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This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
Statement by Assistant Administrator Donald L. Pressley
Latvia Close-Out Ceremony
July 22, 1999
Thank you, Ambassador Holmes, distinguished Ministers, honored guests, and all who have come to share this event today. It is a pleasure to be, once again, in the beautiful city of Riga.
You know, as children of the 20th century, we are all used to watching history unfold - sometimes right before our eyes.
But the struggles and triumphs we remember best are those that overcome tyranny - whether the fight is one man’s or one state’s, we remember, and we do not forget.
To the Latvian people I say that the world will always remember your courage and your dedication to the principles of freedom and self-determination. We will not forget that day in 1991, when Latvia declared her independence to the world - again.
And then the real work began. Creating a new system of government is one of the hardest things a people can do.
That is why, eight years ago, the United States government, through the auspices of USAID, began a program of bilateral assistance to Latvia. We were committed then - as we are committed now - to see Latvia reach its potential as a free, market-based democracy.
And today, more than 80 years after Latvia first declared independence, we are here to commemorate the fact that Latvia is ready to become a true partner with the Western world. Latvia today is strong, free, and self-sufficient - and this is as it should be.
History will see that the past eight years have been happy ones for Latvia. The men and women of this great country have created one of the success stories of the post-Cold War Europe.
In fact, Latvia’s progress has been greater than even the optimists predicted nine years ago. It is not an easy thing to pull yourself out from five decades of communist rule, but look what Latvia has done! Today,
- the private sector employs 70% of the work force;
- inflation is in the single digits;
- GDP is going to grow for the fourth straight year; and, even more importantly,
- the Latvian people are guaranteed the freedom to enjoy their economic success.
The years of transition have also been peaceful here in Latvia. This time, there was no post-independence armed struggle. These years have seen Latvians of all different backgrounds join together to forge the foundations of a new nation. There is a new energy in Latvia, and as I look around me today, into the faces of so many dedicated people, I think I know where it is coming from.
But you all know that your work is still far from done. Latvia must continue along the path to reform - it must work to prove its competitiveness, and it must work to foster entrepeneurship. It must ensure that the rule of law is respected, and that tolerance is taught alongside freedom because, as President Clinton has said, freedom without tolerance is freedom unfulfilled.
Today, we look to Latvia to make its experience known to its neighbors. We applaud the fact that Latvian bank examiners worked with and imparted their skills to their Ukrainian counterparts and that officials from many other countries have come to Riga to learn about the Latvian Judicial Training Center and how it is helping improve the administration of justice here. And other countries will want to see what they can learn from the Latvian transition experience. In October of this year, several Latvian leaders will be exchanging transition experiences with leaders from many countries in Eastern Europe and the NIS, at a conference USAID is sponsoring in Poland.
We also look to Latvia to help cement the sustainable partnerships that have formed - between people and institutions in Latvia and the United States, but also between people and institutions in Latvia and other countries in this region. Especially in today’s increasingly inter-dependent world, success - economic, political, or social - is not a zero-sum game. Everyone can have a piece of the pie, without shortchanging others. Besides, helping others is a way to help ourselves. And it is the right thing to do.
(Thank the role of Latvian citizens and especially USAID Latvia staff. Ask to stand up.) I know that the Latvian people will continue to work to forge links with their neighbors - especially, I hope, those neighbors to the east and south, who would most benefit from the lessons this country has learned during the past few years.
From where I am standing today, in this beautiful capital city, facing all of you, I can say that the future of Latvia is in good hands. The new millennium is bound to bring new challenges with it - for everyone. But with your courage and perseverance, I know you will be able to overcome them.
One thing is for sure: the United States of America will be behind you all the way. Your flag flew in our Capitol building during the long night of Soviet occupation. It flies there today. And it will fly there tomorrow, a symbol of the ties of friendship that bind our two countries.
On behalf of the United States Agency for International Development, and especially those who worked here in Latvia, I salute you, and thank you. Like former President Ulmanis, we too think of Latvia as a little drop of amber in the jewel box of Europe.
Thank you.
This is an archived USAID document retained on this web site as a matter of public record.
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Last Updated on: July 12, 2001 |
