Mr President!

Your Excellencies!

Ladies and Gentlemen!

This is a day of celebration.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia is returning to the building at 3 Valdemara Street, which was its home from 1919 until the state was occupied in 1940. So today, we find ourselves once again in the historic home of our Foreign Service.

This building is like the history of Latvia in microcosm, reflecting the destiny of our state during the twentieth century.

Built to house a bank in 1914 during German-Russian times to a design by the Baltic German architect A. Witte and the Latvian architect E. Laube, in 1923 it was expropriated for the needs of the new state of Latvia. At that time, it was also home to the State Chancellery and the apartments of senior officials. I must immediately add, to those interested, that these apartments have not been renewed, and it will only be possible to stay here overnight if some Ministry employee has left all his work to the very last minute.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia was located in this building until 1940. During the Occupation years, it housed both German army institutions, and offices of the Latvian Communist Party. Since 1974 it was home to the Executive Committee of the Riga City Council of People' s Deputies and after the reestablishment of the independence of Latvia the Riga City Council was headquartered here.

In accordance with the decision of the government of Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis, reconstruction and restoration works commenced here in April 2006 in order to renovate and adapt the building to the requirements of the Foreign Ministry, and to all EU and NATO security standards.

I wish to express my gratitude to all involved – designers, builders, managers, supervisors, craftsmen – all who contributed to this project and helped this building regain its historical and functional image.

There is no doubt that the transfer from our former building in Brivibas Street means much more to us than simply "moving houses".

The return to our historic home symbolises the continuity of foreign affairs from the first period of our independence to the period of regained sovereignty we enjoy now.

This building embodies memories of both the founder of the Foreign Service of Latvia, Zigfrids Anna Meierovics, and the legendary envoy Karlis Zarins, whom the Latvian government authorised to represent the Latvian state prior to the occupation years. Ambassador Anatols Dinbergs, who as a young diplomat was stationed in New York, declined to return after the events of 1940, and worked during the many long years for our diplomatic service in exile, living to witness the renewal of independence in 1991. Let us also remember all the other people, without whom the history of the Latvian diplomacy would be unimaginable.

It must be said, that time has come for historians to also seriously evaluate Latvia's diplomacy during the period of occupation. It is also important to recognize the achievements of numerous Latvian public organizations, for example, the World Federation of Free Latvians in defending the idea of an independent Latvia.

I think I can speak on behalf of everybody by saying that today we have returned home.  Coming home – means returning to the place where you belong, place, where you feel welcomed.

It seems to me that the return of the Foreign Ministry to its historic home can be compared to the way Latvia "returned home" by joining the European Union and NATO.

The Foreign Service of Latvia has accomplished an enormous task in this process.  Not only successive political decisions, but also the professionalism and determination of Latvia's Foreign Service have been of great significance on our way to Euroatlantic integration. 

Many of our current and former ambassadors are already personalities, and deserve to be mentioned in the history books of today. To name but a few: Martins Virsis, who led the talks on the withdrawal of the Russian Army, and Aivis Ronis, our youngest Ambassador to the United States and NATO, not to mention Janis Peters, the first Latvian ambassador to post-Soviet Russia.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

There is no doubt that foreign policy will never cease to exist. The world is changing, and we must be alert, or, as diplomats tend to say "We must closely follow the developments".

I am pleased to note, that the interest of the Latvian public about major global events and about their actual relationship to our state continues to increase.

By following the news from distant states and regions, as well as from our closest neighbours  – we all become aware of the challenges we have to resolve together with our partners in NATO and the European Union.

In this sense, our "official Valdemara Street", as some have already named it, will have to function as an observation tower, from which we will have to see both - the wide vistas of the modern world, and, so to say, the "narrow places".

People have asked me: what will change in the work of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs once we have relocated to the new building?

The initial reply is quite simple – the flower market will no longer be visible from the Ministry's windows, the view will now be to the monument of Karlis Ulmanis. But we should not look for any symbolic meaning to this.

Speaking seriously about the potential changes, I think that we will strengthen the unity of Latvia's foreign policy. Not in vain does the cornice of the building bear the Latin expression: Concordia parvae res crescunt (literally: Harmony Makes Small Things Grow).

Most likely, our manner of action will also change in striving to attain an ongoing, professional, balanced and wise foreign policy. Decisions must be taken without undue haste or populism, without being tossed from one point of view to another.

We intend to intensify and broaden the ways of cooperation with our strategic partners in the European Union and NATO.

Ladies and Gentlemen!

Built into the wall of the Foreign Minister's office in this building is a message, which states: "May this building be a mighty foundation for the future achievements of our Latvia in the international arena forever!"

In my opinion, this slogan encompasses all our wishes for Latvia, for this building, and for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs!

Thank you!