Latvian Ambassador Artis Bertulis visits Nepal

I had planned a visit with Karan Vaidya, Honorary Consul for Republic of Latvia in Kathmandu. Although private issues were discussed during the meeting, we mainly touched on the cultural traditions of both countries, Latvia and Nepal. Karan showed a real interest in my tourism promotion project and he promised me to arrange a meeting with the Latvian Honorary Ambassador Artis Bertulis in Nepal. I received this message as an honour.

Karan's efforts were crowned with success, and a meeting with the Latvian Ambassador and his delegation took place at the International Mountain Museum in Pokhara. Accompanied by a guide, the delegation got acquainted with the museum's exhibits and visual materials which gave an expanded insight into Nepal's history, geography, natural resources and culture.

The photo gallery, which showed the Nepalese National Costumes in all its glory, aroused Ambassador Bertulis's genuine interest.

As this visit was not official, I allowed myself to deviate from the accepted etiquette of diplomacy and put the conversation on a more private footing. I interviewed Latvian Ambassador immediately after he visited the museum.

Persijs Muiznieks (hereinafter P.M.): If we browse the world map, then the distance from Latvia to Nepal is quite long and we have to cross the airspace of many countries and only then we get to Nepal.

Artis Bertulis, Latvian Ambassador (hereinafter AB): However, it was not a difficult flight. This time we came from India. I am an Ambassador in New Delhi. The flight took only an hour and twenty minutes. I have been living in India for three years. I am the second Ambassador of Latvia there and on this trip we wanted to visit Nepal.

Frankly, our intention here is to make new contacts, supported by the Honorary Consul in India. His family provides significant support in this regard.

The second is that I have scheduled a meeting with officers at Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kathmandu immediately after the trip to Pokhara. This is just the second day in Nepal and immediately after the flight to Kathmandu we arrived at the International Mountain Museum in Pokhara.

PM: What was your first impressions when you arrived in Nepal? Was there anything that surprised you?

AB: Well, of course, there were such unforgettable moments. Nepalis are fantastic and friendly people, they extended extremely warm welcome. We have already visited a couple of places. The people I meet are very open. It is quite striking that many of them live difficult lives but this does not prevent them from smiling and be pleasant in communication.

And the second thing that is as important to them as it is to Latvians is work ethic. People work very hard to achieve something. They are simple people who believe in hard work. They also like to live in a tidy environment.

It is quite difficult to judge Nepal in one day, but it has a huge potential.

This year when Nepal was open for two weeks, suddenly about seventy tourists from Latvia arrived here. We had three large groups, one of them travelling to Mustang.

PM: There are four counties in Latvia and each of them maintains its own special ethnic aspect. Can you notice any cultural similarities with Nepal?

AB: There is a very strong regional identity here, as you rightly point out. People, despite great globalization and digitalization, stick to their traditions.

I still remember the flight to Pokhara. A lady flew with us. She was adorned with a Nepalese traditional costume, in very harmonious colours.

This short episode further confirms that people stick to their language, culture, dietary traditions. Although we only had one dinner, the meal was very tasty.

The small scenario gives hope that the country will gradually recover. It recovered from the earthquake, as evidenced by the large construction works going in the capital city and will also recover from Covid when tourism will be given green light.

PM: I do not know the main reason for your mission. However, I would like to ask whether your visit will be able to promote mutual cultural ties between Latvia and Nepal.

AB: Not immediately, but looking at the future, definitely. One thing we slowly began to discuss was for the Embassy in Delhi to be able to provide consular support to our citizens in Nepal. When there was a strict lockdown last year, we helped repatriate our citizens, not only from India but also from Nepal. We cooperated with the European delegation, which provided assistance to compatriots stuck in the mountains. They encountered a completely unforeseen situation on the way back when they arrived in the mountains.

We will pay more attention to cooperating with the Honorary Consulate of Delhi, whose role here is very important to maintain long-term friendship. We would also like a formal relationship, potentially in the future, when the New Delhi Research Council could politically represent Latvia in Nepal.

The second is that, any meeting makes new contacts. Here I want to shine light on American Latvian Eds Viesturs, who has reached the summit of 8,000-meter Mountains 14 times without an oxygen mask. Altogether he has been at this height 21 times.

Even you have hugely contributed to the International Mountain Museum photo gallery which reflects Nepalese National Costumes in all its glory.

It could also be like a cultural footbridge. The name Nepal is very popular in Latvia today. Once the lockdown is lifted and the tourist season opens, the flow of foreign people to Nepal will be unstoppable.

Published on 31 October 2021