The President of Latvia, Vaire Vike-Freiberga, and her husband, Imants Freibergs, were hosted at a dinner in their honor at Cankaya Palace in Ankara last night. At the dinner, President of the Turkish Republic, Ahmet Sezer, thanked President Vike-Freiberga for the support she had expressed for Turkey's accession to EU membership.

Preceding the start of the dinner, to which Turkish PM Erdogan came a bit later, glasses were raised to the friendship between Turkey and Latvia.

Earlier in the day, President Sezer and his wife Semra Sezer had greeted the Latvian President and her husband when they first arrived at Cankaya with an official ceremony. In clear Turkish, President Vike-Freiberga saluted the military detachment present, saying "Merhaba asker," or "Hello, soldiers." Protocols binding the two Turkey and Latvia to cooperation in education, science, cultural events, and sporting events were signed.