RIGA, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Baiba Braze, a diplomat and former NATO assistant secretary general for Public Diplomacy, was on Friday appointed Latvia's new foreign minister, according to information on the Latvian parliament's website.
Braze was nominated for the post of foreign minister by Prime Minister Evika Silina's New Unity party. Although traditionally, Latvian foreign ministers are members of the ruling party, Braze was a nonpartisan candidate. New Unity has offered her to join the party.
On Friday, the parliament approved Braze's appointment to the post of foreign minister by 66 votes to 11 and nine abstentions.
The post of foreign minister became vacant after Latvia's previous Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins of the New Unity party resigned in the wake of a scandal over his use of private flights for foreign trips. ■