The Department for International Trade (DIT) recommend that concerned UK companies trading with Ukraine and Russia contact the Export Support Service (ESS) on 0300-303-8955. The ESS helpline hours are being extended between now and the end of the weekend, from 08:00 – 22:00 Thursday-Sunday inclusive. DIT will review this today to examine the case for out of hours provision.

Alternatively, companies can access the ESS landing page which also features a dedicated link for Ukraine and Russia enquiries.

Foreign Investor’s Council in Latvia has compiled information relevant to business community regarding ongoing military conflict in Ukraine.

Please find HERE some practical information, websites you may find useful and ways you can help.

You will also find there a short survey to let FICIL know of what effect the ongoing military conflict will have on the business community and ask any relevant questions so they can swiftly gather information. Feel free to contact FICIL Office at any point at ficil@ficil.lv.

Following obtaining of the Financial and Capital Market Commission and the European Central Bank approval, a transaction was completed under which the former sole shareholder of AS Expobank Igor Kim sold all his shares to Signet Bank AS.

Following completion of the transaction both banks will merge later in 2022. The merged bank will continue to operate under the Signet Bank brand and implement the current strategy of Signet Bank – servicing Latvian entrepreneurs and their companies with an emphasis on financing and investment management solutions.

International School of Latvia (ISL) would like to share some wonderful news – they are opening their first PreK 2 class starting the 2022/23 school year!

ISL community is incredibly excited to expand their Elementary School Program.

For more information, please get in touch with the school – admissions@isl.edu.lv

The UK government has issued a policy paper on principles for post-Brexit regulation and areas of potential divergence.

British Chambers of Commerce says that more most be done to improve UK-EU Trade. The BCC’s full proposals for improving trade with Europe can be found here.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) has published a new dashboard of UK trade performance over the past year. The UK trade in numbers contains the latest published UK trade and investment statistics. In addition, the UK trade in numbers depicts foreign direct investment, regional trade statistics, and the UK’s position in global trade and investment rankings.

Exupery Internation School(EIS) is inviting to join the Preschool Open Day Event on 15 December at 17:00.

During the event, you will be able to find out more about EIS Preschool’s integrated approach to teaching and learning for children of ages 2.5 to 6 years.

The purpose of the program is to establish a strong foundation for learning in the early years, and to do so in a safe, caring, play-based, and academically enriching environment.

The event will be hosted by Valērija Samoilenko, Director of EIS Preschool. The event will be held in English.

If you would like to attend the virtual Open Day Event, please register HERE.

The S&P 500 index rose to 4743 points in November before deciding to take some rest. Whether we will see the usual small drawdown and then resume the move to the 4900-5000 levels or will have a lasting and long-awaited correction, is difficult to say just yet. Nevertheless, the behavior of the market during the last days of autumn and the beginning of December rather speaks of the second scenario. The volatility index, previously at low levels, rose above 27 points, which indicates that the sentiment of market participants has also changed.

Full Market Review for November 2021 is available here.

This year for BritCham’s Christmas charity campaign, we seek your help and support with assisting one of the most vital of children charities and services who are in great need in Latvia today.

The Allaži Crisis Centre (Allažu bērnu un ģimenes atbalsta centrs) take on the most vulnerable children and teenagers who find themselves alone often after years of abuse, in all its forms. Starved of the childhood most of us enjoyed to some extent, these children haven’t felt the right kind of love for years or if ever. The space at Allaži Crisis Centre is constantly in high demand (this isn’t a small problem) and the team take on the constant responsibility of caring for society’s most vulnerable and abandoned minors when there is nowhere left for them to turn. And they do all of this on less than a shoestring budget, which is why this year we here at BritCham have teamed up with this charity for our Christmas appeal.

We don’t exaggerate when we say this is a the only place these children have left, very often bounced from one orphanage or foster family to another, this is the place they end up. The team works hard to create a safe space for these children to live and express themselves, often at great personal risk. Their passion to help these wounded children through the next day of their shattered lives as they attempt to rebuild their mental health is relentless.

There is nothing easy about seeing a child so distraught they try to hurt themselves, so damaged they have to create rooms for children to release the fear and pain with cushioned walls and watch as they hurl themselves around until exhausted or try and coax a child out who is so terrified of what is coming next, they retreat into a hideaway to shut out their unimaginable world.

As we prepare for a second pandemic Christmas and feel aggrieved that the shop doesn’t have the specific product we want, remember that many of us will be with our loved ones. These children and their carers won’t. They aren’t asking for anything this Christmas except for the pain and fear to stop.

If you would like to help support the vital work, there are many basic things they need. As you will see from the items HERE there is a dire shortage of basics and anything you can donate will be so appreciated and will help maintain the safe and caring environment for these forgotten children. Truly anything you can spare from toilet roll to crash mats or kinetic sand to laundry detergent makes a huge difference to these children and the quality of their lives.

If you would like to support this Christmas appeal by purchasing the needed items, please get in touch with BritCham Office via e-mail renate.romanovska@britcham.lv or via phone +371 26761516. We encourage collaboration between members and friends in purchasing the bigger items, that are pricey. As we plan to take all purchased items to Allaži ourselves on the week of 20th December, the deadline for the campaign is Friday 17 December.

You are invited to the International School of Riga’s Virtual Open House on December 9th (Thursday) from 16:00 to 17:00 Eastern European Time.

ISR currently has a few openings for the Second Semester 2021-2022. Over the span of sixty minutes, participants will get an overview of what makes ISR such a special place, from the very diverse ISR community (47 nationalities represented) to its rigorous academic programs.

If you are interested, please sign up HERE or contact the Admissions office: admissions@isriga.lv