Relationship dossier
Vatican City
Latvia
Relationship assessment
A history of diplomatic support and a bilateral agreement on the Catholic Church underpin Holy See–Latvia relations.
Vatican City toward Latvia
+35The Holy See maintained recognition of Latvia during the Soviet occupation and restored diplomatic relations with Latvia after independence was regained. Pope John Paul II’s 1993 visit to Latvia was a prominent engagement with the country.
Latvia toward Vatican City
+35Latvia concluded a bilateral agreement with the Holy See in 2000 regulating the Catholic Church’s legal status in Latvia, providing a concrete framework for cooperation.
Overall relationship
+35The relationship combines the Holy See’s sustained recognition of Latvian statehood with restored diplomatic ties and a bilateral agreement governing the Catholic Church’s status in Latvia. These features indicate durable, practical cooperation, although the breadth of other bilateral activity is less clear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
The Holy See maintained Latvia’s diplomatic recognition through the Soviet occupation and restored diplomatic relations with Latvia after independence was regained. A bilateral agreement signed in 2000 regulates the Catholic Church’s legal status in Latvia, and Pope John Paul II visited Latvia in 1993. These ties reflect a history of diplomatic support and practical cooperation, though the scope of more recent government collaboration is less clear.
Key developments
Pope John Paul II visited Latvia.
The Holy See and Latvia signed an agreement regulating the Catholic Church’s legal status in Latvia.
Major uncertainties
- The scope of government cooperation beyond the Catholic Church agreement is unclear.
- The extent and frequency of recent high-level bilateral engagement are uncertain.