest party ratings from the SKDS pollster for Latvian Television published August 3 suggest there are still plenty of floating voters for politicians to recruit to their causes.
News of the coming rise in cadastral values has upset many, as it also means a rise in real estate tax. New apartments in Riga are one of the categories for which the cadastral value will grow the most in 2022. As a result, several parties are promising various tax incentives in advance of the Riga City Council emergency elections, Latvian Television reported August 3.
President Egils Levits told Latvian Radio August 3 that the current coalition works well together; however, internal bickers often have no serious reason.
In the face of Riga City Council extraordinary elections at the end of August, political parties spoke their mind about public transportation in Riga. Parties promised both new discounts and varied route opportunities, Latvian Television reported July 30.
Voters will only be able to participate in Riga extraordinary elections on-site in Riga, Central Elections Commission (CVK) spokeswoman Laura Zaharova told Latvian Radio July 30.
Latvia has set an ambitious foreign policy goal: to be a member of the UN Security Council, Latvian Television reported July 27.
Latvia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement July 24 drawing attention, not for the first time, to attempts to rewrite history by the Russian Federation. It appears to be in response to recent claims by the Russian Foreign Ministry and Russian embassies in the Baltic states that the occupation of the Baltic states in 1940 and subsequent decades was all done in accordance with international law -- a claim that few, if any, credible historians would support.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia said July 23 it regreted the conviction by a Russian court of a respected historian and human rights activist on dubious charges.
If a foreigner in Latvia has violated the rules of isolation, self-isolation or quarantine, he or she will be subject to the revocation of a temporary residence permit or a visa. These measures, previously agreed by the government, were supported by Latvia's parliament, the Saeima, in a first reading July 21.
On Monday, July 20, the announcement of the lists of candidates for the emergency elections of Rīga City Council was completed. In total, 15 political forces will participate in the elections, Latvian Radio reported July 20.
On 20 July 2020, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edgars Rinkēvičs, took part in the annual meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Baltic States and Germany in a “3+1” format, along with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Urmas Reinsalu; the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Linas Linkevičius; and the German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Heiko Maas.
Latvian President Egils Levits attended a water safety workshop for children July 17, using the opportunity to call for greater awareness of the dangers associated with water. Dozens of lives are lost each year in Latvia's lakes, rivers and sea, most of them clearly preventable.
Despite the COVID-19 crisis it remains a favorable time for Latvian entrepreneurs in the British market, said Ivita Burmistre, new Latvian ambassador to the former European Union member state the United Kingdom, in an interview to Latvian Radio on July 16.
On July 14 President of Latvia Egils Levits hosted public officials and experts of the Ministry of Finance (MoF) and State Revenue Service (SRS) at the Riga Castle. Meeting focused on protection of taxpayers’ rights and a special charter providing such protection.
One of the priorities of the Foreign Ministry next year is the opening of an embassy in Australia. The ministry has requested funds in next year's budget to make it possible, Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs told Latvian Television on July 14.