Two new Latvian ambassadors, for Belarus and Kyrgyzstan, have been accredited by President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga. They are Igors Apokins in Kyrgyzstan and Maira Mora in Belarus.

Apokins also is Latvia’s ambassador to Uzbekistan. In a July 7 meeting with the president, Apokins discussed developing economic contacts in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. He told Vīķe-Freiberga that both countries want to learn from Latvia’s experience in reform, according to a press release from the president’s press office.

Mora previously was Latvia’s ambassador to Lithuania. She replaces Egons Neimanis as ambassador to Belarus.

The president also recently accredited Pēteris Elferts as Latvia’s ambassador to the Council of Europe. He replaced Georgs Andrejevs.

A stamp commemorating the 1994 visit of U.S. President Bill Clinton to Rīga is being issued by the Latvian Post Office. The 40-santīmi stamp shows the Statue of Liberty and Freedom Monument, as well as the flags of the United States and Latvia.

The stamp, according to a post office press release, was designed by Arta Ozola-Jaunarāja. A total of 300,000 stamps will be produced.

The first day of issue for the stamp will be July 6.

The 1994 trip was the first time a U.S. president has visited any of the Baltic republics. During the trip, he met with the presidents of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. He also spoke to the Latvian people at the Freedom Monument.

“Many of your countrymen and women sought refuge on our shores,” Clinton told the audience in his speech. “Now some have returned to serve their homelands, while others remain to keep your spirit alive all across America. The chain that binds our nations is unbreakable.”

Sarmīte “Sam” Bulte, a Latvian-Canadian member of parliament from the Parkdale-High Park riding of Toronto, has been reelected on the Liberal Party ticket. It will be her third term in office.

Canadian federal elections were held June 28. The Liberal Party still has the most seats in Parliament, but now finds itself in charge of a minority government, according to Canadian media reports.

Bulte received 42.1 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results. Her closest opponent, Peggy Nash of the New Democratic Party, received 34.36 percent, while Jurij Klufas of the Conservative Party got 15.51 percent. Three other candidates shared the remaining votes.

Some observers suggested that Nash might upset Bulte because of the endorsement she recieved from Toronto Mayor David Miller.