Video: Meeting with the President of the USA George W. Bush.

The President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga met the US President George W. Bush in Riga Castle today. During the meeting the President of Latvia stressed the importance of the USA and their President in the creation of the transatlantic relations as well as highly appreciated the role of the USA in non-recognition of the incorporation of Latvia in the USSR as well as providing big support in the process of the state democratization and reforms after the restoration of the independence of Latvia and also at the moment being a trustful partner within the NATO Alliance. George W. Bush congratulated Latvia on hosting the NATO Summit and stressed its historic importance in NATO transformation and development.

During the meeting the parties dealt with a wide range of issues in relation to the NATO agenda, including the current developments of the Alliance – the future of the peace keeping missions in Afghanistan, prospects of the enlargement of the Alliance and energy security.

Concerning the bilateral relations the President of Latvia appreciated the fact that after the previous visit of George W. Bush to Riga in May, 2005 the volume of trade between the countries has increased by 30%. The US President confirmed that he understands the position of the President of Latvia regarding the visa-waiver regime with Latvia and was preparing to submit the bill to the US Congress that would revise the existing criteria for visa reliefs between the USA and Latvia.

Remarks by the President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga and the President of the USA George W. Bush in Photo Opportunity after the meeting, 28 November, 2006

President Vaira Vike-Freiberga:

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It has been a great pleasure to have the President of the United States here in Riga for the second time in less than two years. And I expressed how delighted we are to be receiving him and his delegation here on the occasion of the Riga 2006 Summit.

The United States has been our strong supporter all those years when Latvia was not free, has been our supporter after we regained our independence, and I am most grateful to the United States for the understanding and support we got in our direction and our movement towards NATO. Now that we are fully members, Latvians certainly sleep better at night knowing that they are protected by an alliance that will spare them the sorts of experiences they had in earlier years.

But of course I am delighted to be welcoming the President of the United States as the representative of what still remains as a shining example of the free world, of the sort of success one can achieve in a country that has been working at its democracy for a long time, that keeps perfecting it. I would hope that Latvia, as well, has the same opportunities; that we can go ahead, have our own choices, make our own mistakes, and do so with the help and understanding and support of fellow nations who share the same values as us.

President George W. Bush:

Madam President,

Thanks for inviting me back to Riga. Our experience was so good the first time that we couldn't wait to get back. I want to congratulate you on hosting this very important NATO summit. You and your government have done a spectacular job, and I want to thank the people of Riga for accommodating all the world leaders who have come to this important meeting.

I appreciate very much your strong belief that liberty has got the capacity to transform the world for the good. I thank you and the Latvian people for supporting young democracies in Afghanistan and in Iraq.

We spent time talking about our bilateral relations. Trade is good between the United States and Latvia, and that's very positive. The President brought up the visa waiver program. She is deeply concerned that the people of Latvia aren't able to travel to the United States as freely as she would like. And I fully understand your concerns, Madam President. And to this end, I will be sending to Congress a new proposal to make it easier for the citizens of Latvia to come to the United States, and at the same time, for us to share information to make sure that we're able to thwart any type of terrorist activities in our country. And I'm confident we can work this through.

And I want to thank you for working hard on this issue. Every time I've met with you, you brought it up, because you deeply care about the people of your country. I want to congratulate you on your strong leadership, and again, thank you for your very warm hospitality.