Honorary Consulate of Latvia opened in Sloviansk

On April 30, 2021, the Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Seimas, Rihards Kols, opened the Honorary Consulate of Latvia in Sloviansk, Donetsk region. This is the first diplomatic institution to open in the Donetsk region after the occupation of part of the region.

The Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Ukraine informed about this on Facebook, Rubryka reports.

Oleksandr Pavenko has been appointed Honorary Consul of Latvia.

Opening the honorary consulate, Rihards Koles stressed that the opening of the consulate was a sign of Latvia's support for Ukraine's territorial integrity.

According to him, Latvia wants to develop relations with the Donetsk region in education, economy, and other areas.

Kols stressed that the Honorary Consulate would also serve as an information point that provides information on the educational, tourist, and economic potential of Latvia and opportunities for cooperation with the Donetsk region;

He also expressed pleasure with Ukraine's support of the Mayor of Ogre Egils Helmanis, who has assisted in the purchase and delivery of more than 400 tons of cargo of humanitarian aid from Latvia to the population of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions since 2014.

The opening of the Honorary Consulate was also attended by the Chairperson of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Seimas of the Republic of Latvia Rihards Kols, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to Ukraine Juris Poikans, the Third Secretary of the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Ukraine Myroslav Densi, and also the leadership of the Donetsk region and the city of Sloviansk.

The head of the Donetsk regional state administration (head of the regional military-civil administration) Pavlo Kyrylenko noted that it was the first diplomatic institution to be opened in the Donetsk region after the occupation of part of the region.

"Such support from the countries of the European and Euro-Atlantic community is extremely important for us. Especially during the war. Latvia has always supported the Ukrainian military and civilians affected by the war. We already have long-term cultural and educational cooperation, now economic development will be also more active.

I'm grateful to Latvia for its consistent open and effective pro-Ukrainian position. And personally to the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to Ukraine Mr. Juris Poikans for the stated intention to move the consulate to Donetsk immediately after the liberation of the city from the occupiers," he wrote on Facebook.