Latvia-California business forum to be held in Riga

RIGA - On Friday, July 26, Foreign Minister Baiba Braze will meet with officials from the U.S. state of California – State Treasurer Fiona Ma, Senator Josh Newman and former Senator Bob Hertzberg – as well as a business delegation, LETA was told by the Foreign Ministry.

The meeting and the opening of the business forum will take place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

After the meeting, Braze and the U.S. Ambassador to Latvia, Christopher Robinson, will launch the Latvia-California Business Forum organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the Ministry of Economics and the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA). At the opening session of the forum, welcoming addresses to the participants will also be delivered by the Minister of Economics, Viktors Valainis, and the acting Director of LIAA, Raivis Bremsmits.

At the forum, entrepreneurs and officials from both countries will discuss how to develop economic cooperation more effectively, emphasizing the sustainable energy and innovation sector.

The delegation of the state of California will be visiting Latvia from July 25 to 28. It is accompanied by the Latvian Honorary Consul in the U.S., South California, Juris Bunkis. As part of their stay, the delegation will participate in the business forum, meet with members of the Saeima and the Cabinet, the management of the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, visit Riga Technical University and joint-stock company SAF Tech. The delegation will further explore the offer of business opportunities at the Representative Office of Valmiera in Riga.

Economic cooperation between Latvia and the state of California has been on the rise in recent years: about 15 percent of Latvia’s total exports to the U.S. go to California, while imports from California amount to about 20 percent of total U.S. imports to Latvia.