KEYSTONE
OF THE
BALTIC
TODAY’S
LATVIA IS
POSITIONED
TO HELP
A NEW
EUROPE
REALIZE
ONE
OF THE
MOST
PROMISING
PERIODS
IN ITS
HISTORY.
Finland
Estonia
Sweden
LATVIA
Baltic
Sea
Lithuania
LATVIA TODAY
Completing its second decade of
renewed independence, Latvia
continues to play an increasingly
prominent role in Europe and the
world. Together with the EU and
NATO, Latvia is helping shape the
21st century.
The Freedom Monument in
the capital city of Rîga has
symbolised Latvia’s independence since it was built
in 1935.
Latvia today is renewing the old,
creating the new and proudly displaying
a revitalised national presence on the
European scene. The rest of the world is
rediscovering Latvia as well. It is discovering a country that has been a
sovereign state since 1918, but a
1
national state of mind for centuries.
A country that survived two world
wars and 50 years behind the Iron
Curtain, now even more committed to
the principles of freedom, democracy
and international co-operation.
A country with a language, culture
and attitude all its own – yet with
a national identity shaped by its
dynamic Baltic Sea region and woven
through with diverse historical
influences. Latvia is a Baltic country,
a Baltic Sea country, a European
country. In 2004 it became a NATO
and EU country and is actively
developing its special role in a rapidly
changing, increasingly globalised
world community.
Latvia is a keystone of
Northern Europe’s prosperous Baltic
Sea region. A country of 2.2 million
people who are eagerly exploring what
it means to live, work and raise their
families in a natural environment they
can shape themselves. It is a place
where young national, business, social
and cultural leaders have good reasons
to be optimistic about their future. A
future where Latvia is free to preserve,
protect and develop its very special
place in the world.
2
LATVIA TODAY
A
TRADITION
THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA
WAS ESTABLISHED AS A
PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY
IN 1918,
Proclamation
of the Republic
of Latvia,
Rîga,
November 18, 1918.
and elected four
Saeimas (parliaments)
before the onset of
the World War II.
It was a member of the
League of Nations and a
visible part of Europe’s
political and cultural life. By
the 1930’s it too was
affected by pre-war
Europe’s political and social
turmoil, yet established a strong economy and a
prosperous standard of living comparable to its
Baltic Sea neighbours, Finland and Denmark.
LATVIA TODAY
3
OF DEMOCRACY
The human chain
which demonstrated the unity
of the Baltic nations’ desire
for freedom
on August 23, 1989.
A mass demonstration for
independence
in early 1991.
Because of its key position in the
important Baltic Sea region, the Soviet
Union occupied Latvia, and its strategic
capital of Rîga in 1940. It was illegally
annexed to the USSR, where it remained
a captive nation and de facto Soviet
republic for 50 years. Soviet rule brutally
suppressed Latvia’s democratic traditions
and free market economy through mass
deportations, forced collectivisation and
cultural censorship. But the idea of
independence remained strong even
under Soviet rule. In 1990, the people of
Latvia elected a majority of pro-indepen-
dence deputies to what was then the
ruling Soviet parliamentary body, the
Supreme Council of Latvia.
On May 4, 1990 – 50 years after the
Soviet seizure of Latvia – the new
Supreme Council voted to begin the
political process of removing Soviet rule
and restoring full independence to Latvia.
The Soviet government in Moscow
refused to recognise this declaration, and
in 1991 tried to suppress the proindependence government with armed
force. Among the casualties were some
of Latvia’s best known journalists and
filmmakers.
In response, the people of Latvia initiated
a massive campaign of passive resistance
and organized ever larger peaceful
demonstrations, demanding an end to
the Soviet occupation and full
restoration of national independence.
During the ‘Days of the Barricades’ in
early 1991, tens of thousands of farmers,
workers and patriots from around the
country came to Rîga to build barricades
around the state buildings and defended
the government and parliament from
further Soviet attacks.
4
LATVIA TODAY
Latvian
parliamentarians
after voting
to restore the independence
of Latvia
on May 4,
1990.
On August 21, 1991, following the
collapse of the Soviet Union, the
Latvian Supreme Council adopted a
resolution for the full restoration of
Latvian independence. In late 1992
the Soviet-era Supreme Council
relinquished all authority by
proclaiming new elections for the
first post-independence Latvian
parliament, to be held on
On March 3, 1991, 87 percent
of all residents of Latvia
(ethnic Latvians, Russians,
Ukrainians, Belarusians and others)
participated in a referendum on
independence, and 73 percent voted
in favour. Since ethnic Latvians
represented just 53% of the total
population at the time, the high vote
among all residents indicated that a
large number of all ethnic groups had
voted with a majority of Latvians to
restore national independence.
