r
days. Kuwait spent more than $5 billion to repair oil infrastructure
damaged during 1990-91.

Kyrgyzstan
A Central Asian country of incredible natural beauty and
proud nomadic traditions, Kyrgyzstan was annexed by Russia in 1864;
it achieved independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Current
concerns include: privatization of state-owned enterprises,
expansion of democracy and political freedoms, interethnic
relations, and combating terrorism.

Laos
Laos was under the control of Siam (Thailand) from the late
18th century until the late 19th century when it became part of
French Indochina. The Franco-Siamese Treaty of 1907 defined the
current Lao border with Thailand. In 1975, the Communist Pathet Lao
took control of the government, ending a six-century-old monarchy.
Initial closer ties to Vietnam and socialization were replaced with
a gradual return to private enterprise, a liberalization of foreign
investment laws, and the admission into ASEAN in 1997.

Latvia
After a brief period of independence between the two World
Wars, Latvia was annexed by the USSR in 1940. It reestablished its
independence in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union.
Although the last Russian troops left in 1994, the status of the
Russian minority (some 30% of the population) remains of concern to
Moscow. Latvia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

Lebanon
Lebanon has made progress toward rebuilding its political
institutions since 1991 and the end of the devastating 15-year civil
war. Under the Ta'if Accord - the blueprint for national
reconciliation - the Lebanese have established a more equitable
political system, particularly by giving Muslims a greater say in
the political process while institutionalizing sectarian divisions
in the government. Since the end of the war, the Lebanese have
conducted several successful elections, most of the militias have
been weakened or disbanded, and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have
extended central government authority over about two-thirds of the
country. Hizballah, a radical Shia organization, retains its
weapons. Syria maintains about 16,000 troops in Lebanon, based
mainly east of Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley. Syria's troop
deployment was legitimized by the Arab League during Lebanon's civil
war and in the Ta'if Accord. Damascus justifies its continued
military presence in Lebanon by citing