Central European Diabetes Association

Dear colleagues and friends,

We warmly invite you to Riga, the capital of Latvia, where the Annual Congress of the Central European Diabetes Association (CEDA) will take place from 10 to 12 June 2027.

Each year, CEDA travels from one European country to another, bringing with it not only the latest scientific knowledge, but also the experience, traditions, and perspectives of each host country on diabetes and metabolic health. In 2027, Riga will take over the congress baton from Düsseldorf. We hope to continue the excellent scientific dialogue started there, while giving it a distinctive character of our own – the spirit of Riga.

For the Riga Congress, we have borrowed our motto from Kurt Lewin: “There is nothing so practical as a good theory.” It reflects our ambition to connect the depth of science with the realities of clinical practice.

Yet a good theory reveals its true value when it can be translated into practice. This is why Meet the Expert sessions will be an important part of the Congress – opportunities to engage with leading specialists on practical questions and solutions that participants can take home and apply in their clinics the very next day.

We especially look forward to welcoming young physicians and scientists. CEDA has always been a meeting place not only for established experts, but also for the next generation of professionals. We therefore want to allow young talents to present their research, join the discussion, and – importantly – be heard.

However, the value of a congress is not created only by what happens on the stage. It also grows from conversations between lectures, discussions around posters, and the opportunity to learn from one another across specialties and national borders. In Riga, we want to create an atmosphere where scientific discussion naturally continues beyond the lecture hall.

It is no coincidence that the Congress will take place at the National Library of Latvia, a building whose architecture embodies two of the most powerful symbols in Latvian culture – the Castle of Light and the Glass Mountain. They tell a story of a journey upwards towards knowledge, light, and wisdom accumulated over centuries. After all, the true value of knowledge lies not simply in accumulating it, but in using it to enable wiser, healthier, and longer lives.

And finally, we – Professor Manfredi Rizzo from Italy and Professor Ilze Konrade from Latvia – would like to greet you each in our own language. As it turns out, our words are not so different: ciao and čau. Perhaps this is a small symbol of what we hope CEDA 2027 will be – different countries, different experiences and languages, yet surprisingly much in common.

Ciao! Čau! See you in Riga in June 2027!