On May 23 over 80 AmCham members and guests gathered for an Opera Night which began with a reception at the Grand Hotel Kempinski and followed with the premiere of "L'Elisir D'Amore" at the Latvian National Opera. One of Donizetti’s most charming comedies was masterfully delivered with a light touch offering much fun. 

On May 22 the American, German, Norwegian and Swedish Chambers of Commerce hosted a pre-election debate in the run-up to the European Parliament election scheduled for June 6-9, 2024. The debate focused on the vision and priorities of the parties to ensure a safe, competitive, sustainable, and prosperous Europe and Latvia as part of it.

On May 21, the AmCham Healthcare work group discussed the outcomes and feedback from the conference on sustainable investments in health and the Pan-Baltic conference of AmChams. Sub-groups shared an update on their workstreams.

On May 16-17, representatives of AmCham Latvia joined the Annual Pan-Baltic Conference 2024 in Vilnius, Lithuania. The conference focused on strengthening ties and economic resilience. Members of AmChams in Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania were able to discuss the most important topics for the current business and investment environment in the Baltics, including FDI attraction, resilience, cybersecurity, digital transformation, AI, healthcare, the future of work, and talent retention.

American Councils become a member

Through international training, cultural exchange, immersion learning, and public diplomacy, American Councils broadens individual perspectives and fosters personal and intellectual growth. On a grand scale, these efforts strengthen international and national security, build prosperity, and promote peace.

At a conference devoted to exploring key opportunities and challenges of AI, a wide range of experts from the industry, academic, legal, and public sectors discussed the practical application of AI technology, first success stories and takeaways as well as ethical considerations and legal frameworks. The conference was hosted by AmCham together with Cognizant on May 14.

On May 13, Digital Affairs and AI work group members discussed potential topics for future events with stakeholders. Members agreed to work out a position on AI and digital transformation and proceed with complementary events.

Welcome KLM to AmCham

Air France and KLM is a major player in the air transport industry. As of the summer of 2024, the company flies to 238 destinations worldwide. Air France and KLM hold a strong position in Northern Europe serving 7 gateways spread over Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, with daily flights to and from Paris and Amsterdam. The Baltic countries are connected to the network thanks to a codeshare agreement with airBaltic.

On April 29, AmCham and the Ministry of Health held a conference dedicated to investments in health "Sustainable investments - predictable results". The conference featured the Minister of Health, Minister of Finance, international experts and officials from Denmark, Estonia, OECD, as well as representatives of patient organizations and hospitals who discussed data-enabled healthcare funding models and their impact on health outcomes.

OECD Economic Survey for Latvia 2024

OECD published Economic Survey for Latvia 2024. According to the document the war in Ukraine has slowed the recovery from the pandemic and led to higher energy prices and disruptions in trade and supply chains, weighing on economic growth.