Address by Latvian Foreign Minister Artis Pabriks at a press conference dedicated to the "Amazing Latvia" festival, Riga, 25 October 2005

Dear ministerial colleagues, journalists, ladies and gentlemen!

When I hear the word "France", I as a political scientist first think not of beautiful Frenchwomen or the southern climate – I think of the French revolution.

It was a battle not just for freedom, equality and fraternity, but also for the values formulated by the authors of the Enlightenment.  My view of the revolution is that it embodied the essence of the French people – resistance and opposition, ever defiant of authority causing them to be suspicious and sceptical of anything strange or new.

This leads me to say that our "Amazing Latvia" festival has a difficult mission.  To attract the interest of the sophisticated and reserved French public – that is not an easy task.

That is why I am pleasantly surprised at the great interest shown by French journalists about Latvia and the extensive festival programme of more than a hundred different events. This is a most timely festival, as it seems to me that among the greater European powers – Germany, Great Britain and France, Latvia is known about least in the latter. 

That is despite a positive history of cooperation with France.

Here are some facts:

After the establishment of Latvia's independence in 1918, it was thanks to the involvement of France in the 1921 Paris Conference of allied powers that de iure recognition was granted to our country.

France has never recognised Latvia's annexation by the Soviet Union.

Soon after the restoration of Latvia's independence in 1991, Latvia was visited by the French Foreign Minister, Roland Dumas, and in 1992, French President François Mitterand paid a State visit to Latvia.

In 2001, the current French president, Jacques Chirac, visited Latvia. Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga has visited France four times, and most recently as part of this festival will make another official visit to this country.

It is significant that the festival opening press conference took place next to the Hall of Clocks of the French Foreign Ministry, where, in 1950, the idea of a unified Europe was born.  The programme of the festival features attractive representational, economic and cultural events, but I must stress that the "Amazing Latvia" festival is a foreign policy event. 

This is an innovative way of representing our country, and let us be frank – it became a possibility due to the fine relationship between our two presidents.

It was our duty to organise this festival if only because – as Voltaire stated – 'Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do'.

We have such an opportunity, and we are using it.

I am very pleased that the festival has been organised with Latvia and France working shoulder to shoulder.  I believe that our work together can be aptly described with the earlier mentioned three well-known slogans of the French Revolution.

If Mr Chirac could not resist the charm of Mrs Vike-Freiberga, kissing her hand by the Elysée Palace, as we witnessed on television, then I am certain that the French people will be unable to resist the temptation of the "Amazing Latvia" festival.

I very much hope that this is true, and I would like to thank all the organisers and supporters of the festival.