The Ambassador of Latvia addresses US legislators (The Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Washington)

02.12.2014. 19:09



Today the Ambassador of Latvia Mr Aivis Ronis spoke at the hearing of the US Congress on the enlargement of NATO. Together with representatives of other NATO Candidate Countries the Ambassador of Latvia informed the Foreign Affairs Committees of both chambers of the US Congress on the aspirations of his country to become a full-fledged ally of the USA.

In his speech Mr Aivis Ronis expressed appreciation of the support that the US Congress has granted to Latvia in its struggle against the occupation rule and mentioned Latvia's fast economic development and determination to allocate adequate funds for the modernisation of national defence capabilities.

"Our future also includes Latvia's membership in NATO, an organisation that has kept the peace in Europe for over fifty years. If our parents were denied the opportunity to make a choice of how they wanted to live and whom they would befriend, then my generation has that freedom to state openly and unequivocally that we want to be part of a Europe that is whole, free and stable," said the Ambassador.

The Ambassador mentioned Latvia's participation in anti-terrorist campaign, emphasising that Latvia already was an ally of the USA.

Ambassador Mr Aivis Ronis invited US senators and congressmen to attend the top-level international conference, the celebration of the enlargement of NATO that will be held in Riga on 5-6 July before the NATO Summit in Prague.

The Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Washington

Statement by H.E. Aivis Ronis, Ambassador of Latvia at House of Representatives International Relations Committee, 1 May 2002