Raimonds Vējonis
Thursday, May 12, during a meeting with the Secretary of State of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, President of Latvia Raimonds Vējonis marked huge public uplift created by the visit of Pope John Paul II to Latvia in 1993 and reiterated the invitation to Pope Francis to visit Latvia.

 

During the meeting with the Cardinal, Raimonds Vējonis noted very good relations between Latvia and the Holy See, with particular emphasis on the fact that the Holy See has always supported Latvia’s aspirations for independence and has never recognized the incorporation of the Baltic States into the USSR.

 

The President of Latvia and the Secretary of State of the Holy See also discussed the successful cooperation between state and church. The parties also noted the importance of continuing cooperation of Latvia and the Holy See in culture and history. During the conversation, the officials discussed the ecumenical cooperation between the Christian confessions in Latvia and their role in cohesion of society as a whole.

 

Raimonds Vējonis also congratulated Pope Francis for the Charlemagne Award he received last week for contribution to the promotion of European unity. The President of Latvia also expressed his gratitude to Pope Francis and the Holy See on the contribution to the environment-friendly lifestyle and support for measures to prevent global warming.