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Your Eminence Angelo Cardinal Sodāno,
Your Eminence Cardinal Pujats,
Honourable guests,
Today I have the honour on behalf of Latvia to exchange ratification documents for the Agreement between the Republic of Latvia and the Holy See. This great day is the result of a five-year long effort for the delegations of both parties. Today we turn over a new important page in our diplomatic relations and follow the traditions of the Concordat concluded in 1922.
It was already in the early years of the independence of Latvia that the Holy See became a substantial subject in international relations for Latvia. In 1920, the Holy See de facto recognised Latvia's Interim government, but already in 1922 the above-mentioned Concordat was signed between Latvia and the Holy See. We have not forgotten that upon Latvia's illegal annexation in 1940, the Holy See on principle did not recognise the occupation of the Baltic States and considered that diplomatic relations with these countries were just suspended.
Just after restoration of diplomatic relations in 1991 discussions were initiated on the necessity for a new agreement. A special impetus for this idea was the visit of Pope John Paul II in Latvia. Years of thorough work passed until in 2000, when the agreement was submitted to my Government for approval. Upon approval by the Government, Ingrīda Labucka, the Minister of Justice, signed it in Rīga on November 8th of the same year.
The agreement was also seriously discussed in the Parliament. And I am especially gratified that the agreement was ratified with such a convincing majority of votes, no one was against it.
Today in this historic building we witness a moving end point of the work, and it is my pleasure and duty to mention those who have made special contribution on our way to this achievement. First, I would like to mention Aivars Maldups, State Secretary of the Ministry of Justice and the head of the delegation in negotiations, as well as Ingrīda Labucka, Minister of Justice who signed the agreement on behalf of Latvia. Committed participants in the delegation during these years were also our diplomats – Atis Sjanīts, Ambassador to the Holy See, and Erwin Josef Ender, the former Apostolic Nuncio to the Baltic States.
After this visit to the Vatican, I am going to Copenhagen in order to discuss final preparotary activities for Latvia, because within a year's time we will become a fullfledged member-state of the European Union. This agreement which comes into force today clearly exemplifies – Latvia has returned to Europe, from which it was violently isolated. It also proves that the true values that the church has always supported and maintained, are always alive.
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