Today, at the Riga Castle, President of Latvia Egils Levits presented the Certificate of Merit to Dr. iur. Andrejs Vilks, professor of the Riga Stradiņš University Faculty of Law, architect Andris Kronbergs, architect Zaiga Gaile, musicologist Dr. art. Arnolds Laimonis Klotiņš, professor Dr. iur. Aivars Endziņš, Rear Admiral Gaidis Andrejs Zeibots and former Prime Minister of Latvia Laimdota Straujuma (2014–2016).
‘We are all citizen. Trying to better yourself is the primary duty of every citizen, but it is also our sacred duty as citizen to promote the common good. We have known what common good is for centuries and yet in our everyday life we tend to forget it sometimes. Society and a state can only be as good as its people who are willing to put the common good in front of their own self-betterment ambitions. There is a great variety of ways in which one can do that: be socially active, be politically active, promote individual and professional values. As a democratic society, we need to embrace these people, they are the backbone of our society. Without them, we would be more self-centred, separated by our garden fences’ said President Levits to ceremony participants.
Sole discretion to award certificates of merit is one of the few privileges President of Latvia has, said Egils Levits. ‘Now that gathering restrictions are lifted, I am happy to welcome you all to the Riga Castle and say a big thank on behalf of Latvia and everyone living here for everything you have done throughout your life.’