The people of Latvia
celebrate the restoration of
freedom
and democracy.
Latvia’s commitment to
join the European Union
began during the term of
President Guntis Ulmanis.
LATVIA TODAY
June 5–6, 1993. The elections led
to the convening of the 5th Saeima,
continuing a link with the
parliamentary bodies of pre-war Latvia.
The 5th Saeima elected
Guntis Ulmanis – President of the
Republic of Latvia in 1993.
Subsequent parliamentary elections have
been held in 1995, 1998, 2002, and
2006.
President Guntis Ulmanis was re-elected
to a second term in 1996; Dr. Vaira Vî˚eFreiberga was elected President by the 7th
Saeima in 1999 and re-elected by the 8th
Saeima in 2003. In 2007 the 9th Saeima
elected Valdis Zatlers as president.
Parliamentary and presidential elections
are now held every four years.
President
Valdis Zatlers and
European Comision
president
Jose Manuel Barroso
meeting in Rîga
in February 2008.
President
Vaira Vî˚e-Freiberga
among Kofi Annan’s team of the
Special Ambassadors
for UN reforms,
June 1, 2005.
5
In Latvia’s parliamentary democracy,
the President appoints a prime
minister
(who must be approved by the
Saeima) and signs laws into power.
The President can send legislation
back for revision and amendment.
Latvia’s modern-day presidents have
effectively used their offices to
promote Latvia’s foreign policy
objectives, and have been active and
influential in international diplomacy,
particularly in achieving Latvia’s
membership in NATO and the EU.
6
LATVIA TODAY
Editorial offices
of the widely read
daily newspaper
Diena.
Latvia’s parliamentary democracy
is centred around 100 deputies that
serve 4 year terms in the Saeima.
Immediately following the full restoration of
independence in 1991, Latvia’s yearning for
democracy, free speech and free enterprise
rapidly expanded beyond politics. Most staterun newspapers were either privatised or closed,
and new, independent daily, weekly and monthly
publications proliferated. Public television (LTV1
and LTV7) and radio
(4 channels) were supplemented by dynamic new,
commercial TV and radio stations in a highly
competitive media market. Commercial TV
continues to grow in Latvia, while a large number
of private and public radio stations serve a wide
variety of geographic, ethnic, and cultural
audiences across the country.
LATVIA TODAY
The State educational system
Latvian voters take an active
interest in the parties and
continues to reform and
policies
that set the course of
restructure itself and over
the country.
30 private colleges, technical
schools and secondary schools
Civic participation in democracyhave been established since 1991.
building has blossomed, as thousands
The English literacy rate is over
of non-governmental organizations
90%, and proficiency in European
(NGO’s) have formed across the
and other global languages is
country. They are engaged in social
growing dramatically. While
welfare, education, culture, community
courses in business, management
action and other activities, and are
and information technology are
developing partnerships with
attracting the largest number of
government structures in addressing
new students, the arts and sciences
local and national issues.
remain extremely popular.
7
In 2008 Latvia celebrates the 90th
anniversary of the founding of the
democratic Republic of Latvia.
While much still needs to be done to
overcome the consequences of a tragic Cold
War legacy, the enthusiasm with which the
people of Latvia have embraced democratic
values and institutions is one of Latvia’s
strongest assets in the 21st century.
8
LATVIA TODAY
GROWTH AND
THROUGHOUT
ITS HISTORY
LATVIA HAS
ENJOYED THE
ECONOMIC
ADVANTAGES
OF ITS STRATEGIC
BALTIC SEA
LOCATION
ON MAJOR
TRADING ROUTES
BETWEEN
NORTH AND SOUTH,
EAST AND WEST.
LATVIA TODAY
STABILITY
With the restoration of independence in
the early 90’s Latvian governments
moved quickly to restore a free market
economy, encouraged privatisation,
stabilised the currency and diversified
import and export flow. As a result,
Latvia rapidly emerged as one of the
economic success stories of the post
Cold War period. Today, as a full
member both of NATO and the
European Union,
Latvia has had one of the most
dynamic and fastest-growing
economies in all of Europe.
9
Latvia’s highly successful price and
trade liberalisation, small
and large-scale privatisation and
financial sector reform has resulted in
an economy that
has grown by an average of
6,4 percent yearly since 1995.
This has come about through a liberal
approach toward economic policy under
a rigorous macroeconomic framework.
Market mechanisms were used to
obtain the best possible allocation of
resources, new laws were written to
promote economic development, and
new institutions were created to assure
a transparent system of civil justice.
From its inception the Latvian
currency, the lat, has been one of
the most stable currencies in Europe.
In 2005, after joining the EU and
developing a strategy to join the
European Monetary Union, the lat
was pegged to the euro.
