Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10RIGA72
2010-02-12 14:00:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Riga
Cable title:
LATVIAN PRESIDENT ZATLERS MEETS PUTIN - WILL VISIT
how-toVZCZCXRO2558 OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR DE RUEHRA #0072 0431400 ZNY CCCCC ZZH O 121400Z FEB 10 FM AMEMBASSY RIGA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6291 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
C O N F I D E N T I A L RIGA 000072
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2020
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON LG RS
SUBJECT: LATVIAN PRESIDENT ZATLERS MEETS PUTIN - WILL VISIT
MOSCOW FOR VICTORY DAY
Classified By: AMBASSADOR JUDITH GARBER, REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L RIGA 000072
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2020
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON LG RS
SUBJECT: LATVIAN PRESIDENT ZATLERS MEETS PUTIN - WILL VISIT
MOSCOW FOR VICTORY DAY
Classified By: AMBASSADOR JUDITH GARBER, REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D)
1. (C) President Zatlers met Prime Minister Putin in an
impromptu encounter with warm atmospherics in Helsinki,
February 10. Presidential Chief of Staff Rinkevics briefed
the Ambassador on February 11, explaining that no bilateral
meeting had been planned at the regional Baltic Sea Action
Summit. However, the two leaders began chatting during the
Summit "family photo," and a meeting was arranged for a few
hours later. Rinkevics described it as the first meeting in
which Putin did not harangue Zatlers about Latvia's stance on
Georgia, Latvia's ethnic Russian minority, or NATO policies.
The focus, instead, was entirely on economic cooperation.
2. (C) Putin extended a personal invitation to Zatlers to
attend Russian Victory Day celebrations on May 9 celebrating
the victory over Nazi Germany 65 years ago. Zatlers
accepted, following in the footsteps, Rinkevics stressed, of
former Latvian President Vike-Freiberga who had attended the
60th anniversary event in Moscow. Zatlers was immediately
criticized by representatives of the nationalist Fatherland
and Freedom and right-of-center Civic Union parties for
accepting the invitation.
3. (C) The two leaders agreed that the bilateral
intergovernmental commission would meet in either late spring
or early summer, and to work on a date for Russian FM Lavrov
to visit Latvia. Rinkevics noted that while Zatlers'
previous meetings with President Medvedev had always been
constructive, Putin's friendly approach was unusual. He was
not sure why Putin had been so positive, but indicated that
the Latvian president would seek to build on this
constructive meeting, while exercising appropriate skepticism
and caution.
GARBER
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/12/2020
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON LG RS
SUBJECT: LATVIAN PRESIDENT ZATLERS MEETS PUTIN - WILL VISIT
MOSCOW FOR VICTORY DAY
Classified By: AMBASSADOR JUDITH GARBER, REASONS 1.5 (B) AND (D)
1. (C) President Zatlers met Prime Minister Putin in an
impromptu encounter with warm atmospherics in Helsinki,
February 10. Presidential Chief of Staff Rinkevics briefed
the Ambassador on February 11, explaining that no bilateral
meeting had been planned at the regional Baltic Sea Action
Summit. However, the two leaders began chatting during the
Summit "family photo," and a meeting was arranged for a few
hours later. Rinkevics described it as the first meeting in
which Putin did not harangue Zatlers about Latvia's stance on
Georgia, Latvia's ethnic Russian minority, or NATO policies.
The focus, instead, was entirely on economic cooperation.
2. (C) Putin extended a personal invitation to Zatlers to
attend Russian Victory Day celebrations on May 9 celebrating
the victory over Nazi Germany 65 years ago. Zatlers
accepted, following in the footsteps, Rinkevics stressed, of
former Latvian President Vike-Freiberga who had attended the
60th anniversary event in Moscow. Zatlers was immediately
criticized by representatives of the nationalist Fatherland
and Freedom and right-of-center Civic Union parties for
accepting the invitation.
3. (C) The two leaders agreed that the bilateral
intergovernmental commission would meet in either late spring
or early summer, and to work on a date for Russian FM Lavrov
to visit Latvia. Rinkevics noted that while Zatlers'
previous meetings with President Medvedev had always been
constructive, Putin's friendly approach was unusual. He was
not sure why Putin had been so positive, but indicated that
the Latvian president would seek to build on this
constructive meeting, while exercising appropriate skepticism
and caution.
GARBER