On 17 August 2021, in an official ceremony in Riga Castle, the President of Latvia, Egils Levits, presented credentials to the next Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Latvia to Austria, Guna Japiņa.
Guna Japiņa began her career with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1997 at the International Law Division. The Ambassador has worked with the European Union issues, including as Head of the EU Coordination Department. She has been posted to the Embassy of Latvia in the Federal Republic of Germany. Guna Japiņa has been in the post of the Director of the Consular Department since 2016.
The Ambassador has been decorated with the Cross of Recognition, Third Class, and several awards from the Government of Latvia for her contribution to promoting Latvia’s diplomatic relations.
Guna Japiņa is succeeding Veronika Erte, who has been representing Latvia’s interests in Austria since 2017.
This year marks a centenary since Austria recognised the state of Latvia de jure and established diplomatic relations with Latvia. On 28 August 1991, Austria recognised the restoration of Latvia’s independence, and diplomatic relations between the two countries were resumed on 9 January 1992.