The Taoiseach, Mr Bertie Ahern, has promised to do all he can to ensure the accession of Latvia into the European Union.
He was speaking following a meeting at Government Buildings with the Latvian president Ms Vaira Vike-Freiberga, who began a two-day State visit to Ireland yesterday.
Th two leaders discussed Latvia’s aspirations of joining the European Union and Ireland’s attitude towards the Nice Treaty.
"We put great store in this visit," Mr Ahern said after their meeting, complimenting Latvia on the great strides it had taken in recent years.
"We hope in Ireland to be helpful in any way we can... in Ireland, we are very anxious to see expansion work."
Ms Vike-Freiberga said her country shared a lot of experience with Ireland, joking that the weather was one of them.
"We look forward to being invited and becoming part of this community," she said. "It is a remarkable model, we admire it greatly and look forward to being a member."
"Ireland is a shining example of what can be done in the European Union," Ms Vike-Freiberga said in an interview with The Irish Timespublished yesterday.
On the question of the re-running of the Nice Treaty referendum, Ms Vike-Freiberga said: "All the new candidate countries have invested too much in this process. We cannot just sit there and hold our breath."
"We viewed the rejection of the Nice Treaty with alarm; after all it is our future at stake."
She said that Irish people should remember that "Ireland has a voice in our future".
