Rolands Lappuķe has been named Latvia’s new ambassador to France. He replaces Sandra Kalniete, who earlier this month was appointed Latvia’s new foreign minister in the government led by Prime Minister Einars Repše.

Lappuķe has been serving as the ambassador to Portugal.

Lappuķe intends to foster direct relationships between French and Latvian regional and municipal governments, as well as between citizens of both nations, according to an announcement from the office of President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga.

The president presented Lappuķe with a letter of accreditation during a meeting in Rīga.

Despite Pentagon staff suggestions that it may be unfit to join NATO, Latvia should still expect to be invited when the defense alliance meets in a summit later this month in Prague, the London-based Financial Times reports.

A senior NATO diplomat told FT correspondent Judy Dempsey that some mid-level Pentagon officials suggested to U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that the invitations to Latvia, Slovenia and Bulgaria should be reconsidered.

The military officials are concerned about Latvia “because they were far from satisfied with security arrangements on joining the alliance,” Dempsey wrote in a story posted on the newspaper’s Web site, FT.com.

Latvia is one of seven countries, including Estonia and Lithuania, expected to be invited into NATO. Both the U.S. Congress and the Bush Administration have expressed support for Latvia’s entry into the defense alliance. Meanwhile, some Russian officials continue to express misgivings, although President Vladimir Putin has said his country would not stand in the way of Latvia’s entry into NATO.

Latvia is one of eight Eastern and Central nations whose ratings of foreign currency government bonds have been upgraded by the New York-based Moody’s Investor Service.

All eight nations—also including Estonia and Lithuania—are candidates to join the European Union. Also upgraded were foreign-currency country ceilings, Moody’s said in a press release.

Latvia’s bond rating was upgraded to A2 (relatively good financial security) from Baa2 (relatively adequate financial security). The best rating possible is Aaa, or exceptional financial security.

“The upgrades reflect Moody’s view that the process of economic and financial integration of these countries with the EU is virtually irreversible,” the investor service said.

The rating is a measure of what Moody’s sees as a country’s ability and willingness to make payments on bonds. In other words, the risk of investing in the nation has declined.