    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
    [November 28, 2006]
    [Pages 2126-2127]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks Following Discussions With President Vaira Vike-Freiberga of Latvia in Riga, Latvia
    November 28, 2006

        President Vike-Freiberga. Well, ladies and gentlemen, it's been a
    great pleasure to have the President of the United States here in Riga
    for the second time in less than 2 years. And I expressed how delighted
    we are to be receiving him and his delegation here on the occasion of
    the Riga 2006 summit.
        The United States has been our strong supporter all those years when
    Latvia was not free, has been our supporter after we regained our
    independence, and I'm most grateful to the United States for the
    understanding and support we got in our direction and our movement
    towards NATO. Now that we are fully members, Latvians certainly sleep
    better at night knowing that they are protected by an alliance that will
    spare them the sorts of experiences they had in earlier years.
        But of course I'm delighted to be welcoming the President of the
    United States as the representative of what still remains as a shining
    example of the free world, of the sort of success one can achieve in a
    country that has been working at its democracy for a long time, that
    keeps perfecting it. I would hope that Latvia, as well, has the same
    opportunities; that we can go ahead, have our own choices, make our own
    mistakes, and do so with the help and understanding and support of
    fellow nations who share the same values as us.
        President Bush. Madam President, thanks for inviting me back to
    Riga. Our experience was so good the first time that we couldn't wait to
    get back. I want to congratulate you on hosting this very important NATO
    summit. You and your Government have done a spectacular job, and I want

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    to thank the people of Riga for accommodating all the world leaders who
    have come to this important meeting.
        I appreciate very much your strong belief that liberty has got the
    capacity to transform the world for the good. I thank you and the
    Latvian people for supporting the young democracies in Afghanistan and
    in Iraq.
        We spent time talking about our bilateral relations. Trade is good
    between the United States and Latvia, and that's very positive. The
    President brought up the Visa Waiver Program. She is deeply concerned
    that the people of Latvia aren't able to travel to the United States as
    freely as she would like. I fully understand your concerns, Madam
    President. And to this end, I'll be sending to Congress a new proposal
    to make it easier for the citizens of Latvia to come to the United
    States and, at the same time, for us to share information to make sure
    that we're able to thwart any type of terrorist activities in our
    country. And I'm confident we can work this through.
        And I want to thank you for working hard on this issue. Every time
    I've met with you, you brought it up, because you deeply care about the
    people of your country. I want to congratulate you on your strong
    leadership, and again, thank you for your very warm hospitality.

    Note: The President spoke at approximately 3:40 p.m. at Riga Castle.