Competition for Estonian-Latvian and Latvian-Estonian Translation Award Begins

22.02.2010

Nr 31-E

Foreign Minister Urmas Paet and Latvian Foreign Minister Māris Riekstiņš today announced the opening of the competition to recognise the best Estonian and Latvian translators. The best translator of 2009 will be announced in March of this year.

Foreign Minister Paet stated that the goal of the Estonian-Latvian translation award is to express the value of works that have already been translated and inspire young Estonian-Latvian and Latvian-Estonian translators. “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,” asserted Paet.

Foreign Minister Urmas Paet stated that the translation award demonstrates the extremely good relations between the ministries of Estonia and Latvia. “The translation award, is being financed by the Estonian and Latvian foreign ministries,” said Paet.

The agreement that established the Estonian-Latvian and Latvian-Estonian translation award was signed by Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet and Latvian Foreign Minister Māris Riekstiņš on 18 February 2009. The monetary value of the award is 3 000 euros, to which both sides are contributing equally. The jury 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.

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