Foreign Minister: Latvia will never forget that Iceland was the first to recognise the restoration of Latvia’s independence in 1991

On 16 November 2018, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edgars Rinkēvičs, met with the President of the Republic of Iceland, Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson, as part of his state visit to Latvia. The Foreign Minister and the President discussed the political dialogue and economic and regional cooperation between the two countries.

Edgars Rinkēvičs expressed his satisfaction with Icelandic President’s arrival in Latvia and his taking part in the celebration of Latvia’s Centenary. “Latvia will never forget that Iceland was the first country to recognise the restoration of independence of Latvia and other Baltic States in 1991. The significant role of the then President of Iceland, Jón Baldwin Hannibalsson, in the process deserves a special mention: while other countries were following a wait-and-see approach, Iceland bravely took action,” Edgars Rinkēvičs underlined. He congratulated Iceland on the centenary of its sovereignty, to be celebrated on 1 December.

The Foreign Minister noted that Latvia was interested in a continued regular political dialogue and exchange visits between the countries. “We have a successful and close cooperation in the NB8 format, which offers opportunities for discussions on regional and international issues. What’s more, we are partners in NATO. We are happy about the gradual increase in trade, which opens prospects for broader economic cooperation, including through trade diversification,” the Latvian Foreign Minister said.

Edgars Rinkēvičs called on investors from Iceland to continue promoting the successful cooperation between Iceland and Latvia, notably by way of building contacts in the field of innovation and new technologies.

Background information

Iceland was the first country that recognised the restoration of independence of Latvia and other Baltic States on 22 August 1991.

Guðni Jóhannesson was born on 26 June 1968. He has held office of President of the Republic of Iceland since 1 August 2016. Prior to his presidency, Guðni Jóhannesson was Professor of history at the University of Iceland. He has taught at the University of Iceland, Reykjavik University, Bifröst University and the University of London. For a few years, he also worked part-time for the Icelandic State Broadcasting Company as a reporter. Guðni Jóhannesson has written numerous books and articles on modern Icelandic history (including about the Cod Wars, Iceland’s presidents, spying in Iceland, and the 2008 banking collapse). In 2017, he was awarded an honorary degree by Queen Mary University.