U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell says the United States fully supports Latvia's efforts to integrate into European and Atlantic institutions, including its moves toward entering NATO.

Mr. Powell made his comments late Tuesday in talks with visiting Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga. Mr. Powell praised the Latvian president for several initiatives, including her efforts to integrate minority groups into Latvian society and to reform the Latvian economy.

Earlier, Vice-President Dick Cheney assured Mrs. Vike-Freiberga that U.S. Russian cooperation in the struggle against terrorism will not block Latvia's aspirations of NATO membership.

Mr. Cheney also reaffirmed the U.S. view that no outside country can veto any candidate's desire to enter NATO. Russia has opposed expanding NATO, particularly the possible entry of Latvia and its Baltic neighbors, Estonia and Lithuania. Latvia hopes to gain an invitation to join the alliance at the NATO summit in Prague in November.

Mrs. Vike-Freiberga arrived in the U.S. capital late Monday from New York, where she attended the World Economic Forum. She stops in Houston later this week for talks with business and civic leaders and members of the city's Latvian-American community.

She winds up her U.S. visit in Salt Lake City, where she will attend some of the events at the Winter Olympics.

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