Latvia parts of the Russian Empire, which may have been influenced by the Protestant religion of the inhabitants. World War I devastated the territory of what became the state of Latvia, and other western parts of the Russian Empire. Demands for self-determination were initially confined to autonomy, until a power vacuum was created by the Russian Revolution in 1917, followed by the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk between Russia and Germany in March 1918, then the Allied armistice with Germany on 11 November 1918. On 18 November 1918, in Riga, the People's Council of Latvia proclaimed the independence of the new country, with
Ministry of Economics (Latvia) non-governmental organizations representing entrepreneurs and other social partners. The Ministry of Economics is also responsible for introducing and supervising programs and projects for EU Structural Funds. These funds are administered by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, a government agency responsible for promoting business development in Latvia by facilitating the growth of foreign investment and increasing the competitiveness of Latvian entrepreneurs in domestic and foreign markets. The Investment and Development Agency of Latvia is directly subordinated to the Ministry of Economics. The Ministry of Economics oversees several government agencies in Latvia: the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, Latvian