Political scientist: CIA director's Moscow trip via Riga benefits Latvia
Political scientist Andis Kudors says the CIA director's secret visit to Moscow, made on a flight routed through Riga, works in Latvia's favor by drawing attention to the Baltic states and NATO's role in defending them.
Andis Kudors, a political scientist and lecturer at the University of Latvia's Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, told Latvian Television's "Rīta panorāma" programme that a recent secret visit to Moscow by CIA Director John Ratcliffe is advantageous for Latvia, given that his flight route passed through Riga.
According to Kudors, this routing draws international attention to the Baltic states as a whole, and serves as a reminder of NATO's role in guaranteeing their security.
The CIA director's visit to the Russian capital was kept secret, and the circumstances surrounding it — including the choice of a flight route through Latvia's capital — have drawn the attention of political analysts and commentators.
