On 2 September, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins will meet with the Chairman of the Riga City Council, Nils Usakovs, in order to discuss the co-operation of Latvia's capital with other cities in the world.
On 2 September, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins met with the Chairman of the Riga City Council, Nils Usakovs.
On 4-5 September, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins will attend the Informal Meeting of EU Foreign Ministers (the Gymnich) in Stockholm, Sweden. During the meeting, the ministers will exchange opinions on further EU strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan in the wake of the presidential and provincial elections in Afghanistan on 20 August. The ministers also intend to talk about the current situation in the Middle East and the role of the EU as a global player. A debate on the neighbouring regions' perspective will take place with the EU candidate countries (Croatia, Turkey, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia).
On 31 August, Armenia, Turkey and Switzerland, a mediator in the process of regulating Armenia-Turkey relations, issued a joint statement on their intention to begin consultations regarding possibilities for the normalisation of bilateral relations.
On 3-4 September, an expert from the European Commission, Adolfo Sanchez, arrives on a working visit to Latvia.
On 3 September in Stockholm, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins will attend the first night performance of the play Garā dzīve (The Long Life) by the New Riga Theatre (Jaunais Rīgas teātris, JTR) that has been included in the cultural programme of the Swedish EU Presidency. After the performance, together with the State Secretary of the Swedish Prime Minister's Office, Maria Asenius, and Vice Mayor of Stockholm, Madeleine Sjostedt, the Foreign Minister will address first night audiences – guests of the Presidency, representatives from cultural organizations of Stockholm and all those interested in theatrical art.
On 9 September at the Foreign Ministry, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins will present awards to the authors of the best works in the children's visual arts competition "Me in the European Union", and to the teachers of these students. Young artists will also be congratulated by representatives from the State Centre for Education Contents of the Ministry of Education and Science and from the Representation of the European Commission to Latvia.
On 7-8 September, the Foreign Minister of Italy, Franco Frattini, will arrive on a working visit to Latvia, and will meet with Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins.
On 8 September, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins met with the Foreign Minister of Italy, Franco Frattini, who was on a working visit in Latvia. During the meeting, the parties discussed the relations between Latvia and Italy, and noted the development of political, economic and cultural dialogue.
On 9 September, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins met with the upcoming Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Norway in Latvia, Jan Ole Grevstad, as part of the Ambassador's accreditation visit.
On 10-11 September, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins will be on an official visit to Georgia and will meet with President Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia, the Parliament Speaker David Bakradze, and Foreign Minister Grigol Vashadze.
On 11 September as part of an official visit to Georgia, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins met with the Head of the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM), Hansjorg Haber, to discuss the EU observation mission's activities since its launching on 1 October last year.
On 10 September, during his official visit to Georgia, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins met with the President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili.
On 14-15 September, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins will participate in the foreign ministers' meeting of the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) in Brussels.
On 14-15 September, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins took part in the meeting of the European Union's General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) in Brussels which focused on the situation in Afghanistan, South Caucasus and Iran, as well as the preparation of the European Council in October.
Commenting on the applicant's complaint regarding the refusal by the court of first instance (the Riga Regional Court) and the appellate court (the Chamber of Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court), at the hearing of his criminal case (a robbery episode), to examine a witness, T.B., who had not appeared before the court due to bad health and on whose testimonies during pre-trial investigation (including the result of the confrontation) the court relied to convict the applicant. The Court referred to Article 282 § 7 of the Criminal Procedure Code effective at that time stipulating the possibility for the national courts to examine in their whereabouts the witnesses who are unable to attend a hearing due to health reasons.
On 15 September 2009 the Section of the European Court of Human Rights (the Court) delivered its judgement in the case Mirolubovs and others v. Latvia. By six votes to one, the Court recognised that there had occurred a violation of Article 9 (freedom of religion) of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (the Convention) in Latvia.
On 16 September, at the 12th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, Najat M'jid Maalla, as part of her annual report, informed about her visit to Latvia from 25 to 31 October and to Estonia from 20 to 24 October 2008.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maris Riekstins, has sent a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Franco Frattini, with regard to the tragic death of six Italian soldiers in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan.
From 21 to 26 September, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins will take part in the 64th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, U.S. As each year, the session will be opened by a General debate with the participation of heads of state and government and of foreign ministers.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maris Riekstins, has sent a letter of condolence to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Radoslaw Sikorski, with regard to the tragic explosion at the Wujek-Slask coal mine that caused the deaths of more than ten people and injured another 140.
On 23 September, the first session of the Joint Latvia-Russia Demarcation Commission (the Commission) will be held in Daugavpils. The Commission was set up in accordance with Article 5 of the Treaty between the Republic of Latvia and the Russian Federation on the State Border of Latvia and Russia, providing that the Parties to the Treaty shall form a Joint Demarcation Commission, based on the parity principle. The task of the Commission is to mark the Latvia-Russia border on the ground.
On September 22, during the 64th session of the UN General Assembly, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins met with the Foreign Minister of Montenegro, Milan Rocen. The meeting took place on the initiative of the Montenegrin side.
On September 22, during the UN General Assembly session, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins met with the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Malta, Tonio Borg.
On 23 September, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins met with the new Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan, Kanat Saudabayev, to discuss the topical agenda of both countries that would promote further development of mutual relations. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, USA.
On 23 September, during the UN General Assembly, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins met with the Foreign Minister of Canada, Lawrence Cannon.
On 29 September the report of the Cabinet of Ministers Representative in International Human Rights Organisations concerning its activities in 2008 was confirmed at a sitting of the Cabinet of Ministers.
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