On Friday, January 21, the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia in cooperation with the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Latvia organized a working seminar for creative industries experts from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. The aim of the seminar was to further develop cooperation among the participating countries by sharing good practices in policy making, statistics, funding possibilities and education. Regular meetings among the Ministries of Culture of the Baltic States and other relevant institutions in charge of creative industries have already been taking place since 2007.
At present it is essential to refocus attention on how to use and develop the potential of culture and creative industries as a socioeconomic driving force which can benefit the entire country.
Seminar participants included Latvian Minister of Culture Sarmīte Ēlerte, Minister of Economics Artis Kampars, representatives from the Latvian Investment and Development Agency, the Ministries of Culture of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania along with the representatives from business incubators specializing in creative industries. Before the seminar the participants visited Creative Andrejsala - a business incubator of creative industries. Opened in March 2010, it has provided support to more than 50 new enterprises within different fields of creative industries.