27 Nov, 2006 – Speech by Mr. Toms Baumanis, LATO Chairman at the Young Leaders

Let me welcome all you to Riga, capital of the NATO countries during the two Summit days. We are very pleased to host Young Leaders Forum what will serve as a companion event to the Riga NATO summit by bringing together more than 50 leading young professionals from both sides of the Atlantic to discuss the most pressing challenges currently facing by NATO and its partners around the world.

27 Nov - Lugar Speech in Advance of NATO Summit at Opening gala dinner of the Riga Conference 2006

For nearly half a century, NATO was oriented toward defending against an attack from the East by Warsaw Pact forces. Today, NATO’s posture is influenced by emerging threats such as the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, rogue states, terrorism, and genocide. The security threats of the 21st century require NATO members to deploy forces rapidly over long distances, sustain operations for extended periods of time, and operate jointly as trans-Atlantic partners with the United States in high intensity conflicts. To be fully relevant to the security and well being of the people of its member nations, NATO must think and act globally.

27 Nov - Remarks by NATO Secretary General, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer at the demonstration of C-17 Strategic Airlift Capability

Tomorrow and Wednesday, NATO’s Heads of State and Government will assemble here in Riga. They will take decisions on NATO-led operations and direct the further political and defence transformation of NATO.

This continuing transformation is essential to ensure that the Alliance remains able to confront the demanding security challenges of the 21st century. And let me take this opportunity to express our gratitude to President Vike-Freiberga and to the Latvian people for hosting the NATO Summit in beautiful Riga.

15 Nov - Presentation By Claire A. Poulin Ambassador Of Canada To Latvia

It is a real pleasure for me today to join your Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Pabriks, for a presentation linked to the preparation of the next important event which will take place in Riga. Last Spring, Riga was host of the International Hockey Championship. Six months later, in less than 2 weeks, the world will again look at Riga, but for different reasons. No competition, here! Only solidarity between nations which share a same goal!

Actually, 26 countries will focus on something which is related to solidarity among Allies in bringing to this world a more peaceful environment, bringing more security. This is what will be discussed during the NATO Summit in Riga.

7 Nov - Address by President of Latvia Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga at the first session of the 9th Saeima of the Republic of Latvia

In two weeks the attention of the world will be focused on NATO Summit in Riga, which takes place merely two and a half years since our accession to the Alliance. The current debates center around the ways for NATO to be reborn in a new quality as an organisation of global security. Decisions are expected to be made in Riga that will bring the Alliance onto a new level of political and security philosophy.

6 Nov - Remarks by Mr. Edgars Rinkēvičs, State Secretary of Ministry of Defence, Latvia, Conference of “Security and Defence Agenda”

To answer this question I would like to talk about the most visible and currently probably the most demanding task of the Alliance- meaning- stabilisation and reconstruction of post-taliban Afghanistan.
I would like to use the case of Afghanistan because it is the most visible example how one so called failed state can produce the terrorists who challenged the security of North America and feed the streets of European capitals with cheep narcotics that actually sponsors their activities against our troops and civilians in that country.

18 Oct - Speech by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Blackheads House, Riga, Latvia on Wednesday 18 October

In overcoming that legacy, the achievements of the inhabitants of Latvia since the renewal of independence have been remarkable. Who could have imagined 15 years ago that Latvia would by now be a member of the European Union and hosting a NATO Summit in a few weeks from now? In a sense, Britain’s growing relationship with Latvia and indeed with all the Baltic States, has felt like the happy rediscovery of a long lost but much valued member of the family.

13 Oct - Transforming NATO at Riga

Riga will be a summit for the 26 allies. But it will also be a summit where we, I'm sure, Heads of State and Government will want to signal the importance which they attach to the partnership, to cooperation, to engagement, whether it's with Russia, whether it's with Ukraine, whether it is with the countries which are actively seeking the membership of the Alliance, or whether it's those countries which are seeking to join our Partnership for Peace, such as Serbia and Bosnia and Montenegro.

17 Oct - Text of The Queen`s speech at the Seimas in Vilnius, Lithuania, 17 October 2006

"Prince Philip and I begin today in Vilnius our first visit to the Baltic States to mark the achievements of all three nations in these recent years. You have emerged from the shadow of the Soviet Union and blossomed as sovereign states, taking up your rightful places in the international community and as respected members of the European Union and NATO. It is a transformation - political, economic and social - for which there are few parallels in the history of Europe."

22 Sep - Speech by the H.E. Ferdinando Zezza, Italian Ambassador to the Republic of Latvia.

It is the fact that in the last fifteen years the world’s scenery has gone through an unpredictable change, a change in which people of my generation may still have problems to believe. The remarkable fact is that NATO, an alliance of free countries on both banks of the Atlantic, has been able to follow the change, to adapt itself to the new circumstances and continues to represent a bulwark against the threats of our times. To put it in other words, for over 50 years NATO has represented the pillar of the free world collective defence and, despite the skepticism that sometimes surfaces in one or other member country, remains a highly successful and vital Organization. Let me add that such skepticism is not shared by the vast majority of Italian public opinion and I have been glad to learn that a similar attitude prevails in Latvia whose people, according to a recent opinion pool, overwhelmingly support the Alliance.

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