On 6 December 2025, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV received Māris Selga, the new Ambassador of the Republic of Latvia to the Holy See, in the Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican during an audience for accreditation. Ambassador Māris Selga greeted the Pope at the culmination of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee Year, emphasised the importance of cooperation between Latvia and the Holy See, and thanked the Holy See for its support for Latvian statehood.
The Ambassador noted the close diplomatic relations between Latvia and the Holy See, which have lasted for more than a hundred years, and praised the Holy See’s unwavering support for Latvia’s independence since the establishment of the state and its refusal to recognise Latvia’s illegal incorporation into the USSR. The conversation highlighted two papal visits to Latvia – His Holiness Pope John Paul II’s visit in 1993 and His Holiness Pope Francis’ visit in 2018, as well as the visit of the President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, to the Vatican in 2024, which is a strong confirmation of the close bilateral dialogue. On 23-24 November 2025, the Prime Minister Evika Siliņa visited the Holy See, marking 100 years since the first pilgrimage led by bishops from Latvia as an independent state.
During his accreditation visit, the Ambassador met with Edgar Peña Parra, Substitute for the Secretariat of State of the Holy See, Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States of the Holy See, and Monsignor Javier Domingo Fernández González, Head of Protocol. The talks confirmed the willingness of both sides to continue active dialogue on peace and security, stressing the importance of compliance with international law. Bilateral relations between Latvia and the Holy See were discussed, the current security situation in Latvia and the region was clarified, emphasising the need for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, all forms of support for Ukraine, as well as the return of Ukrainian children to their homes.
The Ambassador Māris Selga will reside in Riga.
Background information
Māris Selga has been Under-Secretary of State - Director of Administration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since September 2024. He began his career in the Foreign Service in 1994 in the Planning Group. Māris Selga has worked in the Ministry’s central office in Riga, as well as in Latvian diplomatic missions abroad. From 2019 to 2024, Māris Selga was Ambassador of Latvia to the United States, from 2016 to 2019 Ambassador of Latvia to the People’s Republic of China, and from 2008 to 2012, Latvian Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt. He has been Non-Resident Ambassador to the United Mexican States, Mongolia, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, as well as the Official Observer of the Republic of Latvia to the African Union and the Representative of the Republic of Latvia to the League of Arab States and the Organization of American States. Māris Selga has been awarded the Second Class Cross of Recognition.
The Holy See recognised the Republic of Latvia de jure on 10 June 1921. On 30 May 1922, a Concordat was concluded between the Republic of Latvia and the Holy See, which entered into force with the exchange of ratification documents on 3 November 1922. The Holy See did not recognise the incorporation of the Baltic states into the USSR and considered diplomatic relations with these countries to be only temporarily suspended. Diplomatic relations between Latvia and the Holy See were restored on 1 October 1991. Marking the centenary of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Latvia and the Holy See, the book “100 Years of Sincerity and Confidence. Diplomatic Relations between the Republic of Latvia and the Holy See” was published in 2021.