10
LATVIA TODAY
Integration into the EU has been just
one step in the process of an
economic transformation that has
been driven by two underlying forces:
structural reforms and the removal of
barriers to trade and the movement of
capital.
Upon joining the EU, Latvia’s internal
market has skyrocketed from 2.3 million
to 450 million. This rapid expansion of
the internal market has enabled the
government to create a level playing
field for all companies, boosting
competitiveness in all sectors of the
economy.
The monetary policies of the
Bank of Latvia have made the lat
one of the most stable
currencies in the
world.
Latvia’s financial system has been built
on sound macroeconomic fundamentals,
a highly successful monetary policy and
a firm commitment to fiscal conservatism.
This has enabled Latvia to meet EU
standards and ensure all the modern
financial instruments necessary
to operate in a global economy.
More importantly, it has made Latvia
extremely competitive at all levels of
international business.
Confidence in Latvia’s economy has
attracted foreign investors, representing
78% of Latvia’s bank capital. The largest
investors come from the North Europe,
expanding Latvia’s role as an emerging
keystone in trade, business, transport
logistics and finance in the prosperous
Baltic Sea region.
LATVIA TODAY
11
Latvia’s newest architecture reflects
its dynamic growth: the Rîga Airport and
the headquarters of Latvian Mobile Telephone.
With its prime location as a transit
hub for east-west trade, Latvia has
become one of the most favourable
countries for foreign investment.
With a corporate tax rate of a flat
15%, and individual taxes at a flat
25%, Latvia has one of the lowest
total tax burdens in Europe.
Accumulated FDI stock has doubled
every 3–4 years since the early
1990’s. At the end of 2005 the FDI
stock in Latvia exceeded 4 billion
US dollars. International credit rating
agencies have granted Latvia
investment grade credit ratings.
Three ports and corridors of motor
transport with high cargo throughput
serve all strategically important
directions, linking Central, Western
and Northern Europe, Russia and CIS
countries.
With a specialised, high capacity railway
corridor carrying oil and oil products,
Latvia joins Russian and other former
USSR energy sources and markets with
Western customers. Rîga International
Airport is rapidly emerging as a
multi-functional hub for international
tourist, business and other travel far
beyond the Baltic Sea region.
12
LATVIA TODAY
The European Union is the main trading
partner of Latvia,
constituting 80% of total exports and
imports.
The strengthening of the Latvian market
economy and integration with the Baltic
Sea region and EU has had a significant
impacts on foreign trade flows. In recent
years, Latvia’s largest export markets
have been
Germany,
Sweden,
the United
Kingdom,
Russia and the
neighbouring
Baltic countries
of Lithuania
and Estonia.
Latvia has demonstrated one of the
highest economic growth rates in the EU.
In the period between 2001 and 2003,
GDP grew by 7.3% a year, and increased
to 12% in 2006. Although accession to
the EU, harmonization of indirect taxes,
and high oil prices have increased
inflation, good growth rates are expected
to continue due to increases in all major
branches of the national economy.
This is especially true in the service sector,
as well as the trade, transport and
communications sectors.
A modern economy,
driven by new
technologies and
international trade.
Key sectors that are attracting global
investors include manufacturing,
forestry and woodworking, metal
processing and engineering, textiles,
chemicals and pharmaceuticals, logistics
and transit, construction and real
estate. The strategically important
sector of Information Technologies,
which stimulates development in all
other sectors, is especially promising.
Latvia’s innovative, integrated
Information Systems cluster strategy
has spurred growth in software
development, IT consultation, hardware
development and data transmissions
solutions.
LATVIA TODAY
Latvia’s current economic policies
have been developed in line with the
EU’s Lisbon strategy, which seeks
“a competitive knowledge-based
economy capable of sustainable
economic growth with more and better
jobs, greater social cohesion and respect
for the environment.” The keystone of
this policy for Latvia is innovation,
not just in the high-tech sector.
The government is committed to
helping businesses make the changeover
from low to value-added production.
Multiple projects have been started to
increase innovative enterprises and
stimulate highly productive enterprise
clusters. As a result, traditional
businesses are successfully developing
new ways to produce existing products
more efficiently. There is every
indication that Latvia will jump a
generation in terms of overall technological capacity in the coming years.
13
The Port of Ventspils is one of the
busiest ports on the Baltic Sea
and one of the 15 biggest
in Europe.
Latvia’s long term development strategy
is based on building a modern,
knowledge-centred and highly educated
society that is productively and innovatively engaged with a globalised world
economy.
As it moves into the 21st century,
Latvia has become a thriving partner in
Europe’s vision of a safe and prosperous
future.
