Despite the hot weather in Riga yesterday, a new record was set – Kenyan runner Duncan Koech won the full marathon and set a new record of 2 hours 15 minutes and 34.2 seconds for the Riga marathon route. Among women, the winner was Nesga-Bedasa Aberash, who finished in 2 hours, 40 minutes and 30,7 seconds.

The fastest Latvian male runner, Andrejs Ješko, finished sixth, in 2 hours 35 minutes and 14,1 seconds, and female, Liene Bernsone, finished fourth in 3 hours and 2 minutes.

In the half marathon distance the winners were Latvian athletes Jeļena Prokopčuka and Jānis Girgensons.

By far the most popular distance was the 5km run, which attracted more than half of all of this year’s participants. 1278 participated in the full distance, and 2690 in the half marathon.

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The announcement was made on May 16 by Chairman of the BSO Board of Trustees Ted Kelly, BSO Board of Trustees Vice Chairs Stephen B. Kay and Robert O’Block, and BSO Managing Director Mark Volpe, following a meeting of the orchestra’s Board of Trustees earlier in the day at Symphony Hall.

Andris Nelsons is the youngest music director to lead the Boston Symphony Orchestra in over 100 years.

“It is absolutely thrilling for us to announce the appointment of Andris Nelsons as the next Boston Symphony Orchestra Music Director,” said Ted Kelly. “Sought after by the top orchestras and opera houses of the world, Maestro Nelsons, at age 34, is already considered one of the most brilliant conductors of our time. We are very fortunate that Mr. Nelsons, as the BSO’s next music director, will bring his extraordinary ability to lead powerfully moving and insightful performances to the next chapter in the orchestra’s storied history. As the BSO continues to realize its mission of bringing the highest standards of music making to an ever-growing live and online audience, I believe Andris Nelsons’ unique creativity and visionary instincts will bring a remarkable inspiration to all the BSO’s endeavors.”

“I am deeply honoured and touched that the Boston Symphony Orchestra has appointed me its next music director, as it is one of the highest achievements a conductor could hope for in his lifetime,” said Andris Nelsons. “Each time I have worked with the BSO I have been inspired by how effectively it gets to the heart of the music, always leaving its audience with a great wealth of emotions. So it is with great joy that I truly look forward to joining this wonderful musical family and getting to know the beautiful city of Boston and the community that so clearly loves its great orchestra. As I consider my future with the Boston Symphony, I imagine us working closely together to bring the deepest passion and love that we all share for music to ever greater numbers of music fans in Boston, at Tanglewood, and throughout the world.”

Mr. Nelson’s will make his first visit to Boston in late June. Prior to this, however, he will guest conduct Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw Orchestra, Munich’s Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, and Leipzig’s Gewandhaus Orchestra, as well as lead concerts with his City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall in Birmingham and on tour in seven cities in Germany, Belgium, and France.

Born in Riga in 1978 into a family of musicians, Andris Nelsons began his career as a trumpeter in the Latvian National Opera Orchestra before studying conducting. He was Principal Conductor of Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie in Herford, Germany, 2006-2009 and Music Director of Latvian National Opera 2003-2007.

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Minister Rinkēvičs was received by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Islom Karimov. The president noted with gratification that Latvia and Uzbekistan have enjoyed great relations for the past twenty years. The two officials agreed to strengthen economic cooperation, including transit. The President promised support for reverse transit when ISAF cargo is removed from Afghanistan and for Latvia’s efforts of transforming the Northern Distribution Network, used so far for military needs, into a commercial route, which would not only facilitate economic cooperation in the region but also serve the interests of cooperation between Latvia and Uzbekistan. The situation in Afghanistan was discussed in detail.

Both officials agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in culture and tourism. Minister Rinkēvičs invited Uzbek representatives to take part in the events in 2014 when Riga will host the European Capital of Culture, and expressed hope that President Islam Karimov will be able to visit Latvia this year.

Additionally Rinkēvičsalso had meetings with the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Investment and Trade, and the Minister of Defence, and reiterated the need to inprove economic cooperation.

