or DPS
[Ziedonis CEVERS, chairman]; Latvia's Way or LC [Andrei PANTELEJEVS];
Popular Movement For Latvia or TKL [Joachim SIEGERIST]; For Fatherland
and Freedom or TVB [Maris GRINBLATS], merged with LNNK; Latvian Unity
Party or LVP [Alberis KAULS]; Latvian National Conservative Party or
LNNK [Andrejs KRASTINS]; Green Party or LZP [Olegs BATAREVSK]; Latvian
Farmers Union or LZS [Andris ROZENTALS]; Christian Democrat Union or
LKDS [Talavs JUNDZIS]; National Harmony Party or TSP [Janis JURKANS];
Latvian Socialist Party or LSP [Sergejs DIAMANIS]; Latvian Liberal
Party or LLP [J. DANOSS]; Political Association of the Underprivileged
or MPA [B. PELSE, V. DIMANTS, J. KALNINS]; Latvian Democratic Labor
Party or LDDP [J. BOJARS]; Party of Russian Citizens or LKPP [V.
SOROCHIN, V. IVANOV]; Christian People's Party or KTP (formerly
Peoples Front of Latvia or LTF) [Uldis AUGSTKALNS]; Political Union of
Economists or TPA [Edvins KIDE]; Latvian National Democratic Party or
LNDP [A. MALINS]; "Our Land" or MZ [M. DAMBEKALNE]; Anticommunist
Union or PA [P. MUCENIEKS]; Latvian Social-Democratic Workers Party or
LSDSP [Janis DINEVICS]; Party for the Defense of Latvia's Defrauded
People; Latvian Independence Party or LNP [Valdis KONOVALOVS]
note: former Prime Minister Andris SKELE announced 18 December 1997
that he is forming a new, as yet unnamed, party

International organization participation: BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, EAPC,
EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM
(observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ojars Eriks KALNINS
chancery: 4325 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone: [1] (202) 726-8213, 8214
FAX: [1] (202) 726-6785

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Larry C. NAPPER
embassy: Raina Boulevard 7, LV-1510, Riga
mailing address: American Embassy, Riga, PSC 78, Box R, APO AE 09723
telephone: [371] (2) 210-0005, 782-0046
FAX: [371] (2) 722-6530, 782-0047

Flag description: three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white
(half-width), and maroon

@Latvia:Economy

Economy-overview: In 1997 Latvia scored the most impressive economic
achievements since independence in 1991, with GDP growing by 6% and
inflation at 7.4%. GDP is expected to grow