From May 12 – May 19, 2010 Ambassador Andrejs Pildegovics visited Chicago, Illinois; Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Foreign ambassadors posted to Washington travelled to Chicago under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State’s “Experience America” program. In Wisconsin Ambassador Pildegovics met with the local Latvian community, as well as was an honored guest at the Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce. The Ambassador also travelled to Minnesota, where he met with Governor Tim Pawlenty at the State Capitol, toured the Immigration History Research Center at the University of Minnesota, as well as met with other government officials representing Minnesota. Finally, on May 18 Ambassador Pildegovics officially opened Latvia’s Honorary Consulate. Ms. Laura Ramanis was recently confirmed as Latvia’s Honorary Consul in the state of Minnesota. (above photo: Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty; Ambassador Andrejs Pildegovics; Laura Ramanis, Latvia's Honorary Consul in Minnesota)