At the members' meeting of the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LTRK), Latvia's largest business association, held on 22 March, Aigars Rostovskis was convincingly re-elected as LTRK President for a fourth term covering the next three years, and a new council was elected.
There was a single candidate for the post of president at the LTRK members' meeting – the incumbent LTRK President Aigars Rostovskis. A total of 293 companies took part in the meeting, and 281 votes were cast in support of A. Rostovskis's re-election, meaning that A. Rostovskis was re-elected to the post of President by a convincing majority of the members' votes for a fourth term covering the next three years.
Addressing the members, Aigars Rostovskis said: “First of all, I want to thank all LTRK members for their support and for the opportunity to lead Latvia's largest business organisation for the next three years. Although external conditions are not easy, with geopolitical uncertainty, the war in Ukraine and the slowdown of the economy, we must make every effort to strengthen LTRK. We will support our members in their export activities and focus on defending the interests of private capital, as well as on broadening and improving the range of LTRK services, and likewise on international activities. At the national level, our main task is to substantially reduce bureaucracy, which requires no money but rather political will.”
Under the LTRK statutes, the competence of the LTRK President includes representing LTRK in state and local government institutions, in international organisations and in other bodies, nominating the Board to the Council for election, opening the members' meeting, convening and chairing Council meetings, and concluding contracts with Board members on behalf of LTRK. In the President's absence, the duties are performed by one of the vice-presidents.
In addition to his post as President of the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Aigars Rostovskis (PhD) has since 1 January 2024 served as Vice-President of the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Eurochambres). He is Chairman of the Council of Junior Achievement Latvia (JAL), and the owner and founder of SIA “Biznesa augstskola “Turība””.
Alongside the president, the meeting elected a new LTRK council, which will serve for the next three years:
Normunds Bergs, SAF Tehnika; Andris Kozlovskis, DEPO DIY; Arkādijs Suškins, Cēsis Business Club; Māris Simanovičs, Eco Baltia; Andris Kalniņš, Latvian Hotel and Restaurant Association; Ģirts Rungainis, Paradox Holdings; Edvīns Bērziņš, Juridiskā koledža; Inga Zemdega-Grāpe, Nemo; Lienīte Skaraine, PROinvest; Elīna Rītiņa, TET; Mārtiņš Tiknuss, GatewayBaltic; Dāvis Vītols, Latvian Alcohol Industry Association; Aldis Gulbis, Dati Group; Ivars Eniņš, Association of Mechanical Engineering and Metalworking Industries; Imants Martinsons, the association “Zaļo un Viedo Tehnoloģiju Klasteris”; Andis Araks, Kurzeme Investment Fund; Imants Kanaška, Jelgava Manufacturers and Traders Association; Ivo Dembovskis; Vides projektu studija; Zane Driņķe, Biznesa augstskola Turība; Jurģis Ābele, VRPB; Ervīns Lasmanis, Ķekava Municipality Business Council.
The Council elects and recalls the Board, oversees the Board's work, approves the conclusion of contracts that exceed the limit set for the Board, approves the LTRK strategy and budget, elects the vice-presidents, decides on the LTRK position in cases where LTRK competence councils, committees and/or member groups hold substantially differing views, decides on the establishment or closure of committees, and takes other decisions in accordance with the statutes. The LTRK Council consists of 18 to 22 Council members, among them the LTRK President and the deputy presidents – the vice-presidents. One representative from each Competence Council is elected to the LTRK Council (13 candidates in total), while the council members for the remaining seats are elected from an open list, for which 21 candidates had applied.