Federal President Joachim Gauck visited the Republic of Latvia on 9 February.

As his term of office draws to a close, the Federal President has been invited by Latvian President Raimonds Vējonis to visit Riga, where he met with the Heads of State of all three Baltic countries. After initial talks and a tour of Riga Castle, the Heads of State continued their discussions during a joint luncheon. This was followed by a press conference.

After the departure of the Presidents of Estonia and Lithuania, Kersti Kaljulaid and Dalia Grybauskaitė, the Latvian President and the Federal President participated in a ceremony to name the square in front of St Peter’s Church in Riga. It has been called Reformation Square.

Brief programme overview:

• Morning
  Flight to Riga
• 11.40 a.m. Riga Castle
  Welcome by Raimonds Vējonis, President of the Republic of Latvia
  Thereafter
  Meeting and joint talks with Dalia Grybauskaitė, President of the Republic of Lithuania, and Kersti Kaljulaid, President of the Republic of Estonia
  Thereafter
  Guided tour of Riga Castle
  Thereafter
  Luncheon, hosted by the President of the Republic of Latvia
• 2.00 p.m.
  Joint press conference
• 3.00 p.m. Reformation Square
  Participation in the square renaming ceremony
  Thereafter
  Visit to St Peter’s Church and participation in the ceremony to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, including the unveiling of a commemorative plaque
• Afternoon
  Flight back to Berlin