The Latvian parliament elected Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevich as president on Wednesday, becoming the first openly gay president in this position, after he announced his sexual orientation in 2014.
Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevich was elected the country’s new president on Wednesday, the first openly gay person to hold the post.
The 49-year-old Latvian top diplomat since 2011 will serve as president of a member country of the European Union and NATO for the next four years after Eagles Levits decided not to run for a second term.
“I will do everything possible for our country to prosper and be secure,” Rinkevich said after the vote in Parliament.
Rinkevich came out as gay in 2014, the country’s first prominent political figure to do so.
Deputies choose the president of Latvia, a largely ceremonial role.
Riga has been staunchly supportive of Ukraine in its efforts to combat Russian aggression, and has advocated Kiev’s accession to both the European Union and NATO.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulated Rinkevich, calling him “a true friend of Ukraine”.
“Latvia will be in good hands for the next four years,” said outgoing President Levits, following the election of his successor.
Before becoming Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rinkiewicz worked as a news analyst for the Latvian public broadcaster, the Ministry of Defense and the President’s Office.
