Diplomat tapped as Latvia's new foreign minister as incumbent quits following flights scandal

Diplomat tapped as Latvia's new foreign minister as incumbent quits following flights scandal

The head of Latvia's government tapped an experienced diplomat to become the Baltic nation's new foreign minister after the incumbent stepped down earlier this week amid a criminal probe over alleged misuse of government funds.

The ruling centre-right New Unity party decided to back the nomination of Baiba Braze, 57, who is currently the ambassador for special tasks at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, after Prime Minister Evika Silina's endorsement, Latvian news agency LETA reported on Saturday.

Latvian Television LTV said Braze's candidacy will be officially announced on Monday and lawmakers at the Saiema, Latvia's 100-seat Parliament, are set to vote on a motion of confidence in her on Thursday.

Among other posts, Braze has previously served as Latvia's ambassador to Britain and to The Netherlands, and held the post of NATO's deputy secretary general for public diplomacy in 2020-2023.

Krisjanis Karins, Latvia's former top diplomat and an ex-prime minister, announced his intention to resign this month on March 28. His decision came in the wake of a criminal probe over the use of expensive private charter flights by Karins' office during his time as prime minister between 2019-2023.

There are no indications that Karins himself faces charges as part of the probe into the scandal that erupted last year and caused public outrage among Latvians. Silina took up Latvia's top government job in September when Karins became foreign minister of the nation of 1.9 million, a European Union and NATO member state.

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