The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chair of AmCham EU discussed the priorities of the upcoming Latvian Presidency of the European Council with a focus on TTIP. Competitive Europe, Digital Europe and Engaged Europe will be the three pillars of the Presidency.

Welcome 2 new members

B2B Baltic Travel and BN Golf International have joined the Chamber this month. Welcome to the AmCham community!

AmCham takes part in TTIP Conference in Stockholm

On December 15, opinion makers and thought leaders from Nordics, Baltics and Poland participated in a conference in Stockhlolm to identify and address narratives surrounding TTIP. Organized by the U.S. State Department and Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, the event featured sessions on SMEs, consumer protection, labor issues and protecting and promoting investment.

Greeting for a good cause

For 11th consecutive year, Nordea and children from the "Lejasstrazdi" Family Support Center have been brushing up their creative skills and using them to make special holiday greetings. This year a special holiday countdown calendar was created with the help of actor Kaspars Breidaks and confectioner Anna Bīrmane.

Best New Translator 2014

On 5 December, the annual Best New Translator 2014 competition for Latvian students organized by Skrivanek Baltic was completed. Ieva Aleksandrova was named this year's winner.

TTIP to enhance business ties and geopolitical security

On December 5, a discussion on Transatlantic partnership agreements was held in Riga to discuss the strategic impact of free trade agreements between the EU and Canada (CETA) and the EU and the U.S. (TTIP). MEP Artis Pabriks stressed that both agreements would enhance and strengthen the existing business ties and will contribute to a greater geopolitical security.

Leadership training for young people

The Latvian Foster Family Association in collaboration with the Society of Adventurers "Adventure Spirit" implemented a new leadership initiative thanks to the support received from CEMEX.

Share the smile

McHappy Day, an annual McDonald's charity event, was held on November 29. This year for every "Share the Smile" picture uploaded, McDonald's donated 1 Euro for the support of RMHC Latvija's Care Mobile. This year McHappy Day raised EUR 23,957 that will ensure 958 medical exams for children of Latvia.

How competitive are banks in Latvia?

Recently the Center for Competitiveness of Riga Business School published a Study on the Present Competitive Performance and Future Prospects of the Banking Industry in Latvia.

Members explored virtual reality at Giraffe360 with latest visualization technologies in a chill and peculiar start-up environment.