Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Latvia)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs () is responsible for maintaining the Republic of Latvia's external relations and the management of its international diplomatic missions. The actual Minister of Foreign Affairs is Edgars Rinkēvičs, a member of the Unity Party and former State Secretary within Latvia's Ministry of Defence. Diplomacy. The ministry directs Latvia's affairs with foreign entities, including bilateral relations with individual nations and its representation in international organizations, including the United Nations, European Union, Council of Europe, NATO, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the International Monetary Fund, the  World Trade Organization, and its participation in the Schengen Area. It oversees visas, cooperation with expatriates, international human rights policy, transatlantic defense policy and various global trade concerns. The ministry also contributes to Latvia's international trade and economic development, in collaboration with the Ministry of Economics (Latvia) and the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia. Inspector General. The Inspector General for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia is appointed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The current Inspector General for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia is Normans Penke.