On 22 July, President Edgars Rinkēvičs met with Minister for Smart Administration and Regional Development Raimonds Čudars at the Riga Castle to discuss the organisation of municipal elections and the requirement for municipal officials to obtain special clearance for access to state secrets. The meeting also covered the planned preparatory measures for the smooth conduct of the upcoming parliamentary elections. President Rinkēvičs emphasised that clarity regarding the quality and functionality of the relevant digital systems must be achieved by October. The agenda also included the discussion on current developments at the Artificial Intelligence Centre. The President noted that the Centre must begin its operations without further delay. …