Egils Levits
Valsts prezidents saņem Apvienoto Arābu Emirātu dāvinājumu Latvijas valsts simtgadē – miera paklāju

On 10 September, President of Latvia, Egils Levits, received HE Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Latvia, Hanan Khalfan Obaid Ali Al Madhani, who presented a carpet, the UAE gift for Latvia’s centenary, symbolising a vision of peace and women’s equality, at the Riga Castle.

Carpet, woven by Afghan women who have endured the war, is an art object promoting peace and prosperity in Afghanistan. President of Latvia thanked the UAE and rug weavers for this deeply philosophical work of art which contemplates the importance of peace and women’s equality in the world.

Rug weaving is Afghanistan’s intangible heritage which is passed over from generation to generation. Afghan women have traditionally been weaving ‘war rugs’ depicting symbols of war. However, in 2014, Her Highness Sheikha Fatema Bint Mohammed Bin Zayed, launched an initiative supporting a special peace carpet project aimed at promoting hope among the Afghan population and abandoning the weaving of war rugs. Initiative provides jobs for Afghan women who are suffering poverty and low living standards. 

Carpet presented by the UAE is displayed at the Riga Castle.

AAE vēstniece Latvijā Hanana Halfana Obaid Ali Al Madhani nodod Valsts prezidentam Egilam Levitam dāvinājumu Latvijai simtgadē – paklāju, kas simbolizē vīziju par mieru un sieviešu līdztiesību