Latvia a liberal economy and its re-orientation toward Western Europe, Latvia is one of the fastest growing economies in the European Union. In 2014, Riga was the European Capital of Culture, the euro was introduced as the currency of the country and a Latvian was named vice-president of the European Commission. In 2015 Latvia held the presidency of Council of the European Union. Big European events have been celebrated in Riga such as the Eurovision Song Contest 2003 and the European Film Awards 2014. On 1 July 2016, Latvia became a member of the OECD. Latvia lies in Northern Europe, on
Bank of Latvia Latvia. For the practical work and operational management of the Bank of Latvia, the Bank Council establishes a permanent board of 6 people. The Bank's President approves the structure of the Bank of Latvia, recruits and dismisses the Bank of Latvia's employees. The presidents of the Bank of Latvia: Bank of Latvia The Bank of Latvia () is the central bank of Latvia. It is one of the key public institutions and carries out economic functions as prescribed by law. It was established in 1922. The principal objective of the Bank of Latvia is to regulate currency in circulation by