History / July 12, 1918 - Latvian Provisional National Council delegated Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics to represent Latvia abroad

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July 12, 1918 - Latvian Provisional National Council delegated Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics to represent Latvia abroad

25.08.2008

Since the end of 1917, Latvian Provisional National Council (LPNC) and its Foreign Affairs Department underlined in its meetings the need to send representatives of the National Council on visits abroad, outside the borders of Russia at that time. In meetings with foreign diplomatic representatives, which took place in Russia, it was impossible to defend the interests of the Latvian nation, to propagate the idea of proclamation of an independent Latvia or to promote the idea of international recognition of Latvia. Therefore, LNDP adopted a decision to assign Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics, who later became the first Minister of Foreign Affairs of the independent Latvia, to represent the interests of Latvia abroad.

On the meeting of January 23, 1918, Latvian Provisional National Council's (LPNC) Foreign Affairs Department decided to urge three chosen representatives to prepare for their mission to represent Latvia abroad and asked them to suspend all of their other duties. It is noted in the minutes of almost every LPNC meeting that "the delegates urgently have to go to Western Europe and establish personal contacts with the governments of Western powers". Z. Meierovics was chosen as the first and the most suitable delegate for this duty, therefore Meierovics resigned from the office of head of the LPNC Financial Department and started preparation for the diplomatic mission. For his first visit, he chose the most influential country at that time - the United Kingdom. However, before leaving, Latvian representatives had to deal with issues that they faced for the first time, for example, what would be the best way how to represent Latvia and Latvian nation.

For another period of approximately six months, LPNC did not succeed in its attempts to send its representatives abroad. However, the need to go on a visit abroad was clearly understood, because the war was apparently approaching an end and Latvians had to make sure that also their opinion will be voiced in the oncoming peace talks, when deciding on reforming the political map of Europe. Eventually, despite of a strong opposition from Soviet forces, Z. Meierovics managed to obtain a departure permit and go on a visit to the United Kingdom.

Z. Meierovics received special credentials for his mission abroad, which also listed the principal aims of LNDP and its vision about an independent Latvia, although these goals were not planned to be achieved over a short period of time. Meierovics' letter of attorney stated that "this representative will testify the need for a sovereign and united Latvia," it included such goals as to gain support from the United Kingdom and its allies in international conferences and, when signing the peace treaty, to demand completely free traffic between the Western Europe countries and Russia, which would contribute to the development of the ruined economy of Latvia.

On August 12, 1918, Z. Meierovics arrived in London as a plenipotentiary representative of LNDP to the United Kingdom, but first he had to be approved as such from the government of the United Kingdom. Z. Meierovics' principal task was to convince the British Foreign Affairs Ministry about the possibility and the need to declare the independence of Latvia and about Latvian nation's rights to have a sovereign state. On October 23, 1918, British Foreign Minister James Balfour accepted Z. Meierovics in a visit and in the name of the British government, verbaly declared that the United Kingdom had decided to recognize temporarily the Latvian National Council as the government of Latvia until further decision on Latvia's future that was to be adopted during the Paris Peace Conference. Following this announcement by the British government in London, the first diplomatic mission of Latvia abroad started to perform its activity - yet before the declaration of independence of Latvia in November 18, 1918. In the beginning, the diplomatic mission had primarily informative functions.

The British government recognized Latvia de facto on November 11, 1918, when J. Balfour issued a written memorandum, saying that the British government "... has the pleasure to reconfirm its readiness to recognize temporarily the Latvian National Council as a de facto independent institution until the moment, when the peace conference will lay the foundation for a new era of freedom and happiness for your nation". In the same memorandum the British government recognized Z. Meierovics as an unofficial diplomatic representative of the Latvian Provisional government.

Picture:

First Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia - Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics.

 

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