BRUSSELS, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- A trip to Latvia and Finland next month will mark the first official duties of Herman Van Rompuy, the new president of the European Council, officials said.
Van Rompuy's Dec. 2 visit to Riga and Helsinki was originally set up for him in his role as Belgium's prime minister -- part of a grand tour of 26 European Union capitals in advance of Belgium's assumption of the rotating EU presidency in mid-2010, the EUObserver reported Wednesday.
But following his elevation of the newly created EU post last week, he will reportedly make the visits as the body's first "president-elect."
Van Rompuy was set to step down as Belgian prime minister Wednesday, handing the reins of the country back to former Belgian premier Yves Leterme.
Van Rompuy won't officially begin work as council president until Jan. 1, but his staff members told EUObserver that he and Leterme will visit the Baltic capitals in Von Rompuy's interim EU capacity.
