The Latvian government will donate LVL 100,000 (about USD 197,700 or EUR 141,500) from an emergency fund to help Japan deal with the effects of last week’s massive earthquake and tsunami.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the expenditure during a closed meeting March 15 after hearing a report from Foreign Minister Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis, according to the Foreign Ministry’s press office.
Exactly how the funds will be used is to be determined in a forthcoming meeting and will be coordinated with European Union officials, according to the press office.
During a March 14 government meeting called to consider how the country could help Japan, Kristovskis said Latvia might be able to provide a rehabilitation or convalescence program for victims, according to a Foreign Ministry press release. Latvia is not prepared to send rescue teams or special equipment.
So far, Latvia’s embassy in Tokyo has confirmed the whereabouts of 74 Latvian nationals who were in Japan at the time of the March 11 earthquake, which registered 8.9 on the Richter scale. Especially hard hit was northern Japan, including the city of Sendai, where a tsunami hit the coast minutes after the earthquake.
Some of the Latvian nationals have already returned home, according to the Foreign Ministry.
The Latvian Red Cross (Latvijas Sarkanais Krusts) is coordinating local donations to international relief efforts through its website www.redcross.lv.
The Latvian embassy in Tokyo. (Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs photo)
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It is riduculous government: they cannot provide normal living conditions to its own small population, so this act is considered not as a good one, but as No wonder why almoast EVERY person in Latvia (except politicians of cource and those who still funds of EU) is willing to live in ANOTHER country. Local people are so depserated that young people even create such sites like http://www.savelatvia.com, where donatios are asked… Simply no comments. SHAME ON THE LATVIAN GOVERNMENT AND THEIR DECITIONS AND ACT!
Forgot to mention that the average monthly salary is 500 EUR in Latvia. If you receive 1000 EUR, it is considered as a very very good salary!!! Clothes cost 2-3 times more expensive than in other European countries, food is expensive, appartments are extremely expensive. Young people DO NOT SEE any perspective to live in Latvia. The governments reduce pension, maternity payments to MINIMUM, because there are no funds, so they are forced to take a FOREVER loan, but they always do find funds to give to GEORGIA, UKRAINE, etc. I feel so sorry about Japan, but Latvia with its DEBTS cannot afford this…
The Japanese have given nothing to Latvia and Latvia as the poorest country in Europe is making an idiot of itself by this totally stupid gesture. In particular as Japan is the 2nd richest country in the world. My guess is that the ‘aid’ money will end up in the politician’s pockets one way, or the other. By the way, there are more than 15,000 families living in Latvia with nowhere to live. Disgraceful bunch of criminal politicians.