Latvian scientists Gustavs Strengs, Andris Levāns, Renāte Berga, and Laura Kreigere-Liepiņa were awarded the Baltic Assembly (BA) Prize for Science at a ceremony on Friday, 28 October. The prize was awarded for the collective monograph "Catalogue of the Riga Jesuit College Book Collection (1583–1621): history and reconstruction of the collection."
Kai Aareleid, novelist and poet, received the BA Prize for Literature for her novel "Vaikne ookean" ("The Pacific Ocean"). The BA Prize for the Arts was awarded to painter Šarūnas Sauka for his unique iconography and painting principles that are closely linked to surrealism and magical realism.
"Your achievements inspire others. You enhance the brand of the Baltic region, which is characterised by the cultivation of the uniqueness of our national cultures combined with the innovative approach characteristic of the new era," said Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima.
Jānis Vucāns, President of the Baltic Assembly and Head of its Latvian Delegation, emphasised that the BA Prize honours people who help unite our countries and strengthen the Baltic identity. "Your example proves that with the partnership of the Baltic States, we can move forward, make progress, and achieve success," said President Vucāns.
The nominees were evaluated by nine experts in literature, the arts, and science from Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania. The monetary value of each prize is EUR 5000. The BA Prize was established in 1994.
During the ceremony, the Baltic Innovation Prize was awarded to SIA Belss, a Latvian defence and security company. The Baltic Innovation Prize diplomas were awarded to LightCode Photonics, an Estonian technology company developing advanced technologies for mobility, and to Genomika, a Lithuanian start-up developing biotechnology research-based solutions.
Also, BA medals for special merit in upholding the unity and cooperation of the Baltic states were awarded to Dace Bluķe, former BA member and Vice-Chair of the Education, Science and Culture Committee, to historian Kaspars Kļaviņš, and to Reinis Znotiņš, Chair of the BA Economics, Energy and Innovation Committee.
The medal was also awarded to Virginijus Sinkevičius, Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries of the European Commission, and Jonas Öhman, head of an NGO supporting Ukraine and its armed forces. Medals were also awarded to Andrius Mazuronis and Kęstutis Masiulis, members of the BA Lithuanian Delegation.
Other medal winners are Karl Pajusalu, Professor of Estonian Language and Dialect History; Mait Klaassen, Rector of the Estonian University of Life Sciences, and Tarmo Kohv from the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board.
The award ceremony took place on Friday, 28 October, in the conclusion of the 41st Session of the Baltic Assembly, at the Art Museum Riga Bourse. MPs from Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania gathered in Riga to discuss the readiness of Baltic societies to cope with external threats, as well as the development of a sustainable, interconnected, and carefully coordinated energy supply system in the Baltic States.
Saeima Press Service