Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II might visit Latvia toward the end of 2006, although officials are not confirming the information, the news agency LETA reported Jan. 2.

LETA said the information came from an unidentified foreign affairs source.

The visit, former Foreign Minister Valdis Birkavs told LETA, would be evidence that Latvia is not a small country that can be bypassed. Birkavs also told the news agency that the queen’s potential visit may have been spurred by U.S. President George W. Bush’s visit to Rīga last year, as well as the coming NATO summit set for November in Rīga.

Similarly, Atis Lejiņš, director of the Latvian Institute of Foreign Affairs (Latvijas Ārpolitikas institūts) in Rīga, told LETA that the queen’s visit would be evidence of good relations between the United Kingdom and Latvia, and would draw increased media attention to Latvia.

Queen Elizabeth II would not be the first high-ranking British official, nor the first royal, to visit Latvia. Prince Charles came to Latvia in 2001—although his visit was tainted by the now-famous carnation incident, when a young woman slapped the prince with a flower as he shook hands with well-wishers in the streets of Rīga.

Latvian President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga will head out Jan. 4 for a 10-day vacation in South Africa, her press office has announced.

The president will return to Rīga on Jan. 15.

Einars Repše, leader of the conservative Jaunais laiks (New Era) party, has resigned as Latvia’s defense minister to protest the prime minister’s Dec. 21 announcement that the state anti-corruption bureau has begun a criminal investigation of Repše personal finances.

Despite an attempt by Latvian President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga to soothe Repše, the former Bank of Latvia governor announced Dec. 22 that he is stepping down from the Ministry of Defense, the LETA news service reported.

His decision follows the announcement by Prime Minsiter Aigars Kalvītis that the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (Korupcijas novēršanas un apkarošanas birojs) is investigating Repše’s finances, a topic of much speculation over the past year.

In news reports, Repše said Kalvītis’ decision to go public with the information is motivated by politics. Kalvītis, a member of the Tautas partija (People’s Party), heads a coalition government.

Speaking on state television Dec. 21, Repše said the investigation by the anti-corruption bureau is merely a formality.

Aleksejs Loskutovs, head of the anti-corruption bureau, said he was disappointed that elected officials are publicizing information without the approval of the bureau, LETA reported. However, Kalvītis said that in the interest of openness in government he would have done so for any other minister under investigation.