Latvia is celebrating the 20th anniversary of joining the EU! Various events will take place in Riga throughout the day

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Latvia’s entry into the European Union (EU), residents of Riga and guests of the city are invited today to watch the concert live, view the city’s environmental art objects and take part in a flash event with the largest European Union (EU) flag in Latvia, as well as take part in the light event “Latvija shines in Europe” “, the LETA agency was informed by the Riga municipality.

Most read

VIDEO. “Two cars of the municipal police arrived” – a liquor store created by children was closed in Ogre

A cocktail

If you have any of these 3 numbers in your house number, you have the potential to achieve anything your heart desires

Pharmaceuticals giant AstraZeneca admits that one of the side effects of its Covid-19 vaccine can be fatal

Read other posts

From 4 p.m., the concert story “You are at home” will be broadcast live from the National Library of Latvia. You are ME”. Its main goal is an invitation to everyone to realize the importance of national independence and the right decision for Latvia’s EU membership at the moment.

The central axis of the concert story is the window as our point of view on the wider world, but the world we see outside the window is within our control. The creation of stained glass in the EU window is also the main scenographic element of the concert story.

In the concert story, you will be able to listen to the wisdom of the Latvian people performed by actors Gundars Grasberg and Inga Misānes-Grasberg, journalist Ilze Nagla and Jānis Geste will conduct conversations with various important people in the context of the EU, while composer Raimonds Tigulis will take care of the music, with the participation of the Riga Chamber Choir “Ave Sol” and the Latvian National Symphony for the orchestra. The artistic concept and direction of the concert story is created by the director Kārlis Anitens.

You can watch the concert live on LTV1, on the “lsm.lv” portal and listen to it on Latvian Radio, as well as watch it on the LED screen in Brīvības Square.

On the other hand, at 1:00 p.m., a concert will be held in the “Imanta” Culture Center, “There will be a song for eternity”, performed by the men’s choir “Silvicola”. The members of the forest workers’ men’s choir “Silvicola” invite you to a patriotic concert in which the repertoire “with the smell of the forest” will be played. At the concert, such compositions as “Green men on the shore of the blue sea”, “Rīga dimd”, “Motto”, “Zalu mežu shalkā”, “Soul song”, “Retirement, soul” and other choir songs will be performed.

From May 1 to May 31, a conceptual action will take place in Victory Park – the environmental object “Democratic Square”. The environmental installation created by Erik Bož illustrates a democratic and inclusive society, reveals how, looking from different points of view, we can see the overall picture of an object or process. The environmental object was created with the participation of residents.

In honor of Latvia’s 20th anniversary in the EU, today in four Latvian cities – Riga, Rēzekne, Cēsis and Liepāja – festive installations will shine in the colors of the European flag. In Riga, the rays of light will reach the sky at the Freedom Monument, in Rēzekne – at the Latgale Embassy “GORS”, in Cēsis – at the Vidzeme Concert Hall, while in Liepāja – at “Rose Square”.

A similar light campaign will take place in another 16 EU member states, where objects of national and regional importance will be illuminated in honor of the most ambitious anniversary of the EU enlargement so far.

In each of the mentioned places, you will be able to watch a video about Latvia and our benefits as part of the EU on a large-format LED screen today from 12:00 to 24:00.

On the other hand, at 3:30 p.m. from Dome Square to the Freedom Monument in Riga, a flash event MésEsamEiropa will take place, in which anyone interested will be able to participate in a march through Old Riga with large-format Latvian and European Union flags.

At the end of the march, led by the Latvian Diplomatic Choir, the participants of the flash action will unite in the performance of the Latvian and EU anthems at the Freedom Monument. The participants of the event are invited to take a photo and share it on social media, including using the hashtags MésEsamEiropa and LV20ES , demonstrating belonging to the space of European values. The flash event is organized by the European Movement in Latvia in cooperation with the State Chancellery and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In addition, three environmental art objects will be displayed in the urban environment. In the forecourt of the Āgenskalns market, the environmental design object “Radiation” will be on display, in Uzvara Park the object “Svetku kraogs” will be on display, while in the Dome square Riga residents and guests of the city will be delighted by the environmental object “Latvija”, where you can capture yourself, your loved ones and friends with the name of Latvia in a photo.

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Latvia’s entry into the bloc, the EU flag is raised on the tower of Riga Castle

This morning, at 7:40 a.m., a solemn guard of honor ceremony and the raising of the European Union (EU) flag took place in the Riga Castle’s Holy Spirit tower.

The event was attended by the President Edgars Rinkēvičs, Speaker of the Saeima Daiga Mieriņa (ZZS), Prime Minister Evika Siliņa (JV), Minister of Foreign Affairs Baiba Braže and President of the Supreme Court Aigars Strupišs.

In 1999, the European Commission (EC) recommended starting negotiations with Latvia in its annual progress report on EU candidate countries. On October 9, 2002, the EC published the last progress reports on the candidate countries and recommended the EU member states to conclude accession negotiations with ten candidate countries, including Latvia.

In Athens, on April 16, 2003, the Treaty on accession to the EU was signed. The new member states, including Latvia, got the opportunity to participate in the work of EU institutions as an observer.

On September 20, 2003, a popular vote on joining the EU was held in Latvia. In the referendum, 66.97% voted “for”, “against” 32.26%, with 71.49% of Latvian voters participating. On October 10, 2003, the Saeima ratified Latvia’s EU accession agreement, and on May 1, 2004, Latvia became an EU member state.

Themes