On 21 January, President Edgars Rinkēvičs met in Davos with Annette Kroeber-Riel, Vice President for Government Affairs and Public Policy for Europe at Google.
Building on discussions initiated last year in Davos and during a visit to California with Google leadership, the meeting focused on Google’s involvement in the activities of the Artificial Intelligence Centre, collaboration on strengthening cybersecurity capabilities in the Baltic states, and challenges related to the competitiveness of the European Union (EU).
President Rinkēvičs emphasised that the establishment and development of the Artificial Intelligence Centre is a high-priority project for Latvia. He noted that the creation of the Centre is crucial for enhancing security and promoting competitiveness. The President informed about progress in the legislative framework necessary for the Centre’s establishment and reaffirmed Latvia’s interest in Google’s involvement in the Centre’s development and operations. President Rinkēvičs also stressed the importance of implementing balanced regulatory measures at the EU level, highlighting the need to ensure that the EU does not further lose its competitive edge.
At the same time, President of Latvia expressed high appreciation for Google’s contributions to the development of digital and cybersecurity capabilities in the Baltic states, particularly its support for a cybersecurity education project implemented by Riga Technical University in partnership with other stakeholders.
