VZCZCXRO4334
OO RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHRA #0895 3391549
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 051549Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY RIGA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4573
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS RIGA 000895
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL RS LG
SUBJECT: Kalvitis officially resigns as Latvian PM; Lavrov invited
1. On December 5, Latvian PM Aigars Kalvitis submitted his
resignation to President Zatlers, as he pledged last month. Under
the Latvian constitution, the resignation also covers all ministers
and the government goes in to caretaker mode until the Saeima
(parliament) approves a new government. Kalvitis is the longest
continually serving PM since the restoration of independence in
1991.
2. President Zatlers will name his choice to form the next
government. This announcement is expected the week of December 10.
The only official candidate at this point is New Era MEP (and former
Finance Minister) Valdis Dombrovskis. (We will report more on the
selection process in coming days).
3. In one of its last official acts before resigning, the government
announced that it had invited Russian FM Lavrov to visit Riga
December 18. The main purpose of the visit would be the exchange
instruments of ratification on the Latvia - Russia border treaty.
Bailey