Ukraine belongs to the EU family - Latvian ambassador

RIGA - Ukraine belongs to the European Union (EU) family, said the new Latvian Ambassador to Ukraine Andrejs Pildegovics in an interview on Latvian Television this morning.

He stressed that Ukraine's EU membership is a long-term investment in Europe's security, but it is not charity - membership imposes serious criteria and obligations. Latvia does not believe that different criteria should be tailored to different regions or countries and stresses that enlargement must not jeopardize the EU's ability to function, budgetary stability and policy standards.

He also pointed out that Latvia does not want artificial delays and looks forward to Ukraine's mobilization and capacity to act. He reminded that Latvian ministers and experts regularly visit Ukraine to share experience and strengthen cooperation.

Pildegovics also underlined Latvia's task to unite European countries so that they can speak with one voice.

As reported, Pildegovics will be Latvia's Ambassador to Ukraine. He began his career with the Foreign Service in 1994 as senior desk officer for Central Asia, to later assume the post of the Head of the Asia and Africa Division.

Pildegovics has served as Press Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2000 to 2007, he worked at the President’s Chancery - as Adviser on Foreign Affairs to President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, and then as Head of the President’s Chancery. From 2013 to 2018, Pildegovics successively held the posts of Political Director and State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Pildegovics has been posted as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Latvia to the United States (2007-2012) and to the United Nations in New York (2018-2023); served as non-resident Ambassador to the United Mexican States. From 2023 till Latvia’s election to the UN Security Council in June 2025 he was Ambassador-at-Large, Director of the UNSC Task Force in Riga.