(above photo by Peteris Alunans) Valdis Zatlers, President of the Republic of Latvia, will be on a working visit to the United States from April 21-27, 2008. In Washington, DC the President will meet with government officials, including Vice President Richard Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and then travel to Cleveland, Ohio, where on Friday evening, April 25 he will address the annual convention of the American Latvian Association. On April 23 the President will lay flowers at the Arlington Cemetery in Virginia and at the Victims of Communism Memorial in Washington, D.C., and then present a speech entitled: "Strengthening the Transatlantic Alliance: the View from Riga" at the Heritage Foundation. President Zatlers will also meet with Sen. Richard Lugar, Congressman Howard L. Berman and Congressman Robert Wexler. On the morning of April 25 he will address the National Press Club. On the evening of April 25 at the American Latvian Association (ALA) annual convention in Cleveland, President Zatlers will present the keynote address. During the ALA Congress the President is also is scheduled to present the Order of Three Stars, Latvia’s highest civilian honor, to a number of recipients. Before returning to Latvia, President Zatlers will lay flowers at the Latvian sculpture garden in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens.