JUSTICE MIN STATE SECRETARY BICEVSKIS NOMINATED

C O N F I D E N T I A L RIGA 000298 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/29/2018 TAGS: PGOV EFIN PINR LG SUBJECT: JUSTICE MIN STATE SECRETARY BICEVSKIS NOMINATED FOR FINANCE MIN SPOT REF: RIGA 229 Classified By: Ambassador Charles Larson, for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (U) On May 27, the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers confirmed the appointment of Martins Bicevskis to the vacant position of Finance Ministry State Secretary. Bicevskis, the current Justice Ministry State Secretary, will take his new position on June 2, replacing Irena Krumane, who left to become the new Chairperson of the Financial and Capital Markets Commission (reftel). ¶2. (U) Bicevskis has been holding the Ministry of Justice State Secretary position since 2004 and previously was the head of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (2000-2003). Bicevskis ran as a Parliamentary candidate for the People's Party and served as a Saeima (Parliament) member for some time in 1999, before taking a position in 2000 as advisor to the Interior Minister. He is a graduate of the University of Latvia's Faculty of Law. Born February 8, 1975 in Riga, he is married, has two daughters, and speaks Latvian, Russian, English and German. ¶3. (C) Comment: Post does not view Bicevskis' appointment as good news. Described at times as a "hack", there is nothing identifiable in his background that would make him a good manager of Latvia's finances. In interactions with him, post has found Bicevskis to be very skeptical of dealings with the U.S., and rather skittish of why we would even want to talk to him. At a time when Latvia is under pressure to show that they take management of their economy seriously, it is hard to see how this appointment is beneficial. LARSON