Due to the fact that Kuldīga is planning to apply for inclusion onto the UNESCO World Heritage List at the beginning of 2021, a lively discussion about the submission was held at the “Restoration Centre”.
Appreciating the importance of the application, the President of Latvia stated: “The acceptance of the application by UNESCO will be a great achievement not only for Kuldīga and Kurzeme, but the whole of Latvia, as it will be another bright pearl on Latvia’s culture map. This heritage includes the architectural heritage of the Old Town of Kuldīga. The residents of Kuldīga take great care of their town understanding the singularity and importance of this heritage. This also has a historically political aspect, because it spotlights the Duchy of Courland (Kurzeme) and Semigallia (Zemgale) as a modern state within the territory of Latvia that existed as an almost fully independent state for 225 years – so significantly longer than the state of Latvia has existed at the moment. The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia must take its rightful place in our shared history, and the UNESCO application is an important step in this direction. I support this application because it is a meaningful project for the whole of Latvia.”
At Kuldīga, the President of Latvia also met with young entrepreneurs who have received state support through the business incubator of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia. With their creative business ideas and projects, the young entrepreneurs of the Kuldīga district have demonstrated statistically excellent results, including in the export of their products. During the meeting, the President of Latvia expressed his appreciation for these achievements and attentively listened to their experiences, thanking them for having the courage to bring their ideas to life and for boosting the business potential of the region. The participants expressed appreciation for the opportunities and mentors provided within the young entrepreneurs’ support programme and the relatively simple administrative procedure for starting a business as compared to that of some other European countries.
In a discussion with local government representatives, the effect of the Administrative Territorial Reform on the district’s development was discussed, as well as the means by which municipalities can attract businesses and how to help municipalities prepare for businesses to come in. The need for state funded support for the Suiti culture traditions, which have been included in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, was also discussed. The conversation also touched upon the need to maintain the emergency room function at Kuldīga Hospital, as currently only three hospitals in the Kurzeme region (Liepāja, Ventspils and Kuldīga) provide this life-saving service.
