Relations between Latvia and Portugal are close. The political dialogue between Latvia and Portugal has expanded significantly with Latvia's integration into the EU and NATO.

The potential areas for development of co-operation are education and science, culture, tourism and economics.

History of diplomatic relations

Portugal recognized the independence of Latvia on February 19, 1921. Latvian Ambassadors to France were accredited also in Portugal. The Portugal Consulate General was operating in Latvia from 1927 to 1930, which later was raised to the status of Consulate General (1930 - 1940). On October 18, 1939, the first Ambassador of Portugal to Latvia - Cesar de Sousa Mendes - was accredited in Latvia. Latvia had an Honorary Consul operating in Lisbon, Diogo Joaquim de Mattos (1927 - 1940), and a consular division of honorary consulate was operating in Porto.

In 1940, Portugal did not recognize the incorporation of Latvia into the USSR.

Portugal recognized the renewal of Latvia's independence on August 27, 1991 along with other EU countries. Diplomatic relations between the two countries were renewed on October 2, 1991.

On May 19, 1992, the Ambassador of Portugal to Latvia Vasco Traveira da Cunha Valente, resident in Stockholm, was accredited. He was the first Portuguese Ambassador to Latvia in the post-war period. On 1 November 2005, the first Portuguese Ambassador residing in Latvia, João Luis Niza Pinheiro, was accredited. It is planned to open Portuguese Embassy in Riga, the first Portuguese Embassy in the Baltic states, in the near future.    

On 10 January 1994, Aina Nagobads-Abols was appointed the first post-war Latvian Ambassador to Portugal. She resides in Paris. In December 1997, Charge d'Affairs Rolands Lappuke began work in Lisbon, and on November 2, 1999, he was accredited the first Latvian Ambassador to Portugal, residing in Lisbon. On 8 November 1999, the Latvian Embassy in Lisbon was opened in the presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Indulis Berzins. The present Ambassador to Portugal, Ints Upmacis, was accredited on May 9, 2003.

Since 2001 Latvia has an Honorary Consul in Portugal, Augusto Ferreira Machado Porto.

Parliamentary cooperation

Information on parliamentary co-operation groups available on the Saeima (Latvian parliament) website. 

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

In 2005, Latvia had a positive trade balance with Portugal amounting to EUR 9,709,994. Portugal was the 23^rd largest export partner of Latvia (EUR 23,114,771 or 0.59% of total Latvian exports) and the 36^th largest import partner (EUR 13,404,777 or 0.20% of total Latvian imports).

The main export goods to Portugal by type of goods in 2005 were base metals and articles of base metals (EUR 19.18 million or 83.02%), textiles and textile articles (EUR 1.31 million or 5.67% of total Latvian exports), timber and articles of timber (EUR 1.21 million or 5.24% of total Latvian eksports.

The main import goods from Portugal in 2005 were machinery and mechanical appliances, and electrical equipment (EUR 9.17 million or 68.41% of total Latvian imports); base metals and articles of base metals (EUR 1.15 million or 8.64% of total Latvian imports; food industry products (EUR 930,000 or 6.94% of total Latvian imports; stone, gypsum, glass, ceramic articles (EUR 710,000 or 5.36% of total Latvian imports); textiles and articles of textile (EUR 680,000 or 5.10% of total Latvian imports)

Latvian-Portuguese trade dynamics 1999-2005, in USD

Until 10 April 2005, 6 Latvian-Portuguese joint ventures were registered in the Latvian Enterprise Register.

Co-operation in culture and education 

Both countries actively co-operate in the sphere of culture, especially in fine arts, poetry, folklore, music, cinematography, and among libraries.

In the international film festival Algarve in May 2005, Vladimir Lescov's film Insomnia was created.

From 15 to 17 June 2005, in the biggest shopping centres of Lisbon, concerts by Latvian musicians Ieva Akuratere and the group led by Didzis Kaulins took place.

On 1 – 2 July 2005, Portuguese TV channel Sic Noticias, broadcast a 50 minutes long film about Latvia in the program Familia Europeia.

On 13 October 2005, the anthology Letters from Europe: What is European in the European literature? Was presented. The anthology includes Uldis Berzins' article Hometown Jerusalem: a European Sensual Paradigm.

Co-operation in higher education takes place mainly within the framework of the European Community education programme Socrates/Erasmus. During the 2000/2001 academic year, the division of Romanistics of the Faculty of Modern Languages of the University of Latvia started teaching Portuguese.

Co-operation in secondary education takes place within the framework of the European Union's programme COMENIUS.

Co-operation in other areas

Co-operation is expanding in defence area. Latvia has appointed its first military attaché to Portugal, colonel Janis Hofmanis, residing in Rome, who accredited in Portugal on 8 June 2005.

Co-operation also takes place in health, tourism and finance areas.

Regional co-operation

The Association of Executive Directors of Latvian Local Governments has commenced co-operation with the Association of Executive Directors of Portuguese Municipalities (Associacao dos Tecnicos Administrativos Municipais) including approximately 4,000 members. In 2005, bilateral visits were organised to become acquainted with municipal systems and operations.

Most significant visits since 1991

Visits by Latvian officials to the Republic of Portugal:

Visits by Portuguese officials to the Republic of Latvia:

Agreements

Foreign Ministry's database of bilateral agreements

Additional information

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Portugal: http://www.min-nestrangeiros.pt/mne/