On Friday, the 19th of April, the Saeima voted for Baiba Braže to become the next Minister of Foreign Affairs, as confirmed by the parliament’s press-service. 66 Saeima deputies voted in her favour, 11 voted against, and nine deputies abstained.
Braže is a diplomat with extensive experience. She has been in various posts in the foreign affairs service.
She joined the foreign affairs service in 1993. She has extensive experience working on various issues in the departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Riga, including international law, international organizations, human rights and humanitarian affairs, European Union and security policy. She has also served as the head of the Directorate for Security Policy and International Organisations and head of the Communication Directorate.
She was the foreign affairs advisor to Viļis Krištopans during his term as Latvian Prime Minister.
As an ambassador, she has represented the interests of Latvia in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, has been a non-resident ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia, as well as represented Latvia in the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. She has also worked at the Permanent Representation of Latvia to the UN in New York. From 2020 to 2023, Braže was NATO’s Deputy Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, the highest position in NATO structures ever entrusted to a representative of Latvia.
The minister speaks English, Russian and Dutch language, as well as French on a speaking level.
The office of the minister of foreign affairs will be led by Kaspars Krumholcs. The experienced diplomat previously headed the Eastern European and Central Asian Countries Division at the Ministry and has gained extensive experience in European Union issues, including working at the Permanent Representation of Latvia to the European Union and the European External Action Service, as well as the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, as reported by Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The names of other important ministry officials will be announced once they have moved from their current posts.
It was necessary to appoint a new minister because the previous Minister of Foreign Affairs Krišjānis Kariņš stepped down amid the special flights scandal.
Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa decided to propose diplomat Baiba Braže for the post, as she has experience and knowledge from her extensive work in the foreign affairs sector.
“Baiba Braže has grown in the foreign service together with the independence of Latvia and will be able to effectively defend the interests and values of Latvia from the first day as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Diplomat Braže is a candidate corresponding to the current geopolitical and security situation – a fighter and a professional with a strategic vision of the tasks to be performed in the position,” said the PM.
The candidate for the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Braže, emphasized that Latvia’s main tasks in foreign policy remain unchanged: “They are strong and united in NATO to strengthen deterrence and defence capabilities; an efficient and competitive European Union to invest in Latvia’s growth, prosperity and security. It is equally important to maintain steadfast international support for Ukraine, militarily, financially and politically, while also hindering the restoration of Russia’s military capabilities. Attracting foreign investment and strengthening Latvia’s image is also an important task. Having gained the confidence of the legislator, I will work to represent the interests of Latvia with honour.”
Also read: Aivis Landmanis: Latvian ex-PM’s special flights are a child’s play when compared to what is being covered up now
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