From November 2 to 5, 2021, Andris Pelšs, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with representatives of the US Congress and Senate, officials of the National Security Council, the State Department, the Department of Energy, the Department of Commerce, and the International Development Finance Corporation in Washington, DC, USA. During the meeting, bilateral and transatlantic relations between Latvia and the United States were discussed.
The Secretary of State paid special attention to the promotion of economic co-operation and the Three Seas Initiative, presenting its goals and priorities at the next year's summit to be hosted by Latvia. A. Pelšs appreciated and emphasized the US involvement in the initiative, “The Three Seas Initiative is a geopolitically important cooperation platform with great potential for developing the region through investments. The initiative makes an important contribution to strengthening transatlantic ties.”
Economic co-operation between the two countries was discussed with US partners, emphasizing Latvia's potential in the field of technology. “We are satisfied with Latvia's achievements in the field of high technologies, and we want to promote collaboration with US companies,” said A. Pelšs.
While discussing security policy issues and the overall geopolitical situation in the world, the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized the significant role of the US presence in the Baltic States. The situation in Belarus and the surrounding region was also addressed during the meeting, stressing the importance of a coordinated response between the European Union and the United States in stabilizing the situation.
During the visit, Andris Pelšs and the Ambassador of Latvia to the USA, Māris Selga, visited Texas, where they participated in a round table discussion organized by the Dallas Institute of Foreign Policy and officially opened a production facility of Printful, a company from Latvia. Welcoming the management and employees of the company's Dallas branch, the Secretary of State expressed satisfaction with the company's rapid development and promotion of Latvia's name around the globe. “The opening of the production facility is a proof of the ability of Latvian companies to expand their global operations. I am convinced that there are many ideas with similar potential in Latvia,” said the Secretary of State.
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Printful was founded in 2013 in the USA with its head office in Riga. The company offers integration with e-commerce platforms, automating on-demand printing and product delivery. Printful allows printing both clothes and accessories, as well as interior items. Printful is Latvia's first "unicorn", a company valued at more than 1 billion US dollars. The company has so far opened 9 production facilities worldwide, four of which are located in the United States. Printful currently employs more than 1,800 people in North America and Europe.