• Excellency, Edgars Rinkēvičs, President of the Republic of Latvia
• Senior Officials
• Members of the Media
• Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

To begin, I would like to thank President Rinkēvičs, and the Government and people of Latvia, for the warm welcome and hospitality in beautiful Riga.

Mr. President, we feel at home.

Following my discussion with the President, and between our delegations, it is evident that Rwanda and Latvia share strong bonds of friendship.

We were deeply moved by our visit yesterday to the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia. This exhibit holds a universal message about the protection of rights and freedoms.

The purpose of this visit is to explore new opportunities for the mutual benefit of our people.

There is already a growing interest in the field of sustainable agriculture.

What also unites Rwanda and Latvia is a common understanding that we can no longer do business as usual.

We need a multilateral system that is more fit-for-purpose, and which treats everyone equally. We also need to prioritize growth areas, such as information technology.

Mr. President, I commend your efforts to build a strong innovation ecosystem in Latvia, an example for all of us to follow.

In Rwanda, we have also been doing our part, beginning with digitizing almost all public services.

On the multilateral front, Rwanda and Latvia are willing to support each other, on a range of issues, notably peace and security, and global development.

Ultimately, the mindset we have is to work together, to find solutions to our unique set of challenges.

Mr. President, once again, thank you for hosting us in Latvia. My delegation and I are deeply impressed by what we have seen. We hope to be able to welcome you in Rwanda, very soon.

I look forward to our interaction with the media.

Thank you for your kind attention.