Latvia's President Egils Levits with Israeli President Isaac Herzog
Latvia's President Egils Levits with Israeli President Isaac HerzogAmos Ben-Gershom/GPO

Israeli President Isaac Herzog and First Lady Michal Herzog on Monday hosted a State Welcoming Ceremony at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem for President Egils Levits and First Lady Andra Levite of the Republic of Latvia during the couple's state visit to Israel.

During the ceremony, the IDF Band played the national anthems of Israel and Latvia; and President Herzog and President Levits inspected an IDF honor guard, after which they held a diplomatic work meeting.

President Isaac Herzog greeted President Levits in Latvian, saying, "Labdien, prezidenta kungs! Sveicam Izraēlas Valstī! Cerams, vizīte un šeit pavadītais laiks būs vērtīgs un atmiņa paliekošs! It means, welcome, Mr. President! Welcome to the State of Israel and I hope your visit will be valuable and unforgettable."

"I am saying this because I am partly Latvian, as you know. My grandmother Sarah Herzog née Hillman was born in Riga, and I am always proud of my heritage and my family’s roots, so I feel part of your nation.

"We are also extremely happy to have you because we are two natural allies, Mr. President. In the thirty years since our two nations established bilateral relations, we have built a warm partnership based on shared values and common interests. Israel places great importance on continuing to enhance and deepen our bilateral relations with Latvia as well as all three Baltic states. Israel is home to many Jews of Latvian descent, some of whom have left an incredible mark on Latvian history. We look forward to using this visit as an opportunity to discuss avenues to increase our partnership, with a focus on trade, and commerce, joint scientific research, and academic collaboration."

Herzog added, "We are grateful to Latvia for the signing into law the Compensation of Good Will to the Latvian Jewish Community, which is a very important step in the restitution of Jewish communal property in Latvia, and we hope to make progress on the agreement recognizing dual Israeli-Latvian citizenship. There are many issues to discuss this morning and during your visit. I hope you and your wife will have a wonderful visit."

President Egils Levits said at the start of the meeting: "Thank you, Mr. President, for organizing and receiving me for my first official visit in Israel. It is very important to have this state visit for our bilateral relations, because this year is the thirtieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our states, but of course the ties between our nations are much historically deeper and longer."

On Monday night, President Isaac Herzog and First Lady Michal Herzog will host a state dinner at the President’s Residence in honor of the President and First Lady of Latvia.