RIGA — On Thursday Latvia’s minority government appointed seasoned diplomat Aivis Ronis, as the new foreign minister to serve until October’s parliamentary elections .

Ronis was voted into the position by a landslide 90 votes out of the 100-seat chamber. He will replace Maris Riekstins, who left the post when the People’s Party pulled out of the ruling coalition.

Ronis is closely involved with NATO, having worked with the group in charge of drafting its Strategic Concept, a directive by the alliance to redefine its role in the world, something it has been questioning since the end of the Cold War. Given his prominent position in the alliance and the Latvian government’s current foreign policy, it’s unlikely Ronis will deviate the country’s steady course into further integration with the West.

The other four former People’s Party ministers — culture, health, justice and regional development/local government affairs — have yet to be replaced.

This article is free to view. To read Baltic Reports’ subscription-only articles, click here.