On 1 August 2024, in an official ceremony in Riga Castle, the President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, presented letters of credence to the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to the Kingdom of Spain, Jānis Zlamets, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to Hungary, Jurijs Pogrebņaks, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Latvia to the Republic of Türkiye, Bahtijors Hasans, and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to the Council of Europe, Agnese Vilde.
Agnese Vilde has been working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 2003. During her career as a diplomat, Agnese Vilde worked in the State Protocol, the International Operations and Crisis Resolution Division, the Humanitarian Affairs Division, the International Organizations Division, to later become its Head. In 2021, Agnese Vilde was appointed Director of the Department of International Organisations and Human Rights. She has contributed to preparing and implementing the Latvian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in 2023.
Agnese Vilde has accumulated significant professional experience while working at the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Latvia to the UN, the OSCE and other international organisations in Vienna, and the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Latvia to the United Nations in New York. Since 2021, Agnese Vilde has also been the representative of Latvia in the international network for the UN Security Council resolution "Women, Peace and Security".
Agnese Vilde holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Latvia.
Jānis Zlamets began his career in the Foreign Economic Policy Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1998. Later he assumed posts in the Western European Countries Division, the Enlargement of the European Union and the Western Balkans Division as Head of Unit, was First Secretary in the Russia Division, Director of the First Department of Bilateral Relations, and Director of the Security Policy Department. Since 2022, Jānis Zlamets has been serving as Head of the Directorate for Security Policy and International Organizations.
He has accumulated considerable experience during his postings abroad – as Second Secretary at the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, First Secretary at the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in the Russian Federation, and Counsellor at the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Latvia to NATO. Jānis Zlamets has been the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Latvia to Georgia, the UN, the OSCE and other international organisations in Vienna, as well as serving during the Latvian Presidency from 2018 to 2019 duties of Chairman of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
Jānis Zlamets holds a Master’s Degree in Political Science from the University of Latvia. At the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna, he graduated from the European Studies curriculum for Central and Eastern European diplomats, and participated in training courses on EU issues in the Netherlands and Denmark.
Jurijs Pogrebņaks joined the Foreign Service in 1995. He worked in the Department of the Union of Independent States, the Central European Countries Division, headed the Russian Division, and was Head of the NATO Integration Division at the Security Policy Department, and later the International Operations and Crisis Resolution Division. Jurijs Pogrebņaks has also performed the duties of Adviser to the Chairman of the Riga City Council on foreign affairs. Since 2020, Jurijs Pogrebņaks has held the post of Head of the Consular and Diplomatic Facilities Directorate and the Special Representative of Latvia to the Palestinian Authority.
Jurijs Pogrebņaks has an extensive experience of working in the Latvian diplomatic missions abroad. He has served as First Secretary at the Embassy in the Czech Republic, Counsellor at the Embassy in the Republic of Türkiye, Counsellor, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy in the U.S., as well as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to the Republic of Kazakhstan and non-resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to the Kyrgyz Republic.
Jurijs Pogrebņaks holds a Bachelor’s diploma from the Faculty of History at the University of Latvia. In Germany, he perfected his knowledge at the Center for Security Studies of the J. Marshall’s College of Strategic Studies and Defense Economics, as well as at the Senior Officials’ Seminar and the International Crisis Resolution Courses at the NATO School. Jurijs Pogrebņaks graduated from the International Security and Policy Studies course in Switzerland at the Centre for Security Policy Studies in Geneva.
Bahtijors Hasans joined the Foreign Service of the restored Latvia in 1993. During his career as a diplomat at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he worked in the Department of the Union of Independent States, the Division of Asian and African Countries, to later become its head. He has gained significant experience of working with European Union issues. Bahtijors Hasans was Counsellor, Head of the EU Law Division of the EU Coordination Department, followed by Head of the Legal Coordination Division. From 2017 to 2020, Bahtijors Hasans headed the Consular and Diplomatic Facilities Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Bahtijors Hasans has gained broad experience as a diplomat during his postings to Latvian diplomatic and consular missions abroad. He worked at the Embassy in the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Kingdom of Sweden, and the Republic of Finland. He has served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Latvia to the Republic of Slovenia and non-resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Latvia to the Republic of Kosovo, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Latvia to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, as well as to the Preparatory Commission of the General Organization for the Prohibition of Nuclear Tests and the International Atomic Energy Agency, where he was Deputy Chairman of the Board. Bahtijors Hasans has also served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Latvia to the UN, OSCE and other international organizations in Vienna. Since 2020, he has been Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Latvia to the UN, Geneva, and from 2021 – Permanent Representative of Latvia to the World Trade Organization. In 2022, he was unanimously elected Chairman of the Board of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
Bahtijors Hasans has obtained translator’s qualifications in the specialty of Latvian language and literature, as well as a Master’s degree in Law from the University of Latvia.
