Ambassador John Carwile
January 22, 2020
Daugavpils
Good evening. It is an honor to make my first trip to Daugavpils as the U.S. Ambassador to Latvia and I’m especially pleased to inaugurate our new American Space location. For the past 15 years, we have engaged with the community in Latgale to promote educational and cultural ties between the United States and Latvia. These programs have brought our people closer together and made our countries stronger allies.
I am proud to serve as ambassador in a country where we have such a positive relationship. The bond between Latvia and the United States a close one, one that grows stronger every year. Since Latvia regained its independence, we have worked hard to build upon our shared values through cooperation in security and defense, economic development, trade and investment, education and culture, and an open, inclusive society.
Here in the Latgale Central Library, which serves as a vocational, cultural, and educational hub for the region, we have expanded and strengthened those ties. Through this U.S. Information Center, we have organized programs with our Latvian partners to promote media literacy; we’ve taught English to hundreds of students, adults, and even grandparents; and we’ve brought together scores of Americans and Latvians in the name of people-to-people connections. And although this is my first trip to Daugavpils, it will certainly not be my last. Thank you for your warm welcome, for your support of our American Space at the library, and for joining us this evening. I hope that you will visit our new space often and I look forward to many wonderful events and programs taking place here. Thank you.
