RIGA, Aug. 10 (Xinhua) -- This weekend, Latvia marked 100 years of its Naval Forces with a rich program of events, which included a parade of warships, a church service and musical performances of the naval orchestra, local media reported.
August 10 is regarded as the birthday of the Latvian Naval Forces, as the maritime division of the young Latvian armed forces was founded on that date in 1919.
The celebration of the Naval Forces' centenary started on Friday with a parade of naval ships in the Gulf of Riga, with military vessels from Latvia and also several foreign countries taking part in the event, reviewed by Latvian President Egils Levits.
On Saturday, an ecumenic service dedicated to the Latvian navy's jubilee was held in Riga Cathedral in the old town and crews of Latvian and other countries' naval ships headed to the city center to lay flowers at the Freedom Monument.
The orchestra of the Latvian Naval Forces then gave a festive performance to an audience of several hundred people, including local residents and foreign tourists, who had gathered to watch the events by the monument.
A number of Latvian, Swedish, Estonian, Lithuanian and German naval ships, on public display at the port of Riga, drew many visitors of various ages, including children.
