A reception to honor the visit of President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga and to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the establishment diplomatic relations between Latvia and the US was held in Washington on May 1, 2007. During the event, the President of Latvia presented state awards to several prominent Americans, as well as a member of the local Latvian community. The awards were presented for the individuals' contributions to Latvia. Addressing an audience that included members of US Congress, foreign diplomats, US government officials, and representatives of the Latvian community, President Vike- Freiberga thanked the US for its strict stance in never recognizing the incorporation of Latvia into the Soviet Union: "Thanks to this policy of non-recognition, the absolute majority of Western democracies also never recognized Latvia’s illegal occupation." The president expressed her appreciation for the visits American presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush made to Latvia after the restoration of the country's independence. "These visits have been of great significance, for they affirm that the US views Latvia as an equal partner, and are a sign of the United States’ continued commitment to the formation of a democratic, united and secure Europe," stated the President. Mr. Martins Duhms, President of the American Latvian Association (ALA), also addressed the guests. His speech follows below. The recipients of the Latvian state awards were Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski; General James L.Jones; Ms. Heather Conley, former vice-deputy state secretary for Europe and Eurasia issues; Mr. Karl Altau, head of the Joint Baltic American National Committee (JBANC); Mr. Karlis Kuzulis, an activist from the local Latvian community; Dr.Michael Haltzel; Rabbi Andrew Baker, director of international relations of the American Jewish Committee; and Mr. Daniel S.Mariaschin of B'Nai B'Rith. (Group photo above - 1st row from the left: Daniel Mariaschin, President Vike-Freiberga, Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski, General James Jones, Karlis Kuzulis, Heather Conley. 2nd row from the left: Rabbi Andrew Baker, Michael Haltzel, Karl Altau.) The full text of the President's speech in honor of the 85th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Latvia and the United States (May 1, 2007 in Washington, DC) follows: Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen, As Latvia’s head of State, I am honored to be here in Washington to mark the 85th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and Latvia. The foundations for the relationship between our two countries were put in place already in December 1918, barely a month after Latvia declared its independence. Despite the fact that Latvia was still under foreign occupation, the US Senate passed a resolution expressing support for the secession of all three Baltic countries from Russia. The US government officially recognized Latvia’s independence in July of 1922, which marks the beginning of diplomatic relations between our two countries. The first US envoy to serve in Latvia arrived in Riga in November of 1922. During the inter-war period, the relations between our two countries grew closer and several bilateral agreements were signed. These relations were abruptly severed, however, in 1940, when the Soviet Union occupied and annexed the Baltic countries. The US reaction to this act of aggression was swift. In July of that year, the US Undersecretary of State, Sumner Welles, released a statement that strongly condemned the Soviet occupation of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. This statement set the course for the US policy toward the three Baltic countries and ensured that the Baltic diplomatic missions in the United States continued to operate during the next 50 years. We are grateful for the fact that the United States never officially recognized the Soviet violation of our sovereignty. Thanks to this policy of non-recognition, the absolute majority of Western democracies also never recognized Latvia’s illegal occupation. Throughout the years of occupation, the Latvian Legation in Washington continued to represent Latvia de jure, thus preserving Latvia's international legal status in its struggle to regain its liberty. Close cooperation between the Legation of Latvia in Washington and the US Department of State in 1989 led to the first unofficial contacts between the US government and Latvia’s transitional government in 1990. The US and Latvia renewed their diplomatic relations on September 5th of 1991. Prior to the Second World War, Latvia welcomed such prominent Americans as Herbert Hoover, who visited Riga in the 1930s and wrote an impressive article praising Latvia’s development, as well as a young John F. Kennedy, who visited Riga on the eve of the war, while he was studying in London. Since the restoration of Latvia’s independence we have welcomed two sitting US presidents, William Jefferson Clinton and George W. Bush, the latter two years in succession. These visits have been of great significance, for they affirm that the US views Latvia as an equal partner, and are a sign of the United States’ continued commitment to the formation of a democratic, united and secure Europe. Latvia views the United States as one of its most important allies and partners. Our two countries are continuing to expand their bilateral relations, while participating jointly in broader regional activities, such as the international peacemaking efforts in Iraq and in Afghanistan. We are maintaining a regular dialogue on such important issues as energy security, the fight against terrorism and the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction. I express the hope that a visa-free regime will soon be in place between Latvia and the United States, as this would further strengthen the already friendly relations between our two countries and promote even closer bilateral cooperation at various levels. Additional information on the President's visit to the US is available on the President of Latvia's website. Speech of Mr. Martins Duhms, President of the American Latvian Association: Madam President, Excellencies, honored guests and friends. On behalf of the American Latvian Association and the Latvian-American community, I greet you on this very important day that celebrates the 85 years of diplomatic relations between the United States and Latvia. I was only three years old when I came to America with my parents, and I grew up here during the Cold War years. I still remember the safety drills at grammar school when we had to crawl under our desks in simulated Russian nuclear attacks. But that wasn’t the most painful memory from those years. The most painful memory was that I could never find the country from where my family came from on any world map or globe. It had disappeared in that big massive that was the Soviet Union. When my classmates asked me where I was from, they had never heard of Latvia. I might as well have said I was from Mars. But, there was one constant, never changing, always reassuring fact – The United States of America still recognized Latvia – a Latvia that had once been free and now was occupied by the Soviet Union. It gave us hope. It gave us strength to endure. And now that Latvia is once again a free nation, a democratic nation, a member of NATO and the European Union, we can all celebrate Latvia’s success. And we can all celebrate the role that 85 years of diplomatic relations between the United States and Latvia played in the rebirth of freedom in the land of my heritage. Thank you.