David Kaye Consul to Latvia

LATVIAN HONORARY CONSUL

The Bridge of Allan and Dunblane Rotary Club was delighted to welcome David Kaye, the Honorary Consul for Latvia in Glasgow.  David, a Partner in Harper Macleod LLP, was appointed Honorary Consul in November following a selection process that involved a series of visits to Riga, the capital of Latvia.

Bill Sharpe with David Kaye

David began his talk by giving some basic facts about Latvia – a country about which members freely admitted that they knew relatively little.  Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, was established in 1918 as a democratic parliamentary republic.  Since then, it has had a chequered history, being forcibly incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1940, invaded and occupied by Nazi Germany in 1941, and then re-occupied by the Soviet Union in 1944.  It remained part of the USSR until 1990 when, following the break-up of the USSR, it was formally restored to independence in 1991. It is now a member of the EU and NATO.

Latvia, David explained, is a relatively small country, with a population of just under two million, of which some 72% are Latvians with some 20% Russian Latvians. It is a country with a relatively high income thanks to a strong agricultural infrastructure, as well as other supporting industries including chemicals, logistics and woodworking.

Prior to his appointment as Honorary Consul, David travelled in Latvia to familiarize himself with the country and the people, whom he found initially rather shy, but subsequently very friendly.  Although the official language is Latvian, English is widely spoken, so there was no difficulty in communicating.  In the light of his visits, David strongly recommended Latvia as a place to visit. It has, he said, the twin benefits of being a beautiful country and relatively inexpensive for visitors.  Riga, in particular, has many historical quarters with beautiful buildings of which he showed some slides.  With some 50% of the country covered in woods, Latvia is somewhat similar to Scotland. It has a wonderful sea-coast and, being predominantly flat, is very attractive to cyclists.

David’s own duties and responsibilities as Honorary Consul relate predominantly to the approximately 200 Latvians living in Glasgow, for whom he is a first point of contact, and subsequently, if necessary, a link to the Embassy in London, with which he maintains close contact.  He is looking forward to supporting and promoting social events, as well as acting as an important point of contact between companies wishing to trade with Latvia, and those from Latvia seeking to establish relationships with companies in Scotland and the UK.  Some initial contacts have already proved fruitful.

Thanking David for his talk, Bill Sharpe noted that having an honorary consul as speaker was a first for the Club.  Members had obviously enjoyed his informative talk and he hoped that, when David was more settled into his role, he might agree to talk again the Club.  This suggestion was warmly received by members.