On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Latvia on the anniversary of your independence this November 18. The Latvian people have cherished the ideals of freedom and independence since 1918, despite decades of war and occupation. The United States joins in celebrating Latvia’s flourishing democracy and the inspiration it provides to countries around the world.

We are proud of our long history of unbroken friendship with Latvia and our cooperation on many of today’s pressing challenges. As allies in NATO, we are joined by our commitment to defend individual freedoms, democracy, and human rights around the world. Latvia has made invaluable contributions to the international mission in Afghanistan, and we honor the commitment and sacrifice of the Latvian people as they help Afghanistan secure its future.

I wish all Latvians a happy independence day. We look forward to expanding the cooperation between our countries as we strive to build a future defined by peace, prosperity, and freedom for all people.