Minister Pabriks thanks the Sovereign Military Order of Malta for assistance provided to Latvia

On 19 January 2007, the Latvian Foreign Minister, Artis Pabriks, met with the Ambassador of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Malta, Dr. Peter Baron von Fürstenberg, who resides in Germany and was on a farewell visit to Latvia.

Minister Pabriks thanked the Foreign Aid Service of the Order of Malta for the support provided to Latvia in solving social problems in order to improve the living conditions for disabled and low-income persons.

Dr. Peter Baron von Fürstenberg expressed his satisfaction with the rapid development of Latvia in the past eleven years, during the time when he was the Ambassador of the Order of Malta to Latvia. The assistance provided by the Order of Malta to Latvia comparatively decreased after the accession of Latvia to the EU, because the order's missions give humanitarian aid where it is needed the most, especially in Africa, Asia, Latin American countries. 

The diplomatic relations between Latvia and the Order of Malta were established on 15 August 1995. Since 1994 the Foreign Aid Service of the Order of Malta has been operating in Latvia. In 1999 the President of Latvia, Guntis Ulmanis, participated in the Order of Malta's 900th anniversary celebration in Rome.

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