 For most of 2007 Riekstiņš was Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister of Latvia Aigars Kalvītis.In November 2007 Riekstiņš was elected to the post of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia and held this position until April 2010, when his party stepped out of the government.In February, 2011 Ambassador Riekstiņš commenced his duties as the Permanent Representative of Latvia to NATO in Brussels.