It is still not clear who will be the new foreign minister

The prime minister emphasized that she is not looking for a peacetime candidate, because “the time when the minister of foreign affairs could work in peaceful, more diplomatic conditions is over.”

Currently, Siliņa is still in discussions with potential candidates, but the politician cannot name specific names at the moment.

Intensive consultations are now underway, but after the selection of the candidate, the Prime Minister will present it to both JV and coalition partners, whose factions have already shown readiness to listen to the applicant. The opposition is also showing interest in the next foreign minister, Silina added.

The politician did not indicate a time schedule for finding a candidate for the minister of foreign affairs.

As reported, the current Minister of Foreign Affairs Krišjānis Kariņš (JV) announced his resignation on April 10 after the private flight scandal last week.

Previously, it was assumed that the Saeima could decide on the new foreign minister at a meeting on April 11, but as the search for the new minister continues, the possibility of the vote being postponed to a later time is not excluded.

Several names have been mentioned in the sidelines as possible candidates for the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs – former parliamentary secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica (JV), member of the Saeima Ęirts Valdis Kristovskis (JV), ambassador for special tasks of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Baiba Braže, etc.

Also, rotation of existing government ministers is allowed on the sidelines. As one version, the current Minister of Defense Andras Sprudas (P) has been rotated to the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs, thus leaving the post in the Ministry of Defense vacant. There is also a possibility that the current Minister of Justice Inese Lībiņa-Egnere (JV) could take the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs, by appointing the former parliamentary secretary of the Ministry of Justice Lauma Paegļkalna (JV) or the Chairman of the Saeima Legal Commission Andrejas Yudins (JV) in her place. The politician herself rejected such a gesture, and the LETA agency refused to comment on this issue.