Latvia’s new ambassador to Canada will be among three diplomats receiving letters of accreditation next week from President Valdis Zatlers, the president’s press office has announced.

Marģeris Krams, the new ambassador to Canada, will join his colleagues Atis Sjanītis and Igors Apokins in receiving the letters during ceremonies scheduled Aug. 7 in Rīga.

Krams, 41, since 2002 has served as Latvia’s permanent representative to the World Trade Organization. He previously held posts in the Ministry of Agriculture and was an adviser to the prime minister. Besides Latvian, Krams speaks English, French and Russian.

Sjanītis, formerly the ambassador to Canada, is the new ambassador to Ukraine and to Moldova. He replaces Andris Vilcāns.

Apokins is the new nonresident ambassador to Turkmenistan. He already is the ambassador to Uzbekistan, where he resides, as well as to Afghanistan.

Foreigners already working in Europe who need to spend time in Latvia as part of their employment would no longer need a work permit under a proposal by the Ministry of Welfare.

The ministry is preparing an amendment to the immigration law that would allow foreigners already legally working in a member state of the European Union, in the European Economic Zone or in Switzerland and whose employers assign them to work in Latvia to do so without a work permit.

For example, a citizen of Kazakhstan who already is staying and working in Lithuania, and whose employer sends them to Latvia, would no longer need a work permit in Latvia, the welfare ministry said in an Aug. 2 press release.

The amendment must still be submitted to the Saeima for consideration and passage.

Prime Minister Aigars Kalvītis, in a meeting with seven Latvian youths from abroad, said Aug. 1 he is pleased with the first year of a program that invited them to work in Latvia in state offices and private companies.

“Vēlies izaicinājumu” (Seek a Challenge), a program initiated by Kalvītis and administered by the State Employment Agency with support from the social integration secretariat and Ministry of Education, is a month-long internship program that allowed the youths to work in their chosen profession, improve their Latvian language skills and get to know Latvia, the Cabinet of Ministers press office said.

The seven with whom Kalvītis met ar Darja Berdņikova of Russia, Jana Božko of Russia, Lūkass Milevskis of the United States, Laura Osvalde of the United States, Aleksandrs Perevalovs of Russia, Rūta Rietuma of Sweden and Dainis Simsons of Canada.

“Your knowledge, experience and skills are needed by Latvia,” Kalvītis told them. “We have few inhabitants, therefore we are pleased with each one who has chosen to return and work in Latvia, and youth here have greater career opportunities and more rapid growth than in larger countries.”

The seven have been interning with the State Forensic Science Bureau, Rīga Technical University, Hill & Knowlton Latvia, the State Employment Agency, SIA Averoja and SIA Agroprojekts.

The internships run from July 15 to Aug. 15.

The Latvian government is committed to supporting the program and finding internships in state offices. It is expected the project will continue next year with greater participation, the press office said.