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) Tourism Development Agency, the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia, Competition Council, Consumer Rights Protection Center, and Public Utilities Commission. Ministry of Economics (Latvia) The Ministry of Economics of the Republic of Latvia () is the leading state administrative institution responsible for economic policy in Latvia. The ministry also represents the economic interests of Latvia in the European Union. The current Minister of Economics is Arvils Ašeradens, appointed on February 11, 2016. The ministry develops and implements economic structural policy, manufacturing policy, energy policy, external economic policy, domestic market policy (for goods and services), commercial development policy, competitiveness and technological development