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Biden arrives in Riga to reassure Baltic allies of U.S. support

Xinhua, August 23, 2016 Adjust font size:

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden landed in Riga on Tuesday to meet with the presidents of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia and reassure the Baltic allies of U.S. support.

"We are allies," were the first words Biden uttered upon his arrival in the Latvian capital city, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics said on Twitter.

Biden also did not hesitate to reaffirm the United States' unwavering support for Latvia, the foreign minister said, adding that this made for a "great start of the day".

Security was stepped up in Riga because of the U.S. vice president's visit. A helicopter was circling over the city center in the morning but traffic restrictions did not lead to any major congestions, the local media reported.

In Riga, Biden is scheduled to meet with the presidents of all three Baltic states -- Latvia's Raimonds Vejonis, Lithuania's Dalia Grybauskaite and Estonia's Toomas Hendrik Ilves.

He is also expected to hold bilateral talks with Latvian President Vejonis and Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis. Endit