Latvia and Greece are good co-operation partners within the European Union and allies within NATO. Latvia and Greece are traditionally united by the ever-increasing cultural co-operation as well as by the widening contacts among the educational institutions of both countries. Latvia is interested in promoting economic co-operation and tourism development.

Diplomatic relations

The Hellenic Republic recognised the State of Latvia on 23 May 1922, and diplomatic relations between the two countries were restored on 2 September 1991. Greece has never officially recognised the annexation of the Baltic states by the USSR.

During the pre-war period, Mr Peteris Seja (in office from 1928 to 1933) and Mr Arnolds Spekke (in office from 1934 to 1940) were accredited as the Ambassadors of Latvia to Greece with residence in Rome. From 1927, Greece was represented in Latvia by its Honorary Consul-General in Riga, and from 1939 to 1940 by Ambassador Kolls, with residence in Warsaw.

In 1998, the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia was opened in Athens. From 18 April 2007, the Ambassador of Latvia to Greece is Liga Bergmane.

Greece opened its Embassy in Riga in January 2005. Since 26 July 2007, the Ambassador of Greece to Latvia is Chryssanthie Panagiotopoulou.

Latvia has two Honorary Consuls in Greece:

• Mr Antonios Halaris (since 1992) for the consular district of Piraeus (since 1998);
• Mr Agisilaos Kynigopoulos (since 2001) for the consular district of the Macedonia-Thrace region.

Parliamentary co-operation

The Saeima group for co-operation with the Hellenic Parliament has been working since 2002. Under the 9^th Saeima, a group of deputies for co-operation with the Hellenic Parliament was established and is headed by Erika Zommere (The People's Party). The Friendship group for co-operation with Latvia was also established in the Hellenic Parliament and now is headed by Theodoros Karaoglou (Nea Demokratia). From 22 to 26 April 2007, a delegation of the Saiema deputies made and official visit to Athens.  

Economic co-operation

Trade

(according to data from the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia)

In 2006, Latvia had a negative trade balance with Greece of EUR 4,203,088. Greece is Latvia's 44^th largest export partner (EUR 4, 409,578 or 0.10% of total exports), and 41^st largest import partner (EUR 8,612,666 or 0.10% of total imports).

Main exports to Greece, by type of commodity, 2006

Main imports to Greece, by type of commodity, 2006

Trade dynamics between Latvia and Greece, 1998- 2006, EUR 

Investment

As at the end of 2006, neither direct Latvian investment in Greece nor Greek direct investment in Latvia has been registered.

As at 13 April 2007, Greek investment in the equity of Latvian companies amounted to 618,930 LVL (52nd place). Sixteen Latvian-Greek joint ventures were listed with the Register of Enterprises of the Republic of Latvia.

Co-operation in tourism

In the period from 2000 to 2004, an average of 149 Greek tourists per year visited Latvia through tourism companies. In 2004, the number of visitors reached 269. During the same period, an average of 3908 Latvian travellers visited Greece per year.

For several years already, the Greek National Tourism Organisation has been participating at the Balttour international tourism fair in Riga.

Co-operation in culture and education

Bilateral contacts between Latvia and Greece in the areas of culture, education and science are based on the agreement on co-operation in the specific areas signed between the Latvian and Greek governments in 1999.

According to the co-operation programme in culture, education and science for 2004-2006, students, scientists and teaching staff are granted scholarships for studies and research, and participation in a summer school to study the Latvian and Greek language, as well as culture.

In 2000, a Hellenistics Centre was established within the Faculty of Philology at the University of Latvia, where everyone who is interested can attend Modern Greek language courses. Ancient Greek is also taught at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Latvia, and Modern Greek can also be studied at the Latvian Academy of Culture.

In 2005, the Government of Greece offered two scholarships for participation at the Greek language courses being held by the Aristotle University. The Ministry of Education and Science allocated a scholarship to one Greek student to attend the International Baltic Summer School organized by Vidzeme University College.

In summer 2006, with support from the Honorary Consulate of Latvia in Thessaloniki, forty children from Latvian children's homes spent a 2 week holiday in a camp near Thessaloniki. 

Co-operation in specific areas of culture

Literature

• A Latvian Literature Centre has been functioning in Greece since December 2002, and offers scholarships on competitive basis to translators of Latvian literature. A foundation for support to translation projects, established in Greece, promotes and finances the translation of contemporary Greek literature.
• In April 2003, the Academic Library of Latvia presented an exhibition entitled Tuva un tala Griekija (The Near and Faraway Greece) showcasing Latvian translations of works by Greek writers, as well as materials on Greece and the Patrida Hellenic Community of Latvia.

Music

In March 2001, as part of the project "The European Union for Riga", concerts took place in Latvia by The New Hellenic Quartet.

In June 2004, Latvia was represented at the Athens International Jazz Festival by the Latvian Blues Band, with support from the Embassy of Latvia.

Greek musicians participate on a regular basis in various art events in Latvia: the Greek Due Goliardi took part in the International Bach Chamber Music Festival in February 2007.

On 18 March 2007, Kristine Opolais, a soloist of the Latvian National Opera make her title role debut at the premiere of Tosca in the National Opera of Greece in Athens.

Art, photography, cinema, theatre

In February 2003, within the framework of the Greece's EU Presidency, an exhibition of works by the Greek artists  Kikos Lanitis and Giannis Michas entitled Divi abstrakcijas aspekti (Two aspects of abstraction) was hosted by the Gallery Bastejs in Riga.

In April 2003, a photographic art exhibition by the European Union's new accession states entitled Man and landscape took place in Athens, with participation by fifteen photographers from Latvia.

In February 2006, the Baltic Photo Exhibition was held in Thessaloniki. The exhibition was organized by Latvia's Honorary Consul in Greece, Agis Kynigopoulos, in association with both the Lithuanian and Estonian Embassies in Greece. Latvia was represented by the series of photographic works Riga in Photographs by the Latvian Ambassador Janis Eichmanis.

Between 23-29 September 2006, a Latvian film studio Devini film called VIJAVA about the Latvian dancer Vija Vetra was screened in the 8^th International Panorama of Independent Film & Video Makers festival in the city of Partas, Greece.

In March 2007, the Vides Filmu Studija with a documentary by Dainis Klava Piejura (Sea of Attractions) participated in the Thessaloniki International Film Festival.

Between 26-29h April 2007, the XI Europe Theatre Prize events took place in Thessaloniki, with participation of the New Riga Theatre (NRT) and its chief artistic director Alvis Hermanis,   On 29 April, Alvis Hermanis was awarded the Europe Prize for New Theatrical Realities. The Thessaloniki festival showcased performances of Gara dzive (Long life), staged by Alvis Hermanis at the NRT, and his newest work Väter (Fathers) at the Schauspielhaus Zuerich.

Co-operation in defence sector

Bilateral contacts between Latvia and Greece are also based on the agreement on development of co-operation in the field of defence signed between the Latvian Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of National Defence of the Hellenic Republic in 1999. The Latvian and Greek Defence Ministries hold regular military and political consultations.

On 25 October 2004, Col. Janis Hofmanis from the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia was accredited as Defence Attaché in Greece, with residence in the Italian Republic.

Most significant visits and meetings

Legal framework

Database of bilateral agreements between the Republic of Latvia and the Hellenic Republic

External link

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic