Latvijas Banka invites you to an informal lunchtime discussion on Latvia's economic developments with Mārtiņš Kazāks, the new Governor of Latvijas Banka and member of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank.
The event will be held on 2 March 2020 at 12.30–15.00 at the Permanent Representation of Latvia to the European Union (Avenue des Arts 23, Brussels 1000).
The discussion with Mārtiņš Kazāks will focus on the following questions:
- how is growth in the euro area and Latvia affected by global uncertainties surrounding Brexit, US-China disputes and tensions in the Middle East;
- what are the most significant challenges for Latvia's economy, inter alia, in the context of EU priorities;
- when will Latvia reach Europe's average standard of living and what should be done to accelerate this process.
Our target audience will be:
- experts working for the European Union institutions and interested in the economic developments in Latvia and the Baltic States,
- diaspora members living in Belgium and other countries,
- and, most of all, Latvian economics and finance students and researchers/professors abroad. Latvijas Banka has invited Latvian residents studying abroad to collaborate more closely, inter alia, by participating in a research visit to Latvijas Banka; for more information, see https://www.macroeconomics.lv/visiting-researcher-program.
Every participant will be welcome to contribute to the discussion and express his/her opinion on the issues of economic development.
The working language of the discussion: English.
Snacks and refreshments will be provided.
Participants will be requested to present a personal identity document upon arrival.
We kindly ask you to register for the event by 17 February via e-mail
Mārtiņš Kazāks will also participate in the 4th Annual FinTech and Regulation Conference "Delivering for the Future ", organised by Afore Consulting in Brussels and dedicated to the issues of modern financial services development.
On 12 December 2019, the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia appointed Mārtiņš Kazāks the Governor of Latvijas Banka for the period of the next five years starting on 21 December 2019. Mārtiņš Kazāks has also became a member of the General Council of the European Central Bank and of the Governing Council of the European Central Bank.
Mārtiņš Kazāks was born on 19 September 1973 in Liepāja. He is a graduate of Liepāja Rainis Secondary School No. 6 (1991) and holds a BSc in Economics from the University of Latvia (1995), a Diploma in Economics from the University of Cambridge (1996), an MSc in Economics (with Distinction; 1997) and a PhD in Economics (2005) from the University of London.
In 1994–1995, he was Leading Economist in the Department of Macrofiscal Analysis and Forecast of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Latvia and Research Assistant at the Riga Office of the International Research and Exchanges Board. Between September 2000 and June 2001 and from September 2001 to June 2002, he served as Honorary Research Assistant at the Social Sciences Department, School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London. Between November 2005 and December 2009, he worked as Chief Economist at AS "HANSABANKA" (subsequently renamed "Swedbank" AS) and Baltic Banking Chief Macro Analyst at the Hansabank Group. From January 2010 to August 2018, he was Deputy Chief Economist of the Swedbank Group, Chief Economist of Swedbank Latvia and Head of Macro Research Baltics of the Swedbank Group.
Mārtiņš Kazāks has lectured at the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga (1996–2008), the University of London, Riga Stradiņš University and Riga Business School.
He has been a member of the following bodies: the Strategic Analysis Committee of the President of Latvia (2006–2011), Counselor Convention of BA School of Business and Finance, Counselor Convention of Liepāja University and Fiscal Discipline Council of the Republic of Latvia (2014–2018). He is a member of the Economists Association 2010 and National Association for Business Economics (USA).
Mārtiņš Kazāks has authored and co-authored numerous publications in the fields of financial markets and their integration, the economic development cycle and financial crises, fiscal policy and competitiveness of the economy.
For information about Latvijas Banka's operation and economic analysis, please see www.bank.lv and www.macroeconomics.lv.