President Presented the Order of Three Stars, First-Class in Latvia

President Presented the Order of Three Stars, First-Class in Latvia, Riga Castle, Riga, Latvia, 9:55 A.M. (Local)

PRESIDENT BUSH: Madam President, I gratefully accept. I am so honored and so thrilled to be here in your beautiful country.

I was telling the President that it's such a joy to come to a country that loves and values freedom, and to be in the presence of a President who speaks so clearly about the need for people to be free, and her recognition that a free world will yield peace.

And so Madam President, thank you for your hospitality, and thank you so much for this great honor. Appreciate it.

END 9:55 A.M. (Local) For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, May 7, 2005

Location: CIA MAP Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania.

Background: After a brief period of independence between the two World Wars, Latvia was annexed by the USSR in 1940. It reestablished its independence in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Although the last Russian troops left in 1994, the status of the Russian minority (some 30% of the population) remains of concern to Moscow. Latvia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004. SOURCE: CIA - The World Factbook