Foreign policy goal

President-elect Vaira Vike-Freiberga announced some of her priorities in her first set of press conferences and interviews. She thanked outgoing President Guntis Ulmanis for his fine work in re-establishing the office of the presidency and stated she will continue his work. She confirmed her foreign policy goal is Latvian membership in NATO and the EU during her term (which expires in 2003), but domestic politics will feature the integration of non-Latvians. She noted her experience as a refugee herself, fleeing from Latvia after the Soviet invasion, will help her in this area. Already fluent in many languages, she will also take up learning Russian. Former opponent in the election, Foreign Minister Valdis Birkavs, said she would "shine" on the international stage.
In the mean time, President Guntis Ulmanis made his final trip abroad as President to Rome to take part in the 900th anniversary celebrations of the Order of Malta. The charity arm of the Roman Catholic Church is active in Latvia, especially with the disabled. During the visit Ulmanis was scheduled to meet with Pope John Paul II and new European Commission President Romano Prodi.