On 8 January, President Edgars Rinkēvičs met with Minister for Culture Agnese Lāce at the Riga Castle. The meeting addressed the future operation and governance of SIA “Austrumlatvijas koncertzāle”, also known as the Latgale Embassy “Gors”, current issues related to the project “Liepāja – European Capital of Culture 2027”, as well as matters concerning public media content in minority languages.
During the conversation with the Minister for Culture, the President reiterated his position that the Latgale Embassy “Gors” in Rēzekne is not merely a concert hall of regional importance but a key centre of Latvian and Latgalian identity on a national scale. “The State must take over the Latgale Embassy “Gors” and establish a governance model that best ensures the preservation and development of Latvian and Latgalian identity. In addition, the specific nature of the Latgale region and our country’s eastern border, as well as current global developments, must be taken into account. The significance of the Latgale Embassy “Gors” goes beyond repertoire choices or financial indicators. It must be viewed in the long term through the lens of national identity, national security, and state cultural policy,” emphasised E. Rinkēvičs.
The President intends, in the near future, to discuss with the Prime Minister and the Minister for Smart Administration and Regional Development the necessary steps to ensure that the state’s involvement in the governance of the Latgale Embassy “Gors” is not delayed.
