Sandra Kalniete, Latvia’s former foreign minister and European Commissioner, has joined the conservative Jaunais laiks (New Era) party and says she is re-entering politics.

Kalniete, whose has been mentioned as a possible presidential candidate, joined the party Jan. 30, according to a Jaunais laiks press release.

“The foundation of Latvia’s future will be put in place during the next four years,” Kalniete said in a prepared statement, “and that is why I want to get involved in politics. With my experience and knowledge about the European Union and its member states, I want to further my nation’s development.”

The next parliamentary election in Latvia is scheduled Oct. 7. The parliament, or Saeima, elects the president to a four-year term. The president may not serve more than eight consecutive years. President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga’s second term expires in 2007.

Born in 1952 in Siberia, Kalniete from 1988-1990 was involved in the Latvian Popular Front (Tautas fronte), which pushed for the renewal of Latvia’s independence. From 1993-1997 she served as Latvia’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, and from 1997-2002 was Latvia’s ambassador to France. From 2000-2002 she also was Latvia’s ambassador to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Kalniete was then named foreign minister, serving in that post until March 2004.

In May 2004, chosen by Jaunais laiks leader and then Prime Minister Einars Repše, she became Latvia’s representative to the European Commission. But after Repše’s government fell, new Prime Minister Indulis Emsis in August 2004 removed Kalniete from the post, pushing fellow Green Party member Ingrīda Ūdre into the commissioner’s seat. Ūdre, however, never got to serve because Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso asked Latvia to replace the controversial nominee. Now Andris Piebalgs, Kalniete’s former deputy, is the commissioner from Latvia.

Kalniete is the author of three books: Latvju tekstilmāksla, released in 1989, about Latvian textile art; Es lauzu, tu lauzi, mēs lauzām. Viņi lūza, released in 2000, about the drive for Latvia’s renewed independence, and Ar balles kurpēm Sibīrijas sniegos, released in 2001, about her experiences as a child in Siberia.

Latvia’s national airline airBaltic this spring will add 10 routes from Rīga and Vilnius and also will acquire another airplane, the company announced Jan. 30.

Starting March 1, airBaltic will fly between Rīga and Düsseldorf , Germany. Between March and May the airline also will commence flying between Rīga and Baku, Azerbaijan; Bergen, Norway; Tbilisi, Georgia; Warsaw, Poland, and Simferopol, Ukraine.

Flights also will be added between the Lithuanian capital and Stockholm, Sweden; Budapest, Hungary; Düsseldorf and Warsaw.

The additional routes will bring the total of direct airBaltic flights to 45—30 from Rīga and 15 from Vilnius.

The airline also announced it will add another Boeing 737 to its existing fleet of 15 airplanes. The new plane will be used for flights to and from Vilnius. The company did not reveal how much it is paying for the aircraft.

The airline is 52.6 percent controlled by the Republic of Latvia and 47.2 percent controlled by Scandinavian Airlines System. Last year airBaltic carried 1.04 million passengers.

The largest Latvian team ever—including 57 athletes and 14 coaches—has been confirmed by the Latvian Olympic Committee for participation in 20th Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.

The committee announced the selection during a Jan. 25 press conference in Rīga. (The International Olympic Committee allowed Latvia one more spot on Feb. 6, adding shorttrack skating to the country’s list of sports and bumping the total number of athletes to 58.)

In all, the delegation will consist of 98 individuals. Besides the athletes and coaches, the delegation is to include nine medical personnel, 11 administrative and technical workers, and six guests of honor.

The Winter Olympics are scheduled Feb. 10-26.

The Latvian competitors going to Torino include:

• Biathalon athletes Jānis Bērziņš, Anžela Brice, Ilmārs Bricis, Gerda Krūmiņa, Kristaps Lībietis, Madara Līduma, Edgars Piksons, Linda Savļaka and Raivis Zīmelis.
• Bobsled athletes Mihails Arhipovs, Māris Bogdanovs, Intars Dīcmanis, Daumants Dreiškens, Gatis Gūts, Jānis Miņins, Jānis Ozols, Ainārs Podnieks, Reinis Rozītis and Mārcis Rullis.
• Skeleton athletes Martins Dukurs.
• Luge athletes Aiva Aparjode, Kaspars Dumpis, Anna Orlova, Guntis Rēķis, Mārtiņš Rubenis, Andris Šics, Juris Šics and Maija Tīruma.
• Alpine skiers Ivars Ciaguns and Renārs Doršs.
• Cross-country skiers Oļegs Andrejevs,Valts Eiduks, Oļegs Maļuhins and Intars Spalviņš.
• Hockey players Ģirts Ankipāns, Armands Bērziņš, Igors Bondarevs, Aigars Cipruss, Viktors Ignatjevs, Artūrs Irbe, Rodrigo Laviņš, Vladimirs Mamonovs, Edgars Masaļskis, Sergejs Naumovs, Aleksandrs Ņižvijs, Grigorijs Panteļejevs, Georgijs Pujacs, Miķelis Rēdlihs, Arvīds Rēķis, Agris Saviels, Aleksandrs Semjonovs, Kārlis Skrastiņš, Jānis Sprukts, Leonīds Tambijevs, Atvars Tribuncovs, Herberts Vasiļjevs, Māris Ziediņš and, in reserve, Mārtiņš Cipulis, Aleksandrs Macijevskis, Sandis Ozoliņš and Krišjānis Rēdlihs.
• Shorttrack skater Evita Krievāne, who was added Feb. 6 after the International Olympic Committee accepted the Latvian Olympic Committee’s request.

Four years ago, the Latvian squad competing in the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, did not come home with any medals. The ice hockey team finished ninth and the men’s bobsled teams and women’s luge competitors finished in the top 10.

(Updated 07 Feb 2006)