From October 8 - 11, 2008 Mr. Maris Riekstins, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, will be on a working visit to Washington, DC. During the visit the Minister will be meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Several other meetings have been scheduled with representatives of the U.S. Administration in order to discuss the situation in the neighboring region of the European Union, security policy, cooperation on energy and the economy, and the finalization of the agreement regarding Latvia's joining the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. In addition, Mr. Riekstins will take part in a roundtable discussion organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and will also meet with representatives of non-governmental organizations. This visit is taking place at a significant time, both from the viewpoint of bilateral relations, as well as with regard to international developments. A significant issue is Latvia's joining of the U.S. Visa Waiver Program in the near future, since Latvia is the first of the EU member states to have concluded the technical accession discussions. The Minister's visit is taking place at a time when the U.S. Presidential elections are imminent, and this will also be one of the discussion topics with U.S. counterparts.