Riga, June 19 (LETA) - Parliament lawmakers today supported current MP Raimonds Cudars (New Unity) as the Minister of Smart Administration and Regional Development.

Cudars' place in the Saeima will be taken by Janis Zarins.

Cudars was nominated for the post of Minister by the New Unity. Prime Minister Evika Silina (New Unity) pointed out that Cudars has experience in local government as the long-serving mayor of Salaspils. He has worked both as a minister and as an MP, and has a good knowledge of the areas of the Smart Administration and Regional Development Ministry.

Silina and Cudars have agreed on priorities - the development of digital and artificial intelligence, the evaluation of the electoral process and preparations for the parliamentary elections, the strengthening of the eastern border and regional development.

The former Minister of Smart Administration and Regional Development Inga Berzina (New Unity) resigned, taking political responsibility for the problems in the local elections.

According to information in LETA's archives, Cudars was born in 1974. He graduated as a lawyer from the University of Latvia in 1996. From 2002 to 2009 he was a practicing lawyer.

In 2001, Cudars was elected to the Salaspils local council from the list of the Latvian Union of Farmers, and in 2005 he was elected to the Salaspils local Council from the list of the New Era.

In 2009, Cudars was elected to the Salaspils local council from the joint list of the New Era and For Fatherland and Freedom, and was elected as the chairman of the municipal council.

Cudars was also re-elected to the Salaspils local council in 2013, 2017 and 2021 from the Unity list, and held the position of the council chairman from 2009 to 2022.

In December 2022, the Saeima approved the second government led by Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity), in which Cudars served as Minister of Climate and Energy.