RIGA, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Latvian President Egils Levits on Friday stressed solidarity, modernization and sense of belonging as his main priorities as he looked back on his first year in office.
At a news conference that the Latvian leader gave to mark the first year of his presidency, Levits noted that as he assumed the presidential office, he promised to be the people's president and that he has been working for the past year to keep this promise.
"Being the people's president does not mean pleasing each one of our two million residents but to look to serve the common good, taking into consideration various interests," said the president of the Baltic country.
Outlining his plans for the following years of his presidency, Levits underlined Latvia's municipal reform, which he described as one of the largest reforms undertaken in modern-day Latvia.
Commenting on the European Union's support package intended to help member states get over the COVID-19 crisis, Levits said Latvia must use this aid wisely and purposefully by investing in sectors and businesses with the best future perspectives. These must be green, environmentally friendly industries, the president said.
Levits also named higher education reforms among his priorities, noting though that the original version of the reform was not thought-out thoroughly enough. The result of the reform, he said, should be internationally recognized and competitive universities and colleges.
The president also called for the modernization of Latvia's public administration system, criticizing various state institutions for each focusing on their own narrow areas of competence, inability to see the big picture and insufficient cooperation.
Levits was elected Latvia's president in a parliamentary vote on May 29, 2019 and took the presidential oath on July 8 that same year. Enditem
