US President George W. Bush on Monday became the first sitting
US president to visit Estonia, one day before he arrived in Latvian
capital Riga for the first NATO summit since the alliance's
enlargement in 2004.
Observers say that Bush's visits to the Baltic nations indicate
that the three ex-Soviet countries, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania,
will play an important role in US global strategy and NATO's
strategy adjustments.
Aides in NATO enlargement
On Nov. 28 and 29, Latvia's capital Riga opened to 26 NATO heads
of state, including President Bush, and 5,000 guests to discuss
Afghanistan and NATO's future role.
Political analysts said that choosing the host of the NATO
summit on ex-Soviet soil sent a message to Ukraine, Georgia,
Moldova and ex-Soviet states moving westward that the door of NATO
was always open to them.
Speaking just before the first NATO summit, Bush said in a
speech at the University of Latvia that the organization would keep
its door open to new members and hoped to issue additional
invitations at its next summit in 2008.
In fact, the US had been backing the three Baltic states,
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, in an attempt to help Ukraine,
Moldova and Georgia move westward with their common background in
language, history and tradition.
The Baltics signed several agreements with Ukraine, Moldova and
Georgia, offered military aid and helped them carry out military
reforms. The Baltics have become reliable partners of these
nations.
Aides in Iraq and Afghanistan
While President Bush is becoming isolated by the quagmire of
Iraq, the Baltics have remained unswerving fans of his policy in
the Gulf country. With the Republicans' defeat in the mid-term
elections and Iraq's worsening sectarian conflict, the three
nations' support means a big deal to Bush's policy in Iraq.
Currently, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have extended the stay
of their troops in Iraq regardless of the domestic voice for
withdrawal.
In addition to Iraq, the Baltics have delivered full support to
NATO's peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan. Latvia stationed troops
in the Central Asian state, Lithuania took up the reconstruction in
one of its provinces, and Estonia reinforced its peacekeeping force
from 5 to 130.
During his visit to Estonia, Bush described the former Soviet
country as a brave and reliable partner in spreading peace and
democracy. He said that Estonia was playing an active role in the
mission in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In Riga, Bush also extended thanks to Latvian President Vaira
Vike-Freiberga, for the country's support of the mission in Iraq
and Afghanistan.
(Xinhua News Agency November 29, 2006)
