Estonian-Latvian and Latvian-Estonian Translation Award Established

18.02.2009

Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet and Latvian Foreign Minister Māris Riekstiņš signed an agreement that established an Estonian-Latvian and Latvian-Estonian translation award on Wednesday, 18 February.

Foreign Minister Urmas Paet stated that the translation award demonstrates the extremely good relations between the ministries of Estonia and Latvia. “We would like for the translation award to express the value of works that have already been translated and inspire young Estonian-Latvian and Latvian-Estonian translators,” said Foreign Minister Urmas Paet. “The translation award, which is being financed by the foreign ministries of Estonia and Latvia together, is a unique but positive precedent in the work of both ministries. Many thanks to the ambassadors who initiated this award,” the foreign minister added as he signed the agreement.

The Estonian-Latvian and Latvian-Estonian translation award emphasises the importance of the Estonian and Latvian languages as well as cultural exchange in order to advance the professionalism of translators of literature as well as political, popular science, historical, sociological, memoirs and other texts. The award is scheduled to be announced every year on Christmas Eve and will be given out in either Riga or Tallinn, as the winner will also alternate between translators of Estonian and Latvian.

The monetary value of the award is 3 000 euros, to which both sides are contributing equally. The jury will be brought together each year on an ex officio basis—it will contain the ambassadors of the two nations, the heads of the cultural departments of the two foreign ministries, and the directors of each nation’s literature information centre.

The idea to establish the award came from Estonian Ambassador to Latvia Jaak Jõerüüt and Latvian Ambassador to Estonia Kārlis Eihenbaums, who at the end of 2008 sent a joint letter to the foreign minister of each country in order to turn their idea into a reality.

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