RIGA, April 23 (Xinhua) -- Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway arrived in Riga on Monday for an official 2-day visit to mark the centenary of the Republic of Latvia and boost bilateral ties, local media reported.

The Norwegian royals were accompanied on the visit by a delegation of Norway's government officials and entrepreneurs who gathered in the Latvian capital for a Norwegian-Latvian business forum.

The visit is intended to mark the close cooperation and partnership between Norway and Latvia.

Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis hosted a formal reception at Riga Castle in honor of Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, which was followed by a flower-laying ceremony by the Freedom Monument in the center of the Latvian capital. A formal dinner was also scheduled to take place at Riga Castle in the evening.

On the first day of their visit, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit arrived at the National Library of Latvia to present a book for the library's People's Bookshelf and meet with young readers of Norwegian literature the Center of Children's Literary.