U.S. VICE-PRESIDENT BIDEN TO VISIT LATVIA, MEET WITH BALTIC LEADERS THIS SUMMER

Courtesy of The Baltic Times
July 8, 2016

U.S. Vice-President Joe Biden is scheduled to visit Latvia by the end of this summer, Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis’ spokesman Janis Siksnis has announced.

Biden notified Vejonis of his intention in a telephone conversation on Wednesday.

During his visit to Riga, Biden will meet with presidents of the three Baltic States.

According to Siksnis, Vejonis and Biden during the telephone conversation talked over the upcoming NATO Warsaw summit, where decisions will be made regarding the increase of allied troops’ presence in the alliance’s eastern flank. “The U.S. military presence in the region has promoted bigger contribution of the allies. Thanks to that, the NATO Warsaw Summit will decide on deployment of multi-national battalions in the Baltic States and Poland,” Vejonis stated.

Biden emphasized the unshakable U.S. commitment to Baltic security and the importance of the U.S.-Latvia bilateral relationship. Biden also remarked that the notable increase of the US troops in Eastern Europe will reinforce Baltic defense and enhance NATO’s deterrence ability.

Biden, an experienced U.S. politician, was elected vice-president in 2009. The 74-year-old represents the Democratic Party.

Latvian top officials have met with Biden during their foreign visits. Biden visited Lithuania in 2014.

In 2011 Latvian then-president Valdis Zatlers during his visit to Washington, D.C. presented Biden with Latvia’s Order of the Tree Stars for his noteworthy support for Latvia’s admission to NATO.