Uzbek partners commended Latvia’s ability to handle the consequences of the economic downturn and praised the economic growth rate, which is the highest in the European Union. Uzbekistan’s Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, Investments and Trade Ganiyev offered to explore the possibilities for building an Uzbek fruit and vegetable distribution center in Latvia for further export to Northern Europe. Likewise, Uzbekistan is ready to facilitate the entry of competitive Latvian manufacturers to produce goods that would be suitable for the European market.

Minister Rinkēvičs accentuated Uzbekistan’s significant role in the functioning of the northern transportation corridor to Afghanistan and invited representatives from Uzbekistan to attend the High Level Workshop on Transcontinental Transportation Routes, “Arteries connecting the Heart of Asia to the Global World”, to be held in Riga in June.

Minister Rinkēvičs stressed that Latvia not only regarded the promotion of its bilateral relations with Uzbekistan and other Central Asian countries to be of the utmost importance, but also would set the expanding of EU co-operation with that important region as a priority for the Latvian Presidency of the European Union during the first half of 2015. Latvia also supports the enhancement of NATO’s contacts and cooperation with Uzbekistan: “In the cooperation to date, Uzbekistan has proven itself to be a responsible and reliable partner, in particular, by providing invaluable support for the stabilization of Afghanistan,” noted Minister Rinkēvičs.

The Foreign Minister of Latvia also visited the Embassy of Latvia in Tashkent and met with the Embassy staff.

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V.Dombrovskis informed the Secretary-General about the economic development of Latvia and the government’s objectives in overcoming consequences of the crisis. The Prime Minister also stressed that, on January 1 of next year, Latvia plans to introduce the euro.

In the first half of 2015, when Latvia will be the presiding country of the European Council, Latvia will have the task of coordinating cooperation between the EU and UN, therefore the officials discussed in detail the issues to be updated during this period.

Ban Ki-Moon highlighted that the first half of 2015 will be a significant and challenging period for the UN as the millennium development goals (set in 2000 by 191 UN member states to be attained by 2015) will be assessed. At this time, debates on the future long-term development goals of the UN will be held, and it is expected that Latvia will play a key role in these discussions. Some of the most development goals are to reduce poverty, promote gender equality, reduce child mortality, restrict the spread of disease and ensure environmental sustainability.

V.Dombrovskis expressed appreciation for the active work of the UN Secretary-General for aktivating gender equality issues worldwide and standing up for the application of sustainable solutions to environmental issues. The Prime Minister confirmed Latvia’s support for these priorities.

Additionally the officials discussed the situation in Syria and Mali, and V.Dombrovskis informed the Secretary-General about Latvia’s involvement, incl., by sending instructors of the Latvian Armed Forces to Mali, as well as allocating state budget funds for development aid.

V.Dombrovskis informed the UN Secretary-General that Latvia has put forward its candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council elections in 2014 and for elections of a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council to be held in 2025.

At the conclusion of the meeting, V.Dombrovskis reminded Ban Ki-Moon of the officials’ invitation to visit Latvia. The UN Secretary-General confirmed that he plans to use this opportunity.

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It also impacted the foreign trade balance – the share of exports in the total foreign trade volume reached 44.5%. Excluding impact of price changes, in the first quarter of this year, exports volume at constant prices rose by 3.6%, but imports volume decreased by 1.6%, compared to the first quarter of last year.

In the first quarter of 2013 the largest volume of goods – two fifths of the total– were exported by manufacturing enterprises, comprising an increase of 1.1%. But in imports more than half of all goods were imported by enterprises engaged in wholesale and retail trade, a 2.1% decrease.

Accordingly, statistical data on the final consumption of foreign trade goods shows that in the first three months of the year exports as capital goods increased rapidly – by 26.1%, but imports, however, decreased by 17.0%.

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Thus, with the number of jobseekers falling, the issue of the factors ensuring further economic growth will become increasingly topical in the future. Labour productivity growth certainly still is one of the directions with great potential in Latvia. However, a more efficient involvement of the economically active population still has a way to go. Progress in this area will depend on the structural reforms implemented in Latvia related to developing evenly distributed employment in this country.

