On 16 July, the Director-General had the honour of meeting H.E. Elita Gavele, Ambassador of Latvia to Italy. This meeting marked a significant step towards enhancing cooperation between ICCROM and the Government of Latvia.
A key topic of discussion was the potential collaboration on the First Aid and Resilience in Times of Crisis Programme and other capacity-building initiatives tailored for the Baltic region, which aims to equip local professionals with the necessary skills and knowledge to protect and preserve cultural assets.
In addition, ICCROM is also working to translate its key manuals and Toolkit into Latvian to support people on the ground to effectively respond to emergencies.
An overview of past activities with Latvia were also discussed, drawing from archival documents, including missions, workshops, and the Safeguarding Sounds and Images - SOIMA course, underscoring the longstanding and fruitful relationship between ICCROM and Latvia.
We look forward to strengthening our collaboration with Latvia and together advance cultural heritage, including through secondments and co-created projects.