Saying a few words in Latvian, the President congratulated the people of Latvia on this significant cultural occasion.
"I extend my greetings to all of you at this exciting celebration. The title of the European Capital of Culture - which Riga shares with the Swedish city of Umeå this year - offers an excellent opportunity to the Balts and the Nordic nations around the Baltic Sea to further strengthen their mutual bonds and present their cultures to Europe more widely," the President said.
The President noted that it was very symbolic this event was launched by Wagner's opera Rienzi, with conductor Modestas Pitrėnas from Lithuania and stage designers from Denmark.
She also pointed out that 2014 was a truly European year for Latvia: it introduced the euro, and the title of the European Capital of Culture was a wonderful starting point for Latvia's forthcoming EU presidency in the first half of 2015.
