Latvia on Wednesday commemorated the 20th anniversary of its European Union and NATO memberships with a salon concert and business briefing.

Delivering welcoming remarks at the event, Latvian Ambassador to Korea Aris Vigants introduced the progress made by Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania over the past decade, highlighting political systems and economic reform, particularly in shedding the remnants of the Soviet occupation.

“Nobody is perfect, but at least we can always strive for perfection,” said Vigants.

“In our case, there is no other choice but to join the European Union and NATO as providers of soft and hard security, to return to the European family, and to escape from Russia's aggressive grip that is an influence,” said Vigants.

Vigants reaffirmed Latvia's commitment to sharing its experiences and knowledge with neighboring countries, echoing the support received from Nordic countries on the path to EU and NATO membership.

“For the last several decades, we have tried and will continue to share our knowledge and experience with neighboring countries like Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova and Central Asian countries,” Vigants said.

“We long for Russian aggression over Ukraine to stop."

Meanwhile, Martins Baumanis, head of the Representative Office in Seoul at the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, touched on the country’s investment opportunities and growing partnerships with Korea.

Separately, he also underscored the potential of quantum technology for precise navigation and predictive analytics, signaling Latvia's commitment to advancing scientific research and technological innovation.