14
LATVIA TODAY
A FOREIGN
POLICY
BASED ON
COOPERATION
AND
CONSTRUCTIVE
ENGAGEMENT
LATVIA TODAY
15
When Latvia joined the United
Nations in 1991, it came as a
country that recognised that its
return to a global community
carried with it new global responsibilities and challenges. It was a
historic opportunity to close one
chapter in world history, and open a
new one based on constructive
international engagement, broadbased co-operation and common
values.
President
Valdis Zatlers.
Latvia’s foreign policy principles and
priorities have been clear from the
outset and have remained constant
since the restoration of independence.
They include co-operation with
strategic partners and the countries of
Baltic Sea region, integration into
unified European and transatlantic
security structures, and active
involvement in international organisations and projects.
Developed in accordance with principles
that are defined by the government and
adopted by the Latvian parliament,
Latvia’s foreign policy, like its economic
policy, has been one of the success
stories of the post-Cold War era. Active
membership in the Council of Europe,
OSCE and EBRD enabled Latvia to
achieve the major strategic goals of EU
and NATO membership in 2004, much
earlier than had been expected.
The political, economic and social
achievements that led to compliance
with EU and NATO standards in such
a short time has opened a new chapter
in Latvia’s political development.
16
LATVIA TODAY
Historically, Latvia has always had close
cultural, economic and political ties with
Western Europe, particularly the Baltic Sea
region countries. In building a modern
Latvian state, these EU and NATO countries
have served as Latvia’s most active and
influential partners. Latvia would like to see
a vital, active, and effective Council of Baltic
Sea States (CBSS), and has formed special
ties with Lithuania and Estonia through the
Baltic Council of Ministers and the parliamentary Baltic Assembly. Given Latvia’s
central geographic location, linking
Scandinavia with the Continent, and east
with west, Latvia is well positioned to
expand its historical role as a keystone of
the Baltic Sea region.
Simultaneously, Latvia has sought to
establish constructive relationships
with its non-EU neighbours,
including Russia, Belorus and
Ukraine.
A shared history, longstanding
business and cultural contacts,
and a common interest in trade and
cooperation with the states of the
former USSR have put Latvia on the
leading edge of the EU’s ‘European
Neighbourhood Policy’. Latvia’s
neighbours are also EU and NATO
neighbours, so by taking a key role in
promoting regional cooperation, Latvia
can better serve the common interests
of all its alliance members.
The 50 year Soviet occupation of the
Baltic countries left a number of
difficult issues that have required
special attention in Latvian-Russian
relations.
Foremost among them was the
removal of all Russian (formerly
Soviet) troops and military bases from
Latvia. This was achieved in 1994.
In cooperation with the OSCE,
EU and other international
organizations, Latvia’s naturalization,
education and social integration
policies have addressed the needs of
former Soviet citizens still residing in
Latvia. Latvia believes that the
political and social legacies of history
must be addressed openly and
honestly in order for neighbours to
also become friends. In 2007, Latvia
signed a border agreement with
Russia, opening the way for greater
stability, trust and cooperation
between the EU, NATO and Russia.
Presidents
George W. Bush,
Vaira Vî˚e-Freiberga
and Vladimir Putin
during the UN General Assembly
in New York, September 14, 2005.
LATVIA TODAY
Special ties have always existed with
the United States, which never
recognised the legitimacy of Soviet rule
in Latvia following the Second World
War.
Latvia’s first diplomatic mission in the
U.S. was established in 1922 and
continued to function in Washington,
D.C. throughout the 50 years of the
Soviet occupation. President George
H.W. Bush welcomed pro-independence
Latvian leaders to the White House in
1990 and renewed full diplomatic ties
with Latvia in 1991. President Bill
Clinton launched an active partnership
with Latvia, helped negotiate Russian
troop withdrawals and visited Rîga with
Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton in 1994.
Clinton also signed the US Baltic Charter
of 1998 which set the stage for active
US support of Latvia’s NATO candidacy.
President G.W. Bush played a key role in
bringing Latvia into NATO in 2004 and
came to Rîga on May 7, 2005 where he
met with President Vaira Vî˚e-Freiberga
and gave a major foreign policy speech
on the future of Europe. Like President
Clinton’s visit in 1994, President G.W.
Bush’s presence in Rîga in 2005 once
again underlined Latvia’s important
strategic role in the region in a transatlantic context. President Bush returned
to Rîga in 2006 to join 25 other world
leaders in the Rîga NATO Summit.
President Vaira Vî˚e-Freiberga
and President George W. Bush
in Rîga, May 7, 2005.
Latvia’s commitment to global cooperation has meant membership in the
World Trade Organisation, World Bank,
International Monetary Fund and World
Health Organisation, as well as many
other international bodies.
The Rîga
NATO Summit
in 2006.
17
By the year 2005, Latvia had
established over 40 diplomatic
missions around the world, including
embassies in most of the EU countries,
as well as China, Turkey, Japan and
Israel. New embassies continue to
open and Latvian trade and tourism
representatives are establishing offices
in major cities. As the world responds
to the challenges and opportunities of
globalization, Latvia is steadily
expanding its ties with all regions of
the global community.
From its keystone position in the
Baltic Sea region, Latvia continues to
look North and South, East and West,
committed to protecting its national
interests through the strengthening of
democracy, stability and trust the
world over.
18
LATVIA TODAY
STRENGTHENING A
When Latvia restored its
independence in 1991,
many viewed this as the
beginning of Latvia’s return
to Europe. Latvia, however,
has been an integral part of European political,
economic and cultural life for eight centuries. With the
collapse of the Iron Curtain and the end of the cold
war,
Europe has returned with enthusiasm to Latvia.
For Latvia, membership in the
European Union and NATO are not ends in
themselves, but simply
means to accomplish a greater
goal—
THE BUILDING
OF A UNITED EUROPE
THAT IS STABLE AND
SECURE, WHOLE
AND FREE.
LATVIA TODAY
TRANSATLANTIC
SECURITY
SYSTEM
Latvia sought membership in NATO in
order to add its contribution to the
formation of a fully integrated Euro
Atlantic security policy.
In the development of a national security
policy, Latvia’s governments have focused
on regional co-operation and European
integration. At the same time, Latvia has
built a special relationship with the
United States in order to strengthen the
transatlantic dimension of its security
policy.
For Latvia, membership in NATO
means a commitment to the basic
principles of the North Atlantic
Treaty, with an emphasis on
democracy, rule of law, political
stability and economic growth. By
designing the Latvian National Armed
Forces according to NATO standards
and policies, Latvia has successfully
optimised expenditures and resources
for defence.
19
Latvia sought active engagement
with NATO even before it applied for
membership. In 1991 Latvia
participated in the inaugural meeting of
the Northern Atlantic Co-operation
Council (NACC), now the Euro-Atlantic
Partnership Council (EAPC).
In 1994 Latvia signed the Partnership
for Peace (PFP) framework document
and became an active PFP participant.
Latvia was named as a NATO aspirant
country in 1999 at the NATO Summit
in Washington and became fully
engaged in the Membership Action Plan
(MAP) process. During the Prague
Summit on 21 November 2002 NATO
Heads of State and Governments
officially invited Latvia to start accession
talks to join NATO. Latvia joined the
Alliance on 29 March 2004, obtaining
security guarantees it had never had
before, based on its full participation
in the collective defence system.
Two years later Latvia hosted the 2006
Rîga NATO Summit.
20
LATVIA TODAY
For Latvia, contributing to international security means more than
military preparedness and interoperability. In keeping with other NATO
members, Latvia has re-established
democratic institutions, placed the
Ministry of Defence under civilian
control and developed a fully
transparent defence budget.
Latvian defence forces
train regularly for integrated land, sea and air
operations.
Since Latvia did not have a national
defence force during the Soviet
occupation, Latvia’s national defence
system was built practically from
scratch.The LNAF were established in
1991, and tailored to meet Latvia’s
security needs and NATO standards.
Latvia’s force structure plans have been
revised substantially in order to ensure
that future plans are realistic and
affordable. In light of NATO
membership and the need to develop
joint military capabilities as well as its
own armed forces, a new National
Defence Concept was approved by the
Parliament in 2003. Participation in the
collective defence, establishment of
professional armed forces, co-operation
between the armed forces and society,
and international military co-operation
are defined as the basic principles of
Latvia’s defence.
LATVIA TODAY
21
Latvian military personnel have been praised for their professionalism during peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan, Kosovo,
Macedonia and Iraq.
Latvian peacekeepers
in Iraq,
2005.
As a member NATO and the EU, Latvia
has developed its security assistance
outreach policy towards South Caucasus,
Southeast Europe, Moldova and Ukraine.
Latvia’s security sector reform experience,
and lessons learned during the NATO
integration process, have enabled Latvia
to make valuable contributions that
strengthen NATO’s partnership in a
wider Euro Atlantic area. Since one of
the main tasks of NATO and the EU is
to strengthen international security and
stability, Latvia has actively participated
in both NATO and EU-led international
operations. Latvian troops and
specialised personnel have participated
in peace-keeping operations in
Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Kosovo, and Afghanistan, as well as an
OSCE-led observer mission in Georgia.
