Overview
From 1922 to 1930, a single U.S. Diplomatic Mission represented the United States in the Baltic states of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. In the 1930s diplomatic legations were established in all three nations, but the American Legation in Latvia closed in 1940 when the Soviet Union overran the Baltic states. Throughout the Cold War the United States never accepted the legitimacy of the Soviet occupation and continued to recognize the Latvian Embassy in the United States. In 1991 the United States officially acknowledged Latvia’s independence from the defunct Soviet Union and established a new embassy in Riga. Construction on a new embassy compound was completed in 2011.
Embassy Activities:
- Hosting sports clinics at the U.S. Embassy with visiting sports envoys like Women’s National Basketball Association player Olympia Scott
- Sponsoring cultural workshops like a three-day photography session with National Geographic Senior Photo Editor Sarah Leen
- Backing the month-long American Culture Festival, which brings American masters in music, photography, cooking, and dance to Latvia
- Fostering veteran care services in Latvia through delegations of U.S. veteran care experts who offer Wounded Warrior Care Provider Workshops in Riga
- Encouraging social services in Latvia through the Ambassador’s Awards for Innovation in Service