HOLY SEE AND LATVIA RATIFY ACCORD SIGNED IN 2000

VATICAN CITY, OCT 25, 2002 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican's Treaty Room, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of state, and Andris Berzins, prime minister of the Republic of Latvia, exchanged instruments of ratification of the Accord between the Holy See and Latvia, which was signed in Riga on November 8, 2000.

High ranking Church and civil officials were present at the signing ceremony. Among those in attendance for the Holy See were Cardinal Janis Pujats, archbishop of Riga, Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran and Msgr. Celestino Migliore, respectively secretary and under-secretary for Relations with States, and Archbishop Peter Stephan Zurbriggem, apostolic nuncio in Latvia.

Representing Latvia were Ingrida Labucka, justice minister, Atis Sjanits, ambassador of Latvia and councilor to the prime minister for foreign affairs, Aivars Maldups, secretary of state and Dace Rutka, from the embassy of Latvia to the Holy See.

In remarks made to those present, Cardinal Sodano recalled the November 2000 signing in Riga of the Accord between the Holy See and Latvia "on several important matters: the juridical statute of the Catholic Church in Latvia; the internal structure and government of the Church; cooperation in areas of mutual concern such as, for example, education, and religious assistance to the Catholic faithful in the armed services and in prisons." The cardinal stated that "with today's ceremony of the exchange of instruments of ratification, this Accord comes into effect."

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