On 29 August 2024, in a ceremony at the Riga Palace, the President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, presented letters of credence to the next Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to the United States of America, Elita Kuzma, the next Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to the United Kingdom, Atis Lots, and the next Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to the Czech Republic, Vilmārs Heniņš.
Elita Kuzma joined the Foreign Service of the restored Republic of Latvia in 1992, taking up a post at the Economic Cooperation Division. After that, Elita Kuzma worked at the Western Europe Division, to later become Director of the First Political Department and then Under Secretary, Head of the First Political Directorate. She has also served as Ambassador, Head of the Economic and Bilateral Relations Directorate, Ambassador, Head of the European Union Directorate, and Head of the State Protocol.
Elita Kuzma has amassed considerable professional experience during her postings abroad as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Latvia to the Republic of Austria, the Kingdom of Sweden, the Italian Republic, and the Federal Republic of Germany, as well as Permanent Representative to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation.
Elita Kuzma has been accredited as non-resident Ambassador to the Republic of Hungary, the Swiss Confederation, the Republic of Slovenia, the Republic of Slovakia, the Principality of Liechtenstein, the Republic of San Marino, the Republic of Malta, the Republic of Albania, the State of Kuwait, the Republic of Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Holy See, and the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta.
Elita Kuzma is currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Czech Republic.
Elita Kuzma has graduated from the Faculty of Finance and Trade, and the Institute of International Relations of the University of Latvia. She received further education at Stanford University’s Hoover Institute in the US and George C. Marshall European Centre for Security Studies in Germany.
Atis Lots took up work at the CIS Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1998. He later went on to serve at the Russia and CIS Countries Division, and the EU General Policy Division of the EU Policy Department. Atis Lots has also been Press Secretary, Director of the Information and Public Relations Department, and Head of the Foreign Minister’s Office.
Atis Lots has gained significant experience while working in Latvian diplomatic and consular missions abroad – the Embassies in Russia and in the Federal Republic of Germany. He was the first resident Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Latvia to Moldova.
Atis Lots graduated from the Latvian Police Academy and the Institute of International Relations of the University of Latvia. He has also received further education at the George C. Marshall European Centre for Security Studies in Germany, a German young diplomats’ course in Bonn, as well as graduating from the International Security and Policy course at Geneva Centre for Security Policy in Switzerland and a course for communication specialists in the Hague, the Netherlands.
Since 2018, Mr Lots has held the post of Deputy State Secretary, Administrative Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Current Head of the Planning Group at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vilmārs Heniņš, has been working for the Foreign Service since 1993. He served at the CIS Division and was later appointed its head. He has also served as Press Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Deputy Director of the First Department of Bilateral Relations – Head of the Russia Division, to later assume the post of the department director. Heniņš has also been Foreign Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister.
Vilmārs Heniņš has gained extensive diplomatic experience while working at the Latvian diplomatic and consular missions abroad. He has been posted to the Embassy of Latvia in the Russian Federation, was Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Latvia in the Czech Republic, and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Latvia to Hungary. As non-resident Ambassador, Vilmārs Heniņš has represented Latvia in the Republic of Slovenia, the Republic of Croatia, and Montenegro.
Vilmārs Heniņš holds a Master’s degree in History Sciences from the University of Latvia. He also completed a training course at Clingendael Institute of International Relations in the Netherlands.
