BIG APPLE: Giuliani expressed pride that Latvia, a post-Sovietcountry, is today hosting the NATO summit as a free democracy.
RIGA - Former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani sees Latvia as an example of democracy and freedom, he said during the current NATO summit in Riga.
After meeting with Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, the former New York mayor told the press that the Riga NATO summit was an "excellent opportunity for the United States and other NATO members to see what Latvia is like and where it is moving."
Giuliani noted that NATO was a key international player in the war against terrorism.
The former mayor of New York also voiced admiration about the Latvian capital, saying he saw a "clean and nice city" when arriving in Riga. Vike-Freiberga expressed joy that Giuliani had accepted the invitation to attend the NATO Riga summit, and added that New York was a great example of a city that has managed to recover and ensure security after the Twin Towers were attacked on Sept. 11, 2001.
In her conversation with Giuliani, the Latvian president reiterated Latvia's hopes to see bigger U.S. investment inflow as well as the lifting of visa requirements for Latvian citizens traveling to the United States. Vike-Freiberga and Giuliani also discussed current NATO matters and the alliance's peacekeeping operation in Afghanistan. Giuliani is in Riga to attend the 2006 NATO summit, along with a 1,000 member U.S. delegation.
