Riga, May 17, 2021 – To mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOTB), the U.S. Embassy in Riga is flying the rainbow flag today. Minister of Foreign Affairs Edgars Rinkēvičs joined Chargé d’Affaires Ruta Elvikis for the small outdoor flag-raising ceremony, along with representatives from the Saeima, civil society, and the diplomatic …
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Thirty years ago I was honored to lead a Congressional delegation to Latvia and other Baltic states in a moment of uncertainty and peril for democracy and self-determination. In Riga I saw firsthand the yearning for freedom after decades of Soviet occupation and communist rule. I was proud to bring the well wishes of the …
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Riga, September 5, 2019 – U.S. Chargé d’Affaires to Latvia Paul Poletes hosted a lunch on September 5 in honor of Ms. Brigita Dreiže of the anti-trafficking working group in Liepāja. During the lunch, Chargé Poletes presented a certificate to Ms. Dreiže in honor of her nomination for the 2019 Trafficking in Persons Report Hero …
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Today, on October 25, U.S. Ambassador to Latvia Nancy Bikoff Pettit presented a certificate of appreciation to Mr. Andris Bidzans, Chief Inspector of the Latvian State Police, in honor of his nomination for the 2018 Trafficking in Persons Report Hero Award. The ambassador hosted a lunch in honor of Latvians whose efforts have combatted Trafficking …
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Ambassador Nancy Bikoff Pettit Op-Ed Delfi.lv December 1, 2017 In June 1981, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a report describing cases of a rare lung infection in five young, previously healthy, gay men in Los Angeles. The report described other unusual infections in the men, indicating that their immune systems …
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Riga, June 28, 2017 – On June 27, U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson released the 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report. This year, Latvia was placed in Tier 2, which is the same ranking as last year. The 2017 Trafficking in Persons Report finds that the Government of Latvia is making significant efforts to comply …
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