“Latvia and the Czech Republic are linked by ties established throughout decades between universities, schools, municipalities, families and people working in the sphere of culture,” said Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, on Wednesday, 10 October, while meeting with Václav Hampl, Rector of Charles University in Prague. Āboltiņa is currently in Prague on an official visit to the Czech Republic.

Speaker Āboltiņa told the Rector that during her visit, she met with representatives of the Latvian community and activists of the Latvian language and culture residing in the Czech Republic in order to thank them for establishing and upholding the traditions of our people. “The most active promoters of Latvian–Czech relations are graduates of Charles University. This is one of the first universities outside Latvia that started introducing Latvian studies in 1920’s; thus, Latvian studies are almost as old as Latvian statehood,” pointed out the Speaker.

Solvita Āboltiņa thanked Hampl for indirectly encouraging bilateral relations and supporting Latvian studies at Charles University.

On 9 and 10 October, the Speaker of the Saeima is on an official visit to the Czech Republic on an invitation from Miroslava Němcová, Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic. This is a return visit following Němcová’s official visit to Latvia in April 2011. 

Saeima Press Service