On the evening of Monday, May 1, Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, the President of the Republic of Latvia, and her husband Imants Freibergs will arrive on a state visit to Estonia on the invitation of President Lennart Meri. On the same evening, the guests will have a meeting with the Latvians living in Estonia at the Latvian Embassy in Tallinn.

The official welcoming ceremony is going to take place on Tuesday, May 2, at the presidential palace in Kadriorg. After the tête-à-tête meeting with President Meri, the guests will proceed at 10 AM to the Secondary School of Sciences, where a wreath is going to be laid to the memorial of students and teachers killed in the War of Liberty. After the ceremony, Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga will have meetings with Toomas Savi, Chairman of the Riigikogu, and Prime Minister Mart Laar. On Tuesday, the Latvian President will deliver a lecture at the International Concordia University, where also several Latvian students are studying.

The Presidents are going to give a press conference in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday at 15.15. After the press conference, the Estonian President will show the guests the Old Town of Tallinn: the tour will include Toompea, the Dome Church and the Town Hall, where the Latvian President is going to meet Jüri Mõis, the Mayor of Tallinn. In the evening, President Meri and Mrs. Helle Meri are going to host a dinner in honour of President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga and Mr. Imants Freibergs at the House of Blackheads.

On Wednesday, the Latvian presidential couple will visit Tartu. On the way to Tartu, President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga and Mr. Imants Freibergs are going to plant a tree in the Park of Friendship at Põltsamaa. In Tartu, the Latvian President is going to visit the Town Hall, the Baltic Defence College and Tartu University, where she is going to deliver a speech in the Assembly Hall. The President of Latvia will fly back to Riga from Tartu on a special plane.

All journalists wishing to record the visit of the Latvian President are requested to register on the telephones 631 7631 and 631 7633 of the Press Centre of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday, February 28 at the latest.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, April 18, 2000

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