PBLA Successfully Holds “Latvia in Focus” Forum in Helsinki
In late April, the PBLA business forum “Latvia in Focus” gathered around 60 Latvian diaspora entrepreneurs, professionals, and students in Helsinki to strengthen ties with Latvia and foster networking in the Nordic region.
The World Federation of Free Latvians (PBLA) successfully conducted the “Latvia in Focus” business forum in Helsinki at the end of April. The event brought together approximately 60 participants – diaspora entrepreneurs, professionals, and students – aiming to enhance cooperation with Latvia and promote connections among Latvian businesspeople in the Nordic region.
The program featured addresses from representatives of PBLA and Latvia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Ambassador Dace Treija-Masī and PBLA Chair Pēteris Blumbergs. Attendees listened to presentations on Latvia’s economic outlook and geopolitical challenges, such as disinformation risks during an election year and the impact of artificial intelligence. Discussions covered diaspora business collaboration and support instruments offered by Latvian institutions, including the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) and the State Employment Agency (NVA). Other topics included remote cooperation between entrepreneurs and students, cultural diplomacy, and the Latvia-Finland partnership. The forum concluded with informal networking sessions.
Mārīte Kļaviņa, PBLA Vice-Chair and the forum’s main organizer, emphasized that such events intentionally bring together not only diaspora entrepreneurs but also local community members who may not have known each other before. She noted that casual conversations during coffee breaks often spark new business projects.
This was the sixth forum of its kind. The first two were held in Frankfurt and London in 2022, followed by events in Stockholm, Amsterdam, and Paris in 2024. This year, additional forums are planned in Geneva, Switzerland, and Melbourne, Australia. “Latvia in Focus” is a smaller-scale initiative that takes place in years when the larger World Latvian Economics and Innovation Forums are not held.
