President Valdis Zatlers told Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis (New Era) during a meeting that he is concerned about the public mood in Latvia, reports news agency LETA. He said that during his recent regional visits, he met with people who are concerned mostly about four issues: education reform, the fate of hospitals and medical workers, the government's 'deal' to bail out Parex bank, and the protections provided for low-income residents. He said that while there are many honest people, there are also politicians who mislead society, entrepreneurs who evade taxes, journalists who withhold information and even lie, public servants who are rude to others. "We have to question whether we want to live our lives being happy about our own and others' success," said the president, inviting everyone to work to achieve better results. Zatlers declined to comment on the work done by the government. He pointed out that at present, the Cabinet of Ministers, led by Dombrovskis, is working hard, the results of which could be evaluated only after next year's budget is passed in Saeima.
One hundred construction workers from Daugavpils will begin work on Sept. 1 with a Belarusian construction company to build an apartment building in Vitebsk, says Daugavpils City Council spokeswoman Liga Korsaka, reports news agency LETA. The work follows an agreement signed between the two cities. Belarus's Interior Ministry issued special permits for the Latvian workers. "This agreement allows residents of Daugavpils to receive worker visas. A large part of construction workers in Daugavpils are currently unemployed, therefore the agreement between the municipalities comes at the right time," said Korsaka. Deputy Mayor of Daugavpils Anzela Alohno says that upon completion of the apartment building, landscaping professionals from Daugavpils will finish up the job around the structure. Alohno hopes to sign similar agreements with other cities, including St. Petersburg and Pskov in Russia.
Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins (People's Party) received on Aug. 24 the newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Latvia, Judith G. Garber, reports news agency LETA. Garber is the seventh residing U.S. Ambassador to Latvia since restoration of the country's independence in 1991. Prior to her nomination for ambassador, Garber served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs at the Department of State with responsibility for Nordic, Baltic and Central European countries. At her confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate on Aug. 7, Garber said that Latvia embodies the success and potential of the U.S. vision of a Europe whole, free, and at peace. She pledged to dedicate herself to advancing America's interests in Latvia while promoting America's values and ideals. She will focus on deepening bilateral economic ties and Latvia's own pursuit of sustainable economic growth, and strengthening energy security. Garber will also support the Latvian government's outreach efforts with the Russian and other minority communities and work with the government and the local Jewish community to address Holocaust legacy and property restitution issues. The previous U.S. Ambassador to Latvia, Charles Larson, left Latvia after Obama was elected U.S. president, having served in the post for less than a year.
