June 16, 2016
Courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia
From 13 to 15 June, the State Secretary of the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andrejs Pildegovics, was on a working visit to Washington D.C. State Secretary Pildegovics and United States officials discussed bilateral and transatlantic cooperation, preparations for the NATO Warsaw Summit, and measures for the implementation of NATO’s deterrence and defence policy and an enhanced Allied presence in the Baltic States, support for the EU Eastern Partnership countries and cooperation with Central Asian states.
While reviewing preparations for the NATO Warsaw Summit, and measures for the implementation of NATO’s deterrence and defence policy, the State Secretary underscored the importance of deployment of NATO forces in the region. U.S. officials confirmed that the United States will continue playing the leading role in the enhancement of NATO deterrence capabilities in the Baltic States and Poland. The Latvian and American officials also discussed prospects for building stronger bilateral military cooperation between Latvia and the U.S.
State Secretary Pildegovics briefed US officials about development cooperation projects carried out by Latvia in the EU’s Eastern Partnership countries and Central Asia and exchanged views on potential projects in education and experience sharing between Latvia and the U.S.
During his visit to the U.S., Andrejs Pildegovics met with Thomas A. Shannon¸ Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs; Daniel Fried, State Department Coordinator for Sanctions Policy;Ely Ratner, Deputy National Security Advisor to the Vice President; Victoria Nuland, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs; Susan Thornton, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Department of State; Elissa Slotkin, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs; Alina Romanowski, Coordinator for U.S. Assistance to Europe and Eurasia, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs; Charles Kupchan, Senior Director for European Affairs on the National Security Council; Celeste Wallander, Senior Director for Russia and Central Asia on the National Security Council; Senator Jeff Sessions; Ed Royce, Chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and other officials of the United States Administration and Congress, as well as staff of research institutes.
State Secretary Pildegovics also took part in a discussion on foreign policy organised by the Latvian Embassy in the United States and the McCain Institute and in a presentation of the latest book by the Latvian Institute of International Affairs, “Latvia and the United States: Revisiting a Strategic Partnership in a Transforming Environment”.