Improvements in the economy’s “average outlook” suggesting Latvia has had one of the most rapid employment growth rates in the EU for several consecutive years) are basically driven by job creation in Riga and the big cities and their neighbourhoods. In Latgale, however, the number of jobs has not increased over the last year, with striking unemployment “enclaves” remaining unchanged. For example, in Baltinava, Viļāni and Zilupe municipalities 26%–29% of working-age population are still registered as unemployed at the State Employment Agency (had the regular approach against the economically active population been applied when estimating the unemployment rate, it would be even higher; moreover, it should be kept in mind that it is only the registered unemployment rate).

There is reason to believe that the roots of the unemployment in these enclaves are of structural nature as high unemployment is characteristic already since the 1990ies. It means that improvement in Latvia in general will be of little help for the above municipalities. The unemployment enclaves would rather benefit from a special employment promotional programme, targeted towards specific municipalities and developed on the spot, being aware of the specific local situation and factors.

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Three work streams were intended for the forum: the national development plan, EU structural funds and the role of NGOs in realising them, chaired by head of the Latvian Civic Alliance Rasma Pīpiķe and the head of the government subcommittee on taxes Romualds Ražuks; Latvia at the heart of the EU and Latvian diaspora, chaired by head of the European committee in government Zanda Kalniņa Lukaševska and president of the European Movement in Latvia Andris Gobiņš; and current trends in social welfare, chaired by head of the Social and Employment Committee in government and the director of the Latvian Samaritans.

The forum has been an annual occurrence since 2006, when the Saeima adopted a declaration on the cooperation of the Saeima with NGOs, outlining the steps needed to improve collaboration.

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The amendments will also prohibit participants of public entertainment and festive events to contest Latvia’s independence and territorial integrity, to suggest violent overthrow of the existing order, to call for disobedience of laws, spread war propaganda, glorify or abet crime and to incite committing other offences that threaten the security and health of participants of the event and other people.

“The aim of this provision is to prevent the use of public entertainment and festive events for promoting ideologies of the two criminal totalitarian regimes. This particular proposal for amendment was drafted in the working group formed by the Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee. The group included representatives from the Ministry of the Interior, the State Police and the Security Police, who took part in thorough discussions and agreed on the proposal,” during the plenary sitting pointed out Ināra Mūrniece, Chairperson of the Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee.

Mūrniece stressed that the Committee evaluated the proportionality of the provision, she also emphasised that it will be possible to impose administrative charges against offenders upon identification of the circumstances of the situation conducted by the State Police.

The deadline for submitting proposals for amendments for the third reading is 30 May.

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Jānis Garjāns, the head of the Museums Section under the Cultural Policy Department of the ministry, said that the attendance figures were not bad, considering the number of Latvia’s population which is 2,07 million.

“Considering the total number of population, it is a decent number. Of course, there is still some unused potential,” he said.

The annual Night of Museums in Latvia will be organized on May 18 this year. Last year the museums in Latvia reported 240,000 visitors during the Night of Museums but Garjāns said that the quantity was not the goal. However, so far there have been no studies to find out how many visitors the Night of Museums had inspired to return to museums in daylight.

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This year only three out of 12 films in the Narrative Competition have been made outside the US. The Narrative Competition is comprised of films made by talented emerging filmmakers that compete for the Filmmaker Award. The winner is determined by a panel of jurors, and films in this section are also eligible for the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature or Best International Feature.

The premiere of „Mother, I Love You” took place during the Berlin International Film Festival where it won the Grand Prix of the Generation Kplus International Jury.

The film is about the relationship between a 13-year-old boy, Raimonds, and his mother. „Mother, I Love You” is currently being screened at all movie houses across Latvia.

„Mother, I Love You” is the second feature film by Nords and he also wrote the screenplay. His first feature film was Amateur, made in 2008, and it brought him the Best Debut Prize at the Latvian national film festival, Lielais Kristaps.

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