Latvia’s new ambassador to the Sovereign Order of Malta will be Alberts Sarkanis, the president’s press office has announced. President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga presented Sarkanis with his letter of accreditation on April 5.

Not to be confused with the government of the Mediterranean island nation of Malta, the order is, according to its Web site, “a sovereign subject of international law, with its own constitution, passports, stamps, and public institutions.” It is a lay religious order that traces its history back to the 11th century and today has about 11,000 members.

Its work includes helping the poor and the sick.

Sarkanis also is ambassador to Vatican City. He previously was Latvia’s ambassador to Finland and Lithuania.

Latvian President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga plans to visit the People’s Republic of China the week of April 11-18, the president’s press office has announced. Details of the trip have not been revealed, but the president expects to discuss them in a press conference scheduled April 6.

Latvia and China established full diplomatic relations in 1991. China opened an embassy in Rīga in 1994, while Latvia opened its embassy in Beijing in 1998. Latvia’s current ambassador in China is Einars Semanis. China’s ambassador is Ji Yanchi.

Chinese President Jiang Zemin visited Latvia in June 2002.

China was among the first to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with Latvia after the latter regained independence in 1991, according to the Latvian Foreign Ministry. China never recognized the incorporation of Latvia into the Soviet Union.

Latvia does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, or the Republic of China, but instead “substantive relations” in economic and cultural affairs exist between the two nations, according to Taiwan’s Government Information Office.

Hunting for mushrooms is one of Latvia’s favorite pastimes and now a focus of that activity, the baravika, will be found on a new 1-lat coin.

The Bank of Latvia announced March 31 that it will start circulating a half million coins with the mushroom on the reverse. The coin joins a series of 1-lat pieces that honor Latvian symbols. Others in the series include the salmon, the stork and the ant.

The baravika is a large edible mushroom. In Latvia, people often make trips into the countryside to hunt for them and other mushrooms.

The baravika coin was designed by Guntars Sietiņš, who won a two-tiered competition conducted by the bank. The new coin was minted by Rahapaja Oy of Finland.