Mayor flees as tourists invade

RIGA - Riga mayor Gundars Bojars failed to represent Riga at an annual meeting of delegations from the former Hanseatic League cities on June 9 in Riga, because of a scheduled working trip to Greece.

The meeting was the event's major formal ceremony, said Maruta Babule, the leading expert of the bureau Hansa 2001, which organized the event. The first presidium and president of the Hanseatic League were elected at the Riga conference.

Hansa Days is an international forum that promotes economic, business, cultural ties and tourism between the confederation's members - over 200 cities in 17 Northern European countries.

The Hanseatic League, an association of medieval Northern European cities formed in about 1250 and disbanded in the 16th century, was renewed in 1980. Latvia is represented in the league with eight towns - Riga, Cesis, Valmiera, Koknese, Limbazi, Ventspils, Straupe and Kuldiga.

The thousands of foreign visitors who arrived mainly for the Hansa Days' many cultural activities, including a medieval-style fair, singing, dancing and fireworks, were surprised by the high level of organization, said Babule.

Bojars attended the formal events of the first two of the four consecutive Hansa Days. He left for Athens on June 9 with his first meeting scheduled for the morning of June 11.

"There were no more air tickets available for Sunday three weeks before the trip," explained Guntars Kukuls, spokesman for the Riga City Council.

Bojars signed a cooperation treaty with Athens City Council and met with the representatives of a Greek company experienced in writing proposals for EU grants in ferry traffic, Kukuls said. Riga has ongoing problems with setting up ferry connections with Nordic cities.

After attending the first two days of the forum, Bojars assigned his newly appointed deputy Inese Vaidere to represent Riga City Council at the rest of the Hansa Days events.

Vaidere said Hansa Days will promote business and tourism in Latvia and attract investments.

"I am sorry that Bojars couldn't make it," she said. "It was very valuable to meet all the representatives of the Hansa cities. But he had other duties."

"It's good that he was at least at the opening of the forum," said Ojars Kalnins, director of the Latvian Institute. "But from the point of view of the Hansa Days it would have been better if he had stayed all the time."