RIGA, Jan 11 (LETA) - Riga City Council plans to restore the office of foreign adviser, Riga vice mayor Edvards Smiltens (National Alliance/Latvian Association of Regions) said at a news conference Monday. 

The councilman indicated that the city council once used to have a foreign adviser who helped the local government of Riga and the Latvian Foreign Ministry to synchronize their foreign policies.

However, when the coalition of Harmony and Honor to Serve Riga (GKR) came to power in the capital city a decade ago, the person who was then appointed to this position was a specialist in relations with eastern countries and focused primarily on cooperation with Russia, Smiltens said. Later the office of foreign adviser was abolished. 

Now, the city council has reached an agreement with the Foreign Ministry on the restoration of this office. Riga City Council plans to appoint a new foreign adviser after the adoption of the municipal budget. 

The best suited person will be chosen from three candidates proposed by the Foreign Ministry, Smiltens said, adding that Riga will thus synchronize its foreign affairs with the national foreign policy.