CONSULAR OFFICES
Latvia
(The Republic of Latvia)
The Consulate General of Latvia in Saint Petersburg: 
11, Desyataya Liniya, Vasilevsky island, Saint Petersburg, 199178 (metro station "Vasileostrovskaya")
Tel: (812) 336-34-54, 336-34-53
Emergency tel: + 7(921) 961-62-11
Fax: (812) 336-34-52
E-mail: consulate.peterburg@mfa.gov.lv
Website of the Consulate: www.latviaspb.ru
Information
A protocol on cooperation with the Riga City Council was signed in 1997. In March, 2006 during the Days of Saint Petersburg in Riga an Agreement of cooperation between Saint Petersburg and Riga and an Agreement of cooperation between the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Riga Chamber of Commerce and Industry were signed.
In 2006 the cooperation in the sphere of trade between St. Petersburg and Latvia went on developing and the turnover increased by 88% and was US$130 million. In recent years the volumes of trade of 2007 have the highest indices. Thus export and import have increased. The export component of the turnover has increased by 60%, the import has increased in 2.8 times.
Relation between export and import has made 1.8 against 3.1 in 2005.
In autumn of 2004 the Latvian airline «Air Baltic» established a regular air service between St. Petersburg and Riga.
Riga enterprise "Olainefarm" supplies medicines to the drug stores of St. Petersburg. “Nira Fond” company works on the real estate market. The Latvian stevedore companies service a sea-borne traffic.
”Quadra Pak” company delivers to St. Petersburg the cardboard packages with the printings for confectionary producing plants and other enterprises. Latvian knitted goods and milk products are being sold in St. Petersburg.
On March 26, 2004 an Agreement of cooperation between the Administration of the Petrogradsky district of St. Petersburg (the Russian Federation) and the Daugavpils City Council (the Republic of Latvia) was signed. And the city of Jürmala cooperates with the Admiralteisky district of St. Petersburg.
From December, 1998 to April, 2000 St.-Petersburg and Riga region both participated in realization of the international project «Baltic palette», where the strategic directions of cooperation in the central Baltic region have been determined.
In September, 2002 there was a bell cast at the Baltic factory for Archangel Michael’s Orthodox Church in the city of Graveri of Daugavpils district, Latvia. The bell was donated by the Administration of St. Petersburg to the church. On the outer side of the bell there are images of four orthodox crosses and on the circle there is an inscription: “From Saint Petersburg in the year of its 300th anniversary. 2003 AD”. The bell was blessed according to the orthodox custom by metropolitan of Riga and All Latvia Alexander with participation of V.A. Yakovlev, the governor of St. Petersburg. In December, 2002 in Riga the bell was delivered over to the Latvian Orthodox Church.
26-28 July, 2004 a delegation from St. Petersburg took part in the activities devoted to the 60th anniversary after the liberation of Daugavpils from fascists.
Owing to the cooperation of two museums – the Russian Museum and the Latvian Museum of National Art – at the end of 2004 an exhibition of painter Valdemar Matvjes took place in St. Petersburg.
In 2006 the days of St. Petersburg took place in Riga. The delegation from St. Petersburg consisted of 23 enterprises (60 businessmen). Special sessions of the media-forum “Business projects and prospects for development of trade and economic relations between Latvia and St. Petersburg” and “Saint Petersburg as tourist center” attracted high attention of business elite of Latvia. As a result some contracts and protocols on cooperation were already signed in Riga.
Admiralteisky district of St. Petersburg has given Riga a children’s playground as a present.
A meeting with social organizations of compatriots took place in the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Riga. There the representatives of the Committee on Foreign Relations of St. Petersburg handed over methodological literature on Russian language and also discussed a programme for the support of the Great Patriotic war-veterans.
Since 1988 there has been a Latvian National Cultural Society in St. Petersburg. At present there are approximately 90 active members of the society. The chairman is I. Zh. Sokolov.
In March, 1999 a Latvian National Cultural Autonomy appeared in St. Petersburg (the president is Margarita Vovk). The autonomy was established by the Latvian National Cultural Society in St. Petersburg and “Sacta”, the St. Petersburg Latvian Association for promotion the development of the national culture. Its purpose is to promote the development of Latvian culture, establishment of relations between St. Petersburg and Latvia and studying Latvian language. There are special courses for studying Latvian language and a choir that takes part in the Latvian Song Festival (constantly since 1991).
In St. Catherine’s Church (Bolshoy prospect, Vasilievsky island) there are divine services on Latvian language twice a month.
In 1993 the Consulate General of the Republic of Latvia was established in Saint Petersburg. On July 6, 2006 Iveta Sers was appointed as Consul General of the Republic of Latvia to St. Petersburg.
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