Since 2003, Latvia has joined other
NATO and EU states in the multinational Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in
Iraq. In 2004, 373 Latvian soldiers were
deployed as a contingent of infantry
company, explosive ordnance disposal
unit and staff officers in Iraq. By 2007,
around two thousand Latvian soldiers
have been deployed to international
missions.
22
LATVIA TODAY
Joint defence projects of the Baltic
States have contributed to strengthening the co-operation within the Baltic
region, facilitated the integration of the
Baltic States into NATO, as well as
become a good example of regional cooperation for other countries.
Baltic Defence College (BALTDEFCOL) is
a joint military educational institution
for senior staff officers training. The
college’s main
objective is to
establish and
continuously
improve the
training and
development of
senior staff officers
of the defence
forces of the Baltic
countries. The
founding of
BALTDEFCOL has been a most effective
way to educate NATO-interoperable
staff-level officers in the Baltic countries.
The Latvian Navy has contributed to the
development of the Baltic Naval
Squadron (BALTRON), with special
emphasis on minesweeping, sea surveillance and coastal defence. The key
objective of the Latvian Air Force is to
develop air defence as well as air surveillance capabilities within the scope of
Joint Baltic Airspace Surveillance Network
(BALTNET), and is already contributing to
search-and-rescue missions in the Baltic
Sea region. While air-policing missions in
the Baltic air space have been undertaken
by the Alliance since 2004, Latvia plans
to set up an Air Operation Centre,
develop the infrastructure for a new
military air base, and carry out other
functions of host-nation support.
Simultaneously, Latvia’s military has built
confidence and support within Latvia. The
Ministry of Defence, in co-operation with
non-governmental organisations has
carried out multiple informational and
educational programs in Latvia. Members
of the military have assisted local governments during disasters such as forest fires
and floods, and in the deactivation and
destruction of explosive objects.
Being a member of NATO and through
various peace support operations,
Latvia’s armed forces have already
established themselves as ready and
reliable partners and allies throughout
Europe. Latvia has contributed to
stability and co-operation within the
region through its participation in
various initiatives which have included
all countries around the Baltic Sea,
including Russia.
Latvia realises that no single country
can be self-sufficient in ensuring its
security. The 21st century has
brought with it new threats to
European, transatlantic and global
security. Whether it is international
terrorism or regional conflicts, Latvia
is ready to do its share to promote
stability and security in Europe and
beyond.
LATVIA TODAY
The forefathers of the Latvian people
first arrived in the Baltic region in the
first half of 2000 B.C.
In the 9th century AD the ancient Balts
began to establish specific tribal realms.
The territory of modern Latvia was
inhabited by four major Baltic tribal
cultures – the Couronians, Latgallians,
Selonians and Semigallians – and a Finno
Ugric tribe, the Livs. In the 13th century
Latvia was invaded by Germanic
Crusaders, who founded Rîga and
established control over the indigenous
people and territory. Over ensuing
centuries, traders and invaders from
Germany, Poland, Sweden and Russia
established a presence in Latvia,
alongside the local Latvian and Liv
inhabitants.
23
THE
BENEFITS
OF AN
INTEGRATED
SOCIETY
24
LATVIA TODAY
In the late 19th century Latvia was
politically ruled by Russia and economically controlled by Baltic Germans, yet
the majority of Latvia’s inhabitants –
farmers, workers and fishermen – were
ethnic Latvians, and descendants of the
original Baltic and Liv tribes. The Latvian
people finally established a Latvian state
in 1918 with citizenship for all the
residents, regardless of ethnicity.
Between 1918 and 1939, ethnic Latvians
comprised about 75% of the population;
Russians, Jews, Germans, Poles,
Lithuanians, Estonians and other
minorities represented the remainder of
the population.
During World War II Latvia suffered
three invasions and occupations.
One hundred and twenty thousand
Latvians were deported to Soviet
concentration camps in Siberia, one
hundred forty thousand fled to the
West, and tens of thousands more
disappeared or perished in the
conflict.
As a result of Hitler’s policies, the
majority of Baltic Germans were
resettled in Germany and 90% of the
Jewish population was brutally
annihilated during the Holocaust.
Nearly one third of the ethnic Latvian
With the restoration of Latvian
independence in 1991, Latvia also reestablished its original citizenship
laws and policies.
This enabled all former (pre-1940)
citizens of Latvia and their descendants to restore their citizenship,
regardless of ethnicity. Citizens of the
former Soviet Union acquired
permanent resident status and the
prospect of applying for Latvian or
other citizenship.
population had been killed, deported
or relocated. Latvia’s prosperous
society had been decimated. The
greatest toll was among the wealthy
and educated – those who had
shaped Latvia’s social, economic and
intellectual life following the First
World War. During Soviet rule
between 1944 and 1991, hundreds of
thousands of Soviets of various
nationalities were brought into Latvia,
reducing the indigenous ethnic
Latvian population to nearly 50%.
