On 27th August 2025, during a joint meeting of the Governments of Latvia and Estonia in Tartu, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the two countries participated in a ceremony for the Languages Award handed out by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Latvia and Estonia each year.

This year, the award was presented to the Estonian poet and translator Margus Konnula (aka ‘Contra’) for his translation into Estonian of a collection of Latvian conceptual poetry, Alfabeedi sünnimaa (Alfabēta dzimtene in Latvian, or Alphabet’s birthplace in English). 

A novel for teenagers by a Latvian writer Osvalds Zebris, Maarja (Māra in Latvian), in Contra’s translation was also released in 2024.

In her congratulatory address, the Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže noted the long literary connections between Tartu (Dorpat in German, Tērbata in Latvian) and Latvia.

The collection of conceptual poetry, Alfabēta dzimtene, showcases works by 12 Latvian poets: Anna Auziņa, Elvīra Bloma, Kirils Ēcis, Raimonds Ķirķis, Aivars Madris, Artis Ostups, Einārs Pelšs, Ivars Šteinbergs, Krišjānis Zeļģis, Žebers, Kārlis Vērdiņš, and Arvis Viguls.

Baiba Braže also met with the Estonian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Margus Tsahkna in the run-up to the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Copenhagen on 29–30 August.

The Languages Award of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Latvia and Estonia (formerly known as the Estonian-Latvian Translators Award) was established back in 2010. The aim of the Languages Award is to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two countries through promoting the learning and use of the Latvian and Estonian languages, the activity of Latvian-Estonian and Estonian-Latvian translators in translating fiction and political, scientific and other texts.

The value of the Languages Award is 5,000 euros, made up of equal contributions from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the two countries.

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