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On Tuesday, 14 July, Daiga Mieriņa, Speaker of the Saeima, hosted at the main building of the Saeima the honorary consuls of Latvia and thanked them for their work on behalf of our country and the assistance they provide to our diaspora. “You are the first to answer the phone and hear out our citizens and help them return back home,” Speaker Mieriņa highlighted.

The Speaker of the Saeima furthermore stressed the contribution by honorary consuls in the promotion of business relations: “Latvia is a small and open economy; therefore international cooperation forms the basis of its development. You are often the ones who are able to open the doors that remain closed to our politicians and diplomats.”

Speaker Mieriņa emphasised that since 2022 the focus in Latvia’s foreign policy has shifted, because the aggressor has launched a full-scale war against Ukraine. It is in our national interest to support Ukraine as much as possible in order to achieve a just and lasting peace

In regard to support for Ukraine, the Speaker of the Saeima highlighted the charity campaign “Women Defend. Latvia Supports” the aim of which is to draw attention to the women defending Ukraine’s independence on the front lines. The campaign is raising funds for appropriate military equipment for these women, and it was initiated by Daiga Mieriņa, Speaker of the Saeima, and Ruslan Stefanchuk, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

“Modern warfare isn’t just about drones; it is also about mobility and the involvement of the whole society. The standardised equipment suited for male troops is not fit for women who need to be able to successfully perform their duties on the battlefield. Most importantly – they need specially adapted armoured vests,” Speaker Mieriņa stressed.

In conclusion, the Speaker of the Saeima thanked the honorary consuls for the work they do on behalf of Latvia, for making Latvia’s name known in their countries of residence and making our people feel at home there.

This year the meeting of the honorary consuls of Latvia is attended by 90 honorary consuls from 44 countries. Honorary consuls perform representative and consular functions on a voluntary basis. Latvia’s honorary consuls represent our national interests in all regions of the world: in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. Globally, Latvia has more than 170 honorary consuls who come from various sectors of business.

Bi-annual meetings of Latvia’s honorary consuls have been held in Riga since 2022. These meetings have become a tradition allowing Latvia to promote economic, cultural and consular cooperation, especially with countries, where Latvia does not have diplomatic missions.

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Saeima Press Service