A new law on citizenship was passed
in 1994, making nearly all of the
former Soviet residents of Latvia
eligible for naturalisation, irrespective
of nationality.
According to the Declaration on
the Renewal of Independence of
Latvia in 1990,
“Citizens of the Republic of Latvia
and citizens of other countries
with permanent residence in the
territories of Latvia are guaranteed
the enjoyment of social,
economic, and cultural rights, as
well as political freedoms, in
accordance with generally
recognised norms of human
rights. This clause applies fully to
those citizens of the Soviet Union
that express their interest to live
in Latvia while not obtaining
LATVIA TODAY
Since 1991 Latvia has established
State-funded minority education
serving 8 ethnic groups: Russian,
Polish, Jewish, Ukrainian, Estonian,
Lithuanian, Belarussian and Roma.
Many ethnic schools also serve as
cultural centres.
In 1991 the Latvian Government
began to implement a bilingual
education program, designed to
provide ethnic minorities with an
opportunity to learn in Latvian, as
well as their native tongues.
In 2001 the 7th Saeima passed a law
on Social Integration, designed to
encourage and promote Latvian
citizenship among all the country’s
permanent residents.
In 2002 a Special Ministry for Social
Integration was created to promote
dialogue on integration issues, foster
Latvian language training, and increase
understanding of Latvian culture among
the minorities. The Ministry also
supports multicultural education and
awareness within the ethnic Latvian
community. The aim of integration is to
build a consolidated civic society with
common values. In 2004 educational
reform was implemented in the school
system to increase the knowledge of the
Latvian language among all schoolchildren. By increasing Latvian language
proficiency among all residents, the
government hopes to accelerate the
25
naturalization process and expand
advanced educational and employment
opportunities for everyone.
There are nearly 1.4 million native
speakers of Latvian in Latvia, and over
200,000 abroad.
As one of 250 major languages in world
(spoken by more than a million people),
the Latvian language is also one of the
oldest. It was established as a State
language in order to preserve this
unique cultural heritage. English and
Russian are also widely spoken
throughout Latvia, and the knowledge
of other languages is rapidly increasing,
enabling Latvia to retain its special
national identity, while moving toward
fuller integration with Europe and the
globalised world at large.
26
LATVIA TODAY
AN ANCIENT
IN A
DYNAMIC
EUROPEAN
SETTING
LATVIA TODAY
CULTURE
The contemporary Latvian poet Imants
Ziedonis has described culture as
something
“WHICH IS, LIVES,
WANTS TO LIVE
AND FLOURISH”.
With the first festival in Rîga
in 1995, Latvians started
the tradition of
Nordic-Baltic
Song Festivals.
In Latvia, this spiritual desire to live
and flourish developed a distinctive
national identity over a period of
3,000 years.
27
Like other cultures, Latvians developed
traditions, customs, decorative designs
and a world view that were uniquely
their own, closely tied to the Northern
European land and nature that they
depended on for survival.
Ironically, the period when the Latvian
language and culture began to coalesce,
was also the period when it faced its
greatest threat, for the 13th century
marked the beginning of a series of foreign
incursions, invasions and occupations.
German, Swedish and Polish warriors and
traders brought European culture to
Latvia, at times threatening the existence
of the Latvian culture, at times strengthening it through adversity, and eventually
co-existing along side it.
28
LATVIA TODAY
Latvian culture was both preserved and
manifested in folklore that displayed
the collective wisdom and beliefs of the
Latvians’ ancient tribal ancestors.
A uniquely Latvian cultural
phenomenon, folk songs, or dainas, date
back well over one thousand years. Rich
with tradition, literature and symbolism,
the dainas serve as an oral record of
Latvian culture. Their subjects
encompass the entire course of human
life, from childbirth, youth, marriage and
work, to old age and death. By the 19th
century, more than 1.2 million texts and
30,000 melodies were identified. In the
21st century, these songs continue to
live as an essential part of Latvian
contemporary holiday celebrations
and social life.
This powerful tradition of song played
a central role in Latvia’s National
Awakening in the second half of the
19th century and led to the first
Latvian Song Celebration in 1873. The
Song Celebration, involving massed
choirs of tens of thousands of participants, was a central focus of national
identity during Latvia’s years of
independence from 1918 until 1940,
survived through the Soviet
occupation, and spearheaded Latvia’s
“singing revolution” in the late 1980s.
LATVIA TODAY
29
Latvia’s National
Opera is one of
the finest in
Europe.
