It great that some nations like Latvia have not forgotten the contribution the US made towards the spread of freedom in Eastern Europe during the Cold War. Just read these paragraphs from this article in The Financial Times:
Arturs Krisjanis Karins, the economics minister, said: “The overall sense is one of great pride that we as a country can again host a president.”See, we're not as hated around the World like various politicians and pundits claim we are. If I was planning a trip to Europe, I'd head towards Eastern Europe rather than France or Germany. Expect President Bush to visit these Eastern European nations even more during his term.
Liene Kule, senior analyst at Hansa Bank in Riga, said: “Some people are negative because of the security restrictions but there's also a positive feeling that this will further enhance our relationship with the US long-term.”
The country, bounded to the west by the Baltic Sea and to the east by Russia, was annexed by the Soviet Union at the end of the second world war. For the next 50 years, a country that had been a founding member of the League of Nations was just another brick in the Soviet empire, with its cultural identity suppressed, its flag banned and its population almost swamped by Russian-speaking immigrants.
“We were an oppressed people in slavery to a dictatorship,” said Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Latvia's charismatic president, in a televised speech yesterday. And this, she added, explained why Latvians were today extending Mr Bush such a hearty welcome.
Riga's streets are festooned with flags, dilapidated buildings have been spruced up and Mr Bush will Saturday have Latvia's highest award the Three-Star Order pinned to his chest.
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