On July 31, 2006 Minister of Defense Atis Slakteris met with US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. Mr. Rumsfeld stated that he values the active participation of Latvian troops in the peackeeping missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. Minister Slakteris assured the United States that Latvian soldiers have been fulfilling their duties in the conditions of increased combat readiness, and are ready to continue active participation in these missions. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Minister presented Donald Rumsfeld with a Medal for Advancing Latvia’s Membership to NATO. The previous week Minister Slakteris met with Dr. Jack D. Crouch, Deputy National Security Advisor, as well as with Mr. Daniel Fried, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the State Department. In meetings with US officials, Minister Slakeris discussed Latvia-US cooperation regarding defense issues, as well as Latvia's interest in waiving visa requirements for citizens of Latvia to travel to the US. The minister also discussed the situation in Iraq, as well as preparations for the NATO Summit, which will be held in Riga November 28-29, 2006. During his visit to Washington, Minister Slakteris also met with the local Latvian community.