Latvian traditions still play a central
role in Latvian identity today. This
uniquely ‘Latvian’ culture is woven
through literature, music, theatre and
the visual arts. Yet the legacy of foreign
rule has also given Latvia a second,
European culture. As a distinctive
Latvian identity emerged during the
National Awakening in the 19th
century, so did an appreciation for the
achievements of other cultures. Latvians
enthusiastically embraced all the
classical arts: literature, painting,
theatre, symphonic music, architecture,
opera, ballet and film. Latvia’s National
Opera – the ‘White House’ of Rîga –
was one of the first buildings to be
renovated after the restoration of
independence in 1991 and is the centrepiece of a flourishing cultural life.
30
LATVIA TODAY
The arts flourish in all forms and genres, but
always with a Latvian flair
for originality.
Latvia’s home-grown, world class opera
singers, such as Inese Galante, Sonora
Vaice, Egils Siliñß and Elîna Garança,
today perform in opera houses
throughout Europe. Péteris Vasks is
considered one of the finest contemporary composers in the world, while
Rîga-born violinist Gidons Krémers and
his Kremerata Baltica chamber orchestra
won a Grammy in 2002. Violinist Baiba
Skride took First Prize in the Queen
Elizabeth International Music
Competition in Brussels in 2001 and is
considered one of the most outstanding
violinists in all of Europe.
LATVIA TODAY
31
Marie N – Latvia’s
2002 Eurovision winner.
Latvia also took centre stage in
the pop music world in 2002,
when Marie N (Marija Naumova)
won the Eurovision Song
Contest, bringing this uniquely
European musical event to Rîga
in 2003. Latvia’s premier pop
band Brainstorm continues to be
one of Latvia’s most popular
musical exports.
Latvia’s best known
popgroup Brainstorm,
featuring
Renårs Kaupers.
International
opera star Elîna
Garança.
The rapid renovation of Rîga’s centre
has revealed hundreds of examples of
distinctive Art Nouveau (Jugendstil)
architecture, leading some to assert
that Rîga may be the Art Nouveau
capital of the world.
Interestingly enough, over 60% of the
buildings displaying this very European
Art Nouveau style of the turn-of-thecentury, were designed by Latvian
architects. In the 1920s and
30s Latvian painters, known
as the “Rîga group” also
established an international
following.
32
LATVIA TODAY
A hundred years ago Rîga was known as
the “Paris of the North”. As it moves
into the 21st century, Rîga is
blossoming as a creative centre for the
arts once again.
Local and visiting art exhibits and the
opera, theatre and ballet, compete with
night clubs and discos that rock with
jazz, blues and the latest electronic
fusions of hip hop and dance music.
800 years young,
Rîga has been called
“The City of Inspiration”,
“The Second City that NeverSleeps”,
and “The Hottest City in the North”.
The vibrancy of cultural life in Latvia
is a product of talented artists,
performers and writers that honed
and developed their skills in cities and
regions throughout Latvia. Many
continue to live and work in their
home towns or rural settings, blending
the influences of traditional roots with
the modern, cosmopolitan influences
of the nation’s flourishing capital.
THIS SPIRITUAL DESIRE
TO LIVE AND FLOURISH
AS LATVIANS,
AS BALTS, AS EUROPEANS,
AND AS THE SHAPERS
OF THE 21ST CENTURY,
IS A NATIONAL TRAIT
THAT CONTINUES
TO SHAPE
LATVIA’S
MULTI-FACETED,
DYNAMIC
CULTURE.
Photo credits:
ISBN 9984-736-31-8
π The Latvian Institute
2008
π Text:
Ojårs Kalniñß
2008
π Layout:
Uldis Sosnovskis
2008
AFI, L.Balodis, G.Bergmanis (Press Department of
the President’s Chancery), Diena Photo Archives,
G.Indrévics, G.Janaitis, A.Kendenkovs, J.Krümiñß (Press
Department of the President’s Chancery), B.Ko¬esñikovs,
M.Kudrjavcevs, Latvian National Opera and A.Tone
archives, Latvian State Roads Photo Archives,
A.Meiers, Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia,
U.PåΩe (LR Saeima Photo Archives), A.Liepiñß, I.Pîgozne,
I.Prédelis, V.Rîdzenieks, A.Tenass (Fotocentrs),
Ventspils nafta archives, U.Vilks
The Latvian Institute promotes knowledge about Latvia abroad.
It produces publications in several languages on many aspects of Latvia.
LATVIA
TODAY
KEYSTONE
OF THE
BALTIC
For further information please contact
the Latvian Embassy or Consulate in your country or the Latvian Institute:
Latvijas institüts, Ka¬˚u iela 7, LV 1050, Latvia
Phone: (+371) 6750-3663
Fax: (+371) 6750-3669
E-mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.li.lv, www.latvia.lv