On 2-3 March in Brdo, Slovenia, the Latvian Foreign Ministry Under-Secretary of State, Edgars Skuja, took part in a gathering of senior officials of the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) which carried out preparations for the ASEM Summit to be held in October this year.
Between 3-6 March, Normans Penke, Secretary of State of the Foreign Ministry, will visit Washington in order to hold political consultations with U.S. officials in the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security and the Congress, as well as to participate, together with the Latvian ministers for the economy and the environment, in the Washington International Renewable Energy Conference organized by the U.S. Administration.
On 4 March the Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins met with the Minister for Agriculture and Fisheries of France, Michel Barnier. During the meeting, current issues related to bilateral relations and the EU were discussed.
On 5-6 March, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins will participate in an informal meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Brussels. The principal purpose of the meeting is to review the topics to be discussed at the NATO Summit in Bucharest on 3-4 April. The main issues will be the prospective enlargement of the alliance and the progress of NATO operations.
On 11 March the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Israel to Latvia, Chen Ivri, will make an introductory visit to the Foreign Minister, Maris Riekstins.
Latvia welcomes the decision taken by the Canadian government to grant visa-free status to Poland, Lithuania, Hungary and Slovakia. Latvia considers this to be a substantial achievement for the whole of the European Union.
On 3 March, the Foreign Ministry Secretary of State, Normans Penke, during his stay in Washington, presented to the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation in the U.S. a donation on behalf of Latvia for the establishment of the Global Virtual Museum on Communism.
On 6 March Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins attended informal talks of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. Ministers discussed the main issues that will top the agenda of the upcoming NATO Bucharest Summit of 3 to 4 April: further enlargement of the alliance and strengthening of its relations with partner states, as well as the course of NATO-led operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo.
Foreign Ministry State Secretary Normans Penke will take part in the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) meeting in Brussels on 10 March.
From 12 March to 10 April the registration of signatures to initiate a law on "Amendments to the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia" will take place.
Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins has expressed condemnation about the tragedy that took place on 6 March, in Jerusalem, when a terrorist attacked a Jewish religious seminary in West Jerusalem, killing eight and injuring about 10 people.
On 10 March the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Latvia, Zhang Limin, will make an introductory visit to the Foreign Minister, Maris Riekstins.
On 10 March a meeting of the European Union (EU) General Affairs and External Relations Council took place in Brussels, attended by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Normans Penke. The main focus was on preparations for the next meeting of Heads of States and Government of EU countries – the spring meeting of the European Council, to be held in Brussels on 13 and 14 March.
On 12 March at 4 pm, Foreign Ministry State Secretary Normans Penke will launch two touring photographic exhibitions, Skats (The View) and Laiks (Time) at the exhibition hall Fotostudija Imagine, which is located at Andrejostas iela 4a, in Riga. In collaboration with Latvian representations abroad, the exhibitions shortly will be going on tour across Europe, America, and China.
On 13 March at 7 pm in the Sunny terrace jazz room of the Europa City Hotel (Brīvības iela 199C, Riga) there will be a press conference about the participation of the Latvian jazz musician association Riga Groove Electro in the travelling project Balticness, which has been organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the presidency of the Council of Baltic Sea States (CBSS).
On 10 March the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Latvia, Zhang Limin, made an introductory visit to the Foreign Minister, Maris Riekstins.
On 11 March at the Latvian Embassy in Belgium, diplomatic relations were established between the Republic of Latvia and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
In Brussels, where the regular meeting of the heads of state or government of the EU member states is to take place this week, the new building of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Latvia to the EU will be officially inaugurated with a series of celebratory events.
The Foreign Ministry informs that on 12 March U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff will be in Latvia. The objective of the visit is to sign the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Latvia and the Department of Homeland Security of the United States of America regarding the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) of the United States of America and the increased security measures related to it.
On 11 March Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins met with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Israel to Latvia, Chen Ivri. At the meeting parties considered Latvia-Israel bilateral relations, their potential development, and the current situation in the Middle East, as well as other current issues in international politics.
On 12 March, Minister of Foreign Affairs Maris Riekstins met with Grade 12 students of his one-time school, the Agenskalns Secondary School. During the meeting the Minister enlightened the students about the main duties of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and told them about career opportunities in the diplomatic service.
On 13 and 14 March Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins will attend the regular European Council meeting in Brussels. The Latvian delegation will be headed by Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs that on 12 March the Acting Minister for the Interior, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins, and the United Sates Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff, signed the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Latvia and the Department of Homeland Security of the United States of America regarding the United States Visa Waiver Program and related enhanced security measures.
On 12 March in Brussels, in the presence of Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis and Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins, the new building of the Latvian Permanent Mission to the EU was formally inaugurated. The ceremony was attended by a number of senior officials from Latvian and EU institutions and foreign diplomats.
On 17 March at 4 pm, in the Ministry entrance hall, Foreign Ministry State Secretary Normans Penke will launch a travelling photographic exhibition entitled Latvia's Song and Dance Celebration in Pictures.
On 17 March Copenhagen will host the travelling project Balticness, which is being organised by Latvia's presidency at the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS). The project features a photographic exhibition, a jazz concert, and debates on a topic relating to regional co-operation.
From 14 to 16 March Minister of Foreign Affairs Maris Riekstins took part in the Brussels Forum, where politicians and experts debate and exchange views on current issues of transatlantic co-operation.
Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins has voiced concern regarding the events of previous days in Lhasa, Tibet, where civilian lives have been lost in the unrest. The Minister urges avoidance of the use of force and the seeking of a solution through peaceful negotiations.
From 17 to 20 March the Foreign Ministry Consular Department is holding its annual meeting of consular officials, in which particular attention will be paid to such topics as the latest regarding the issue of Schengen visas and residence permits, the issue of the new biometric passports, uncovering of counterfeit travel documents, protection of child rights and interests abroad.
On 19 March, Doudou Diene, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, presented a report on Latvia at the 7th session of the UN Human Rights Council.
On 25 March Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins met with Tleukhan Kabdrakhmanov, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to Latvia, to consider the latest developments in Latvia-Kazakhstan bilateral relations and the future potential of co-operation.
The World Federation of Free Latvians (WFFL) and the Latvian student organisation Talavija have sent a letter to Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins, voicing support for the proposal to change the name of the boulevard Basteja bulvaris back to its historical name - Zigfrida Annas Meierovica bulvaris.
On 27 March Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins will meet with the representatives of leading Ukrainian media in order to share Latvia's experience in Euro-Atlantic integration.
On 27 March the travelling photographic exhibition Cita Amerika (Another America), organised by Latin American honorary consuls in Latvia, will be launched at the Reval Hotel Latvia.
Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins will meet with Jean-Pierre Jouyet, the Secretary of State for European Affairs of France on 31 March. The visit by Mr Jouyet takes place ahead of the France's presidency at the EU in the second half of 2008.
On 29 and 30 March, at the invitation of President Toomas Hendrik Ilves of Estonia, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins will attend the Lennart Meri Conference in Tallinn.
On 31 March Jean-Pierre Jouyet, the Secretary of State for European Affairs of France, made a visit to Latvia. During the visit, Mr Jouyet met with representatives of the Foreign Ministry and discussed current events within the EU, including France's priorities for its presidency of the EU in the second half of 2008.
A meeting of the Foreign Policy Council, chaired by Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins, will take place on 1 April, where foreign policy experts will consider current events in international politics, among other topics, the work of the EU Reflection Group, NATO summit in Bucharest, and the recent developments in Tibet.
On 28 March the NATO North Atlantic Council issued a statement on the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), where NATO expresses firm commitment to the CFE framework and its long-term role. The Russian Federation is urged to renew its participation in the Treaty, so that by joint efforts a mutually acceptable solution for maintaining the Treaty can be found.
A result of a delay in the arrival of the French delegation, the joint press conference of Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins and the French Secretary of State for European Affairs, Jean-Pierre Jouyet, which was planned to take place today, 31 March, has been postponed.
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