What the leaders had to say on the eve

RIGA - Television, the most influential media in Latvia, has always had officials fighting for prime time to address the nation at Christmas and New Year's Eve. But this year was different.

Previously, the nation's top officials kept an unofficial agreement on how to divide time. The president congratulated viewers at Christmas, while the prime minister led his nation into the new year.

This year, though, the people had the chance to hear both leaders. In separate speeches before and shortly after midnight, President Vaira Vike-Freiberga and Prime Minister Andris Berzins conveyed their best wishes for 2002.

In his TV speech before midnight, Berzins wished people "to have harmony in their souls and the strength to perfect themselves."

He emphasized that the new year will not bring wonderful changes for everybody on its own. "Unfortunately, Santa's elves don't have well-being, security and economic prosperity in their bags of goodies."

The prime minister urged his people not just to look back at 2001, but to appreciate Latvia's 10 full years of successfully managed independence.

Vike-Freiberga extended the mood of happiness and wished for everyone to achieve his or her goals in 2002. "Each new day brings new opportunities," she said with optimism.

In her view, 2002 is a lucky number, which can be read equally from both sides. It will bring historic turns for the Latvian nation and its people, she predicted.

The president also starred in a Russian TV special for the new year called "Sixteen Presidents and a King," broadcast on Jan. 2 by the channel ORT.

In the program, 16 countries' leaders spoke informally about themselves, their favorite food and drink, literature, music and what they do in their free time.

Speaking in Russian, Vike-Freiberga mentioned some of the dishes she enjoys preparing, like pears in wine sauce.

Wishing everyone a happy new year, peace and well-being, she added that she hoped Latvian-Russian relations would continue to improve.

ORT presented her with a compilation of Alexander Pushkin's poems, which they hoped would improve her command of Russian still further. Besides the Latvian president, those of France, Italy, Cyprus, China, Korea, Brazil, Finland, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Ukraine and Austria took part in the broadcast, as well as the King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf.