Anna Macdonald and Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs. Photo credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Latvia
On 25 January 2019, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs presented Control Arms Director Anna Macdonald with a Certificate of Gratitude during an annual ceremony held in Riga. The certificate was awarded to Control Arms for our work in partnership with Latvia during their Presidency of the Arms Trade Treaty for 2018-2019.
Anna Macdonald said: “The ATT was achieved as a result of partnership between global civil society and progressive governments. We are pleased to continue this way of working with Latvia, and in particular are excited by the opportunities the thematic focus on gender and gender-based violence presents for advancing effective Treaty implementation this year.”
Control Arms greatly appreciates the recognition from the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and looks forward to continuing the successful partnership towards a universal and robust ATT.
Anna Macdonald and Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs. Photo credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs Latvia
Edgars Rinkevics has served as the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Latvia since 2011, and before that, as Head of Chancery to the President of Latvia. In 1993, Rinkevics started work as a journalist reporting on foreign policy and international relations at Latvian Radio. In 1995 he took up a post at the Ministry of Defense, becoming the Director of his internal department the following year. In May 1997 he became Deputy State Secretary for Defense Policy, and then subsequently the Secretary of State. Between 1998 and 2004, Rinkevics was a member of the “Latvian Way” political party. In February 1998, he became involved with discussion on the US-Baltic Partnership Charter; and from 2002 to 2003 was a member of the Latvian delegation negotiating accession to NATO (Deputy Head of Delegation).