ninme

If I’m boring you, tough. I really like her. Get a load of this speech:

Statement of the President of Latvia prior to the visit of the President of the United States (Transcript), Riga Castle, 6 May 2005

It is a pleasure to greet you here in Riga Castle on this lovely day, the historical day when we are expecting the imminent arrival of the President of the United States and Mrs Bush.

It is going be the second time the President of the United States visits Latvia since the renewal of our independence and it is also the second time that President Bush himself is visiting one of the Baltic States. Last time, as you know, he was in Lithuania.

We are going to have a meeting tomorrow – first a bilateral one between the President of the United States and the President of Latvia and then four Presidents together – three plus one – President Bush plus the Presidents of Lithuania and of Estonia – Mr. Adamkus and Mr. Ruutel. All of us are very happy that Mr Bush accepted my invitation to come to Latvia on that date and to meet the two Baltic colleagues as well since we are these days celebrating a whole list of historic events.

All very happy and fluffy. Leader of the free world going to teeny northern European country. Bit honour, yada yada.

In a very short time many leaders from Europe and elsewhere will be gathering in Moscow at the invitation of President Putin to celebrate the end of the Second World War and to commemorate all those who fought against Nazism and fascism and who won that war for democracy in those countries that were able to truly be freed and then go on and develop as democratic nations. But for a half of Europe this was not the case.

In Latvia certainly won the totalitarian occupation. That of Nazi Germany was immediately replaced by another – that of Stalinist totalitarian communist Soviet Union and was one that lasted a very long time. The day we shall be commemorating does have double significance and by coming to the Baltic States President Bush is, I believe, underscoring this double meaning of these historic events. 60 years ago when the war ended it meant liberation for many, it meant victory for many who could truly rejoiced in it.

But for others it meant slavery, it meant occupation, it meant subjugation, and it meant Stalinist terror. For Latvia the true day of liberation came only with the collapse of the Soviet Union as it did for our neighbours Lithuania and Estonia. And indeed, the true liberation came for all of countries that had been satellite states under the influence of Moscow. So we are celebrating two victories – one over Nazism and fascism 60 years ago and another one – over totalitarian communism which is much more recent. Just two days ago Latvia celebrated the 15th anniversary of the Declaration of the renewal of our independence. It took another year after the collapse of the putch in Moscow before this renewed independence could truly become the independence in fact. So it has been a very short time in the perspective of history, but for our nation it has been crucial.

Yikes. You can see why she’s so excited.

Oh man, I’m gonna start tearing up. This is better than Braveheart:

And this is why the programme of President Bush, the perspective he has during the second term of his administration of supporting the spirit of democracy everywhere in the world seems so sympathetic to us. We, who have known oppression, we, who have experienced tyranny, we, who know what it means to be submitted to the will of others, we sympathize with all those who wish to have a say in the running of their country. We sympathise with all those who would like to run their own country’s affairs without interference and without imposition from elsewhere, that is our hope for the Europe of tomorrow, that is our hope for the world of tomorrow. This is why we welcome so heartily the visit of President Bush as a sign of his continued interest in the welfare of his friends and allies in Europe. He will be visiting the graves of those American soldiers who fell in the Western front. He will be visiting them very shortly in the Netherlands. And the interest that the United States has shown in the welfare of the Baltic States has been truly appreciated.

We are not a country rich in oil resources or in mineral deposits, we have nothing to offer, nothing that the Americans would wish to export. We have only our people, their hopes, their dreams and their determination and we are proud and happy to call America a friend. Thank you for your attention.

Somebody needs to print this out and staple it to the forehead of every democrat in this country.

I skipped a bit, btw. Yes, there is more. Hard to imagine, I know. But it’s true. (Emphases mine)

Update!:

Latvijas Valsts prezidenta kanceleja – Letter from the President of the United States of America George W. Bush

“Thank you for your letter, including your kind invitation to visit Latvia. I look forward to seeing you, together with President Adamkus and president Ruutel, in your beautiful capital….

During this trip, I will mark the sacrifice of America and many other nations in defeating Nazism. In Western Europe, the end of World War II meant liberation. In Central and Eastern Europe, the war also marked the Soviet occupation and annexation of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania and the imposition of communism. Given this painful history, I understand the difficulty of your decision on whether to attend the May 9 commemoration in Moscow, and I respect the choices you and the other Baltic leaders have made. Thank you for sharing your views with me.

ninme whistles