LATVIA: DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH THE CUBAN PEOPLE FOLLOW-UP

UNCLAS RIGA 000279 DEPARTMENT FOR EUR/PD, WHA/CCA, AND DRL/MLGA SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL KDEM PHUM KPAO SOCI CU LG SUBJECT: LATVIA: DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH THE CUBAN PEOPLE FOLLOW-UP REF: State 51536 ¶1. Per reftel, Post confirms that the Department-provided op-ed was placed under Ambassador Larsons' name in a local Russian-language newspaper, Telegraph, on May 21. ¶2. In addition, the MFA issued the following statement on May 20 (informal embassy translation): "Foreign Minister Urges Support of Basic Democratic Principles in the World On May 21st this year there will occur throughout the world an event designed to draw attention to and demonstrate support for protection of fundamental freedoms in Cuba, as well as in the rest of the world. "Latvia is for basic democratic principles, which are based on justice and human rights. The Latvian public views as fundamental those rights which are included both in the constitution of the Republic of Latvia, as well as in the UN Declaration of Universal Human Rights, whose 60th anniversary we mark this year. I invite the Latvian society, especially NGO's, which represent the views of society, and which have experience in the protection of universal, basic values, to draw attention to this day and to consider possibilities for supporting democratically inclined forces throughout the world. It is up to the inhabitants of each country to decide to how to use this support. Similarly, it is up to the inhabitants of each country to decide their future," said Foreign Minister Maris Riekstins. Latvia urges Cuba to guarantee to its citizens their civil, economic, political, and social rights in accordance with the UN Declaration of Universal Human Rights." (end statement) ¶3. There has been no immediate press reaction to either the USG op-ed or the MFA's statement.