Excellencies,

Director Kolding Nielsen,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At a time when thousands of the best European minds are preoccupied with a task to find an answer to the question "in what way nations forming the European Union will politically, economically and culturally live together|", Europe continues to nourish and develop its cultural and scientific heritage. In every capital of old good Europe, there is a strive and effort to renew and in modern way utilise knowledge, information and thought.

Today we stand here, in an astonishing building of the Royal Library that so powerfully illustrates a link between Denmark's past and future.

From a magnificent house of the Old library,  through a glass bridge, into the Black Diamond with its transparent glass walls.

Through the glass facades, invisible cables and information networks,  the knowledge and wisdom is obtained and shared. This Library is an example that in our society of information, libraries continue to play a vital and irreplaceable role in modern Europe.

From here I raise my view over the Baltic Sea, to Riga. To my beloved City, that after more than 800 years of flourishing in European history, very soon will have its own new building of the National library. We call it the Castle of Light.

In days, as grey like these, we North Europeans appreciate each and every ray of light. The Capturing of light has been one of the most important skills of architects living in this region. Certainly this aim has preoccupied the mind of a world known American architect of Latvian origin Gunnar Birkerts. His masterpiece you can see here.

I am very glad for this opportunity to open this small exhibition here in Copenhagen. For this I would like to thank the Director of the Royal Library Mr.Erland Kolding Nielsen, who is personally very much involved in this Project. I would like to thank the staff of the Black Diamond for your involvement. 

May deepest gratitude goes to Mr.Andris Vilks, Director of the Latvian National Library and to the representatives of the Agency Three New Brothers for that you helped us to have this exhibition.

Mr.Vilks will tell you more in detail about the project, I just want add that the Project is the most important project of Latvia until now. UNESCO supports it. There is only one more library in the world that enjoys the support of UNESO – it is Library in Alexandria.

The Library in Riga will be not only a magnificent building. In effect, the new Library will be both a physical library and a virtual one. The Project envisions the development of an integrated on-line nationwide information system - 'Lightnet' . It will link the new National Library Building in Riga with over a thousand other libraries around Latvia. Anyone, anywhere will have access to the full services of the national library system without leaving their city, town or village.

Ladies and gentlemen,

And here I let me introduce Mr.Andris Vilks. Mr. Vilks, floor is yours.