Latvija in brief - 2008-06-04

  • 2008-06-04
Riga Mayor Janis Birks believes that in order for Riga to become more than a favorite destination of night entertainment lovers, the city needs to offer alternative kinds of entertainment.  He was quoted by Latvian radio as saying "I have thought a lot. Nothing can be forbidden by law." According to the mayor, the city has to offer alternative kinds of cultural entertainment 's for example, Art Nouveau and wooden architecture. Riga is becoming more and more popular as a party town following a  film about Latvia saying that cheap flights, cheap beer and cheap girls ensure the popularity of Riga in Europe, produced by the French TAC Presse.

EU anti-terror experts visiting Latvia have highly assessed the achievements of the Anti-terrorism Center in developing a Latvian anti-terrorism system. The terrorism threat level in Latvia, in comparison to other EU member states, remains low. Yet, despite that, Latvia has done serious preventive work, including the development of the terrorism threat level system and National Anti-terrorism plan, which are necessary if there is any increase in the chances of a terrorist strike. The aim of the experts' visit was to assess the decision-making and coordination mechanisms of responsible institutions in the event of a terrorist act, the means and channels of information available, the terrorism prevention and reaction plans developed in Latvia and the resources of the responsible institutions.

A campaign named Peace in United Georgia is to be held at the Georgian-Abkhazian administrative border on May 5 with the participation of youths from Latvia. The organizers of the event, the Latvian Transatlantic Organization, said that the campaign is being organized in cooperation with a Georgian NGO in reaction to recent events in the region. The aim of the campaign is to invite all parties to reduce the tension, underscoring that peaceful solution to the conflict is the only correct alternative and urging the international community to take stricter measures to ensure that all involved parties observe international human rights standards. During the event, the youths from Latvia and Georgia will release 2008 red, green and white balloons into the air. The tension in relations between Moscow and Georgia increased recently, as Russia stationed additional military units in Abkhazia and announced that it would develop closer ties with Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russian forces in Abkhazia have the status of peacekeepers.

In his opening speech at the Council of the Baltic Sea States summit, Latvian President Valdis Zatlers said the role of governments is to provide a regional framework for business activity and create a competitive atmosphere for development. He emphasized that politics and the development of the European common market cannot be viewed separately. The president said the Baltic states must become a free trade zone to give countries and businessmen the ability to tackle major economic problems. The CBSS summit, which took place on June 3 and 4, saw the heads of government from many of the countries surrounding the Baltic Sea meet to discuss the future of the CBSS.