On 27 July 2023 in Riga Castle, the President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, presented the letter of credence to the next Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Latvia to Lithuania, Solveiga Silkalna.
Since the beginning of her diplomatic career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1995, Ms Silkalna has worked in the Humanitarian Affairs Department and as Director of the Public Relations and Press Department, as well as serving for two years as Under-Secretary of State for European Affairs.
Solveiga Silkalna represented Latvia’s interests abroad at the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Latvia to the Council of Europe; she was also posted as Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, and as Ambassador, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Solveiga Silkalna’s other senior positions include Foreign Affairs Adviser to three Prime Ministers and, from 2019 to July 2023, Foreign Affairs Adviser to the President of Latvia.
Ms Silkalna has graduated from the University of Melbourne with a bachelor’s degree in biology and she holds a master’s degree in political science from the University of Latvia.
Solveiga Silkalna succeeds current Ambassador Indulis Bērziņš, who has held the post since 2019.