On 11 January, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius and the Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs signed an agreement establishing the Balts’ Award.

The Balts’ Award will be conferred annually on natural or legal persons from Lithuania and Latvia for their contribution to and achievements in translation of the Lithuanian literature into Latvian or the Latvian literature into the Lithuanian language. The award will also be given to teachers of the Lithuanian language in Latvia or of the Latvian language in Lithuania, as well as to researchers of Lithuanian and Latvian tangible and intangible cultural or historic heritage, and investigative journalists writing about Lithuanian and Latvian history, culture and tourism.

“We will simultaneously announce about the acceptance of proposals on the websites of the Lithuanian and Latvian Foreign Ministries. Every resident, company, organization or institution in Latvia or Lithuania will be able to offer their candidates,” said Linas Linkevičius.

The Lithuanian and Latvian Foreign Ministers announced their decision to set up the the Balts’ Award on the Balts’ Unity Day on 22 September 2017.