On August 20, President of Latvia Egils Levits met with Hon’ble Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu in the Riga Castle to discuss the current and future cooperation between the two countries.
The visit of the Vice-President of India is a testimony to the successful bilateral economic and cultural relations as well as the Latvian-Indian political dialogue, which has been intensified since the opening of the Latvian Embassy in Delhi in 2014. After the meeting, President of Latvia Egils Levits appreciated the visit of the second top official of India to Latvia by hoping to promote cooperation between the two countries in other areas, such as education and science.
“The Latvian-Indian cultural cooperation to date has been very intensive, especially in organising public diplomacy events dedicated to the Centenary of the Republic of Latvia. I am very pleased that during this visit, the Latvian-Indian Cultural Cooperation Program 2019-2021 will be signed. However, Latvia is interested in developing co-operation with India also in the fields of education and science, both by improving the legal basis and by promoting co-operation among higher education institutions of both countries. More than 2,000 Indian students are already studying medicine and information technology in Latvia, which confirms the ability of Latvian higher education institutions to offer a high-quality education that Indian students will use subsequently in their homeland, India, and elsewhere in the world,” explained President of Latvia Egils Levits.
To strengthen business cooperation between the two countries, an agreement was signed today between Latvian and Indian business delegations, as well as the plan to establish a Latvian-Indian Business Council was discussed. President of Latvia Egils Levits also confirmed that Latvia supported closer cooperation between the European Union and India by facilitating the political and economic partnership. Both parties also appreciated the cooperation of Latvia and India within the framework of international organisations.
The visit will continue with the participation in the closing event of the Latvian-Indian Business Forum, the unveiling of the bust of Mahatma Gandhi at the National Library of Latvia, book donation to the People’s Bookshelf, and a donation of 50 books to the National Library of Latvia. The Vice President of India cordially thanked the National Library of Latvia for being open to paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi by expressing its support for one of India’s greatest personalities, non-violence, and peace symbolically. M. Venkaiah Naidu also thanked for the opportunity to familiarise with the National History Museum of Latvia and the rich history of Latvia. According to him, the visit to the museum impressed the entire Indian delegation very much, which admired the struggle for freedom of the Latvian people. Egils Levits has emphasised that Latvia will mark the 30th anniversary of the Baltic Way in a few days, which has become one of the most famous and first peaceful and democratic protest actions in the world, confirming the struggle of the Baltic nations to regain their independence.
Hon’ble Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu is the top official of India, who has visited Latvia so far.
Press statements of both countries after their meeting in the Riga Castle
