On 19 September 2019, at the Museum of Art in the town of Tukums, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edgars Rinkēvičs, will unveil a touring exhibition, “100 years of Latvian Diplomacy and Foreign Service”, created for the first time by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to publicly present the work of the Latvian Foreign Service and its achievements over the past century. Tukums has been chosen as the first site for the travelling exhibition since the town is intrinsically linked to the life of Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics (1887–1925), Latvia’s first foreign minister.
The exhibition offers an insight into the milestone events of Latvia’s history and the contribution by the Foreign Service to the formation, international recognition, and existence of Latvia. The people of Tukums and visitors to the town will be able to see documents, photographs and objects, most of which are being put on display for the first time.
In Tukums, the Foreign Ministry exhibition will be supplemented with works of art and items from the collections of the Tukums Museum of Art and other museums, libraries and private collections. The display features portraits of the Foreign Service staff in paintings, sculptures and friendly caricatures by Jāzeps Grosvalds, Voldemārs Tone, Romans Suta and other artists. Objects from private collections related to the personalities of diplomats will also be exhibited.
The exhibition on “100 years of Latvian Diplomacy and Foreign Service” will be on display at the Tukums Museum of Art from 19 September to 8 December 2019.
The exhibition will then travel to Ventspils, Jelgava and Bauska. It is expected that the exhibition will also be on display in Cēsis, Daugavpils, Rēzekne and Valmiera. The exhibition will tour Latvia until January 2021, which represents 100 years from the time that international de iure recognition of the Republic of Latvia was achieved. Alongside the exhibition, conversation sessions and discussions have also been planned with the aim of increasing the knowledge of diplomacy, foreign policy and the functioning of the Foreign Service among the general public.
The touring exhibition, “100 years of Latvian Diplomacy and Foreign Service”, is part of the programme of celebrating the centenary of the Latvian Foreign Service.
Background information
The Latvian Foreign Service is the only institution of the Republic of Latvia working without interruption since the establishment of the state. Latvian diplomats have always worked in the interests of the Latvian state and its people. The Foreign Service ensures the development of Latvia as an independent, democratic and secure state.