Analytics, Economics, Financial Services, Forum, Latvia, Lithuania

Yesterday, Zatlers participated in a round table discussion with U.S. financial, political and media experts on the political situation in Latvia.

Addressing the participants in the discussion, Zatlers provided information on the changes in the economic situation in Latvia over the past year. He stressed that since the last similar meeting in September 2009, Latvia had been able to improve several of its economic indicators, which now showed the economic recovery of the country, as well as carry out structural reforms, which had led to notable results in fields such as education.

Zatlers noted that political stability was an essential part of ensuring financial stability in the country, and stressed the interest of Latvia's political forces in keeping the country on the course of recovery after the elections, writes LETA.

Representatives of the banks Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan Chase, and Barclays Capital, as well as the credit rating agency Standard and Poor’s all expressed approval of the achievements of Latvia's economic recovery program, paying particular attention to the country's ability to ensure social stability and noting that the country's image abroad had improved.

Interest was expressed in the challenges facing the future development of the Latvian economy, the consolidation of the 2011 budget and the solution of social questions.

Zatlers also gave answers on the battle with the shadow economy and on tax collection, and noted that one of the government's main tasks was to develop a new energy policy.

The discussion also touched on Latvian-U.S. relations, naming the transit of non-military U.S. cargo to Afghanistan through Latvian ports as one positive example. The president indicated that Latvia had an interest in the "Restart" process in U.S.-Russian relations, and spoke with approval of this year's START agreement, which would help to ensure the security of the Baltic States and of the whole region.

The president also took part in yesterday's opening of the annual plenary session for the organization "[Bill] Clinton Global Initiative" (CGI).

Each year this event brings together more than 100 world leaders, Nobel Prize laureates, leading figures of the business world, as well as important figures from NGOs and the media.

Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Irena Degutiene, who also paid a visit to the United States last week, says that Lithuania is seen in a very positive light there and proposes to refrain from talks about the estrangement of bilateral relations.

"To my mind, we give too much prominence to ourselves. Lithuania is evaluated as a whole, and I want to say that it is seen in a very positive light. (&). Lithuania received a number of compliments from the Democrats; it was also praised for active participation in various missions of the NATO. Lithuania is on a real path to democracy and was presented as an example to other countries walking the same path," the head of the Seimas spoke on Ziniu Radijas on Wednesday.

Irena Degutiene pointed out that America is not tracking how the Lithuanian-US relations are publicly discussed in Lithuania. According to her, very often we ourselves analyze, interpret and make hasty conclusions.

The head of the Lithuanian Seimas Irena Degutiene expressed hope that the meeting of U.S. President Barack Obama and Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite will be held in the future.