Trust you all had a wonderful 4th of July weekend! As an immigrant to this great land, this is truly one of the most meaningful days of the year for me. Dr. Ekstrom and I celebrated in an unusual way—we were guests of Ambassador Christopher Robinson at the United States Embassy in Riga, Latvia. We enjoyed patriotic music performed by the US Army Cavalry Band and watched the Marine Color Guard present the colors.
We were in Riga to attend the biannual meeting of the Latvian Consuls from around the globe. This year, 95 consuls from 47 countries participated. As the Honorary Consul representing the Republic of Latvia in Southern California, I represented the Los Angeles Consular Corps. Over three days of intense meetings, we were updated on Latvian foreign policy, business opportunities, achievements, and anything new happening in Latvia. We met with government officials at all levels, and capped off the first day with a reception at the Presidential Palace.
One day was particularly enlightening as we heard presentations from the Foreign and Economics Ministers, followed by small group sessions and one-on-one meetings with various Latvian entrepreneurs eager to expand into the US. These interactions underscored the strong diplomatic and economic ties between Latvia and the US.