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During a working visit to the U.S., the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Maris Riekstins met with Philip H. Gordon, foreign policy advisor to the United States presidential candidate from the Democratic Party, Barack Obama, and also with Randy Scheunemann and Kori Schake, advisors to the presidential candidate from the Republican Party, John McCain.
The topics reviewed during both meetings were current international policy issues, as well as the future prospects of bilateral relations between Latvia and the U.S. after the upcoming U.S. presidential elections on 4 November this year, and co-operation after the new U.S. administration has started working.
"We can say, without a doubt, that a successful political dialogue between Latvia and the U.S. is in the interests of both parties and both presidential candidates," Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins considers. Both presidential candidates, in their public pre-election debates held so far, with regard to foreign policy issues, have acknowledged, in particular, their support for the aspirations of Latvia and the Baltic states and have appreciated the involvement of the Baltic states and their clear standpoint in the settlement of the Georgia-Russia conflict.
Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins expressed his gratitude to the representatives of both parties for their support to the U.S. Senate Resolution passed on 16 September and congratulating the Republic of Latvia on the 90th anniversary of its declaration of independence. The resolution commends the co-operation between the two countries to date, making note of the U.S.-Baltic Charter of Partnership and also the progress achieved in the field of democratisation and economy, at the same time urging the Government of Russia to recognize that the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states was illegal.
At their meetings, the representatives from the Democratic and Republican parties briefed Minister Riekstins about current developments in the U.S. presidential pre-election campaign, the results of surveys and elector forecasts, as well as the impact of the global financial crisis on the domestic policy situation in the United States.
On 10 October, Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins together with U.S. political experts, representatives of non-governmental organisations and academics will take part in a round table discussion held by the Center for Strategic and International Studies – CSIS on the relations between Russia and Western countries, and the future prospects of these relations.
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