On 14 December 2021, the accreditation of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to the Swiss Confederation, Guna Japiņa, took place in Bern. In an official ceremony, the Latvian Ambassador presented her credentials to the President of the Swiss Confederation, Guy Parmelin.
In her conversation with the President of the Swiss Confederation, Guna Japiņa underlined that the bilateral relationship between Latvia and Switzerland is long-standing and dynamic, and Latvia is interested in further sustaining that diversity and intensity. The Ambassador and the President of Switzerland discussed the political dialogue between the two countries and bilateral cooperation in various fields, including education, research and digitalisation, as well as the prospects for the European Union-Swiss relations.
2022 marks a centenary since Switzerland recognised Latvia de jure and 30 years since the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries after Latvia regained independence.
As part of her visit, Ambassador Japiņa also meets with members of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland, Latvia’s Honorary Consul General, and Latvian diaspora organisations in the country.
The Ambassador of Latvia to Switzerland resides in Vienna, Austria. Guna Japiņa was posted to Vienna on 30 August 2021, succeeding Ambassador Veronika Erte, who had been representing Latvia’s interests in Austria since 2017.
Photo: Thomas Hodel