Over the summer the Latvian Institute asked the young people of Latvia to tell us what kind of Latvia they want to see in 10 years. In September we received over 500 responses from some very bright girls and boys. While talking about the project with a journalist, he asked me what my vision of Latvia in 10 years would be like.

I was taken by surprise. All year I had been asking the kids of Latvia how they would like to see this country, but what about me? Once I started to think of things, I realized my wish-list could go on forever. As a citizen, I wanted to see a country where people felt secure, happy and prosperous. As a parent, I wanted to see a country where my children and grandchildren would be glad to live. As a diplomat, I wanted to see a state that was respected internationally and had good relations with the global community. As a person concerned about Latvia's image in the world, I wanted to see a country that left a good impression on anyone who visited, and had a good reputation among those who hadn't.

I wanted to see a Latvia that was admired by tourists, but not so popular that our streets are taken over by endless tour groups. I would like foreign investors to take a serious interest in Latvia, but not so much that they control our economy. I want Latvia to be in the news, but not for problems, crises or scandals, but because of successes, victories and achievements.

I'm sure that my wishes aren't that different from those of most of the 2.3 million people who live in Latvia. The problem, as always, is how do you get there?

I then thought of the Latvian Institute's recently completed research on a potential brand strategy for Latvia. It concluded that Latvia's reputation in the world could grow considerably, if we developed three specific areas of our national identity: 1) Our respect for knowledge, science and education, 2) Our love for nature, 3) Our rich and multi-faceted culture.

So, if you've got brains, love birch trees and like to sing, you have a lot in common with the Latvian people. On the other hand, if we can make our people even smarter, make our environment even greener and rely on our culture to make it all come together, Latvia will not only be better known around the world, it will also be a better place to live.

Illustration: Aigars Bumburs