Latvian poll: Bush's visit there top event in 2005

Yes, President Bush's visit to the Baltic State was the top event in Latvia, according to a poll there.

As my wife is from there, I'm glad to hear that.

From AFP:

New EU member Latvia may have one of the most vibrant economies in the enlarged bloc, but the Baltic state's events calendar lacks a little on the excitement front.

So when a polling company asked 1,006 Latvians this month to make their choice for event of the year -- without reminding them of what happened in 2005 -- among nominated events were Latvia's fifth place in the Eurovision song contest and the construction of an ice-hockey rink in the capital, Riga.

But finishing way out in front was the one-day visit in May by US President George W. Bush, the first visit by a sitting US president to the former Soviet republic. Nearly 36 percent of those polled chose the fleeting but significant trip.

A correction: Bill Clinton visited Latvia for a few hours in 1994.

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