Latvia's foreign minister, an ardent backer of Ukraine, is sworn in as the new president

HELSINKI -- Latvia’s long-serving foreign minister, known for his tough line on neighboring Russia and strong support for Ukraine, was sworn in on Saturday as the Baltic nation’s president for a four-year term.

Edgars Rinkevics, who had served as Latvia’s top diplomat since 2011, took the oath of office in ceremonies at an extraordinary session of the Parliament, or Saeima, in the capital, Riga. He succeeds Egils Levits, who didn’t seek reelection.

Rinkevics, 49, was elected by lawmakers in late May in a race against two other candidates. He ran as the candidate of his and Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins’ New Unity party.

He is the seventh president of Latvia, a nation of 1.8 million that is a member of the European Union and NATO, since it regained its independence in 1991. Rinkevics, who announced "proudly" in 2014 on Twitter that he is gay, is one of Europe’s few LGBTQ+ heads of state. Attitudes to sexual minorities in the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — all former Soviet republics - and eastern Europe have been less tolerant than in western Europe.

Latvia’s presidency is largely a ceremonial post and the head of state acts mainly as an opinion leader and uniting figure in the country, where almost one-third of residents speak Russian as a first language.

The president represents Latvia abroad, acts as the supreme commander of the armed forces, signs bills into law, nominates the prime minister and has the right to dissolve Parliament, among other things.

Rinkevics gained popularity among Latvians during his 12 years as foreign minister — a post he held for longer than any of his predecessors. In his inaugural speech to lawmakers, he spoke about Russia and Ukraine at length.

Latvia’s foreign and security policy would remain unchanged and the Baltic country “will stand for a strong and effective NATO,” he said.

“Russia’s war and genocide in Ukraine have created a new, harsh reality,” Rinkevics said. “We will continue to support the heroic Ukrainian people in their struggle for freedom until Ukraine’s final victory. We will continue to fight against Russian imperialism and its evil world ideology.”

As he assumed the presidency on Saturday, the Latvian government said Prime Minister Karins would temporarily perform the tasks of the foreign minister along with his normal duties until a new appointment is made.

No names for a new foreign minister have yet been put forward for approval in the Parliament.