Commemorative Medal for Advancing Latvia’s Accession to NATO () is an award of the Minister of Defence of Latvia. It was established on 19 March 2004 due to the admission of the

Republic of Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

to the

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental transnational military alliance of 32 member states—30 European and 2 North American. Established in the aftermath ...

. The medal is awarded to express gratitude for the person's contribution to the development of the Latvian defence by advancing Latvia's membership to NATO. The medal is a round-shaped medal made in bronze – diameter: 38 mm; depth: 3 mm. The medal's averse contains a carved image of the NATO's symbol - the four-pointed star - surrounded by decorative beams. There is a 2 mm belt around the medal's perimeter on its both sides – averse and reverse. There is an inscription – SEKMĒJOT LATVIJAS DALĪBU NATO (for Advancing Latvia’s Accession to NATO) – in the centre of the medal's reverse, and a circular inscription – AIZSARDZĪBAS MINISTRA APBALVOJUMS (Minister of Defence Award) – at the edge of the medal's reverse. The medal is suspended on a 32 mm wide and 50 mm long ribbon, which is formed of a 15 mm belt in the red colour of the Latvian flag (carmine) symbolizing Latvia, a 15 mm belt in the colour of blue symbolising NATO and a 2 mm wide silver stripe in the middle symbolising justice, fairness and loyalty. The by-law on the commemorative medal stipulates that the medal, when worn, should be placed after the awards of the state and the Minister of Defence. Military personnel wear a 10 mm ribbon on their daily uniforms, or a 15 mm wide and a 3 mm high tack-ribbon in the bow-tie shape on their civil clothes. Civilians wear only the tack-ribbon in the bow-tie shape on their everyday clothes. Currently, there are 740 persons awarded with the medal being Latvian and foreign officials, staff of the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NAF soldiers, foreign military personnel, public organisation representatives and others.

Recipients

* Hans Jesper Helsø * Timothy A. Kinnan * Benk Korthals * Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis *

Dzintars Rasnačs Dzintars Rasnačs (born 17 July 1963) is a Latvian politician. He is a member of the National Alliance Party and a deputy of the 11th Saeima The Saeima () is the parliament of the Latvia, Republic of Latvia. It is a unicameral parliament co ...

Edgars Rinkēvičs Edgars Rinkēvičs (born 21 September 1973) is a Latvian public official and politician serving as the 11th and current president of Latvia since July 2023. He previously served as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Latvia), minister of foreign af ...

* Robert A. Wright

References

* {{Reflist Orders, decorations, and medals of Latvia

Recipients

See also

References