On November 7 and 8, the Director of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Latvia (NCM), Nina Hvid Enevoldsen, went on her first official working visit to Daugavpils, where the Office has operated a regional branch since 2021.
The visit began with a meeting at the Latgale Planning Region and Latgale Special Economic Zone, where the Deputy Manager of Latgale SEZ, Vladislavs Stankevičs, presented the current business landscape of the region. He introduced available support instruments for investors, ongoing investment projects and future development plans. The conversation focused on strengthening cooperation between Nordic and Baltic partners, with shared ambitions to promote sustainable regional development, innovation and cross-border collaboration. Special attention was given to fostering entrepreneurial skills among youth, supporting teachers and enhancing the regional ecosystem of startups, business incubators and an overall entrepreneurial culture.
The Director also met with Māris Bozovičs, Director of the Latgale Regional Development Agency and Acting Head of the Board of Daugavpils University. Discussions centered on ongoing initiatives supporting cultural and educational projects in the Latgale region and explored new potential opportunities for collaboration in STEM education, engineering, robotics, artificial intelligence and drone technologies.
Engagement with civil society was another key part of the visit. The Director met representatives of local NGOs – Another Daugavpils, the South Latgale NGO Support Centre and The New East – emphasising the importance of civic participation and the Nordic Council of Ministers’ commitment to strengthening the NGO sector. Given Latgale’s demographic diversity and the distinct dynamics of a border region, she highlighted the importance of increasing support for local civil society.
In a meeting with Inna Plavoka, editor-in-chief of Chayka.lv, the Director got insights into the outlet’s growth and discussed the challenges of independent journalism in a sensitive regional environment. She reaffirmed NCM’s continued support for regional media, minority languages, fact-checking initiatives and media literacy – particularly important in the lead-up to the 2026 parliamentary elections.
During her meeting with Daugavpils Mayor Andrejs Elksniņš, discussions focused on resilience, security and economic development in the border area. The municipality presented current development projects, including the Eastern Latvian Smart Technology and Research Centre “Altop”. Reflecting on long-standing cooperation, the Director informed the mayor that the Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Latvia will mark its 35th anniversary in 2026. She proposed co-organising a Nordic-Baltic business forum with a focus on the energy sector. The municipality expressed strong support, and the event is planned for autumn 2026. She also noted that due to Europe’s evolving security situation and hybrid threats at the EU/NATO border, the presence and activities of the NCM regional office in Daugavpils will be further strengthened in the coming years.
The visit concluded with a tour of the Mark Rothko Art Centre and the Daugavpils Fortress. Guided by curator Ainars Baranovskis, the Director explored the museum’s exhibitions and discussed the important role of culture in regional identity and mental wellbeing. Both sides acknowledged the positive history of cooperation and explored the possibility of hosting a cultural event or exhibition linked to the 35th anniversary of the Nordic-Baltic cooperation, which will be celebrated in 2026.
This first working visit reaffirmed the Nordic Council of Ministers’ strong commitment to supporting Latgale’s development, resilience and international cooperation.
