The President of Latvia and First Lady of Latvia Iveta Vējone, accompanied by a government delegation and a business delegation, will have a broad program in Berlin, Hamburg, and Luneburg covering both bilateral political, economic, and cultural cooperation and the preservation of the common historical heritage.
“Germany is our strategic partner in Europe, and we are like-minded countries on both the future of Europe and many international issues. The state visit to Germany will significantly support further expansion of cooperation between Latvia and Germany,” stressed President of Latvia Raimonds Vējonis.
During a state visit on February 21 and February 22, the President of Latvia will meet with Federal President of Germany Frank Walter Steinmeier, President of Bundestag Wolfgang Schäuble, and Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel. Visit to the Berlin Wall Memorial, as well as a state dinner in honour of the visit of the President of Latvia are also scheduled in Berlin.
While continuing to visit Germany, the President of Latvia and First Lady of Latvia Iveta Vējone will visit Hamburg, where they will participate in the Matthiae-Mahlzeit Banquet hosted by the City of Hamburg on February 22. During the dinner, the President of Latvia will address representatives of high-level state authorities and local governments as well as the public of Germany. Matthiae-Mahlzeit Banquet is held once a year since 1356, bringing together prominent German state and municipal representatives, entrepreneurs, cultural activists, and researchers at the Hamburg City Hall.
On February 23, Raimonds Vējonis will also visit the city of Lüneburg, where he will open a discussion on the historical role of Baltic Germans in Latvia. On February 24, the President of Latvia will meet with the representatives of the Latvian diaspora and the cadets of the National Armed Forces studying in Hamburg. The President of Latvia and First Lady of Latvia Iveta Vējone will also host a reply dinner in honour of the Federal President of Germany. At the end of the day, the President of Latvia and First Lady of Latvia Iveta Vējone will attend the premiere concert of the composition by Pēteris Vasks, dedicated to the Centenary of Latvia and performed by organist Iveta Apkalna and State Academic Choir Latvia.
At the end of the visit, a broad delegation of Latvian entrepreneurs will join the President of Latvia in Hamburg. At the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, Raimonds Vējonis will open a business forum, he will take part in a luncheon with the management and entrepreneurs of the Hamburg City, and he will open the exhibition “Latvia’s Century” devoted to the Centenary of Latvia. Meanwhile, First Lady of Latvia Iveta Vējone planned to attend several educational establishments for children with special needs in Hamburg, namely, the kindergarten of Alsterdorf Evangelical Foundation and the Erich Kastner School, where meetings with children and teachers are planned.