Latvia agrees to take one Guantanamo prisoner

The Latvian government said Tuesday it was prepared to accept one prisoner from the United States' controversial Guantanamo Bay detention centre, DPA reported.

A statement released by the Latvian government following a cabinet meeting said it agreed to "resettle in Latvia one detainee from the Guantanamo detention camp."

The individual in question was not named, and his nationality was not revealed, but the Latvian foreign ministry said, "The person belongs to the category of detainees who are cleared for release and do not constitute a threat to the public."

The decision means Latvia becomes the first of the three Baltic states to agree to take Guantanamo detainee. Neighbouring Estonia has not rule out the possibility of taking detainees, but Lithuania is unlikely to do so following allegations that the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operated a covert prison in the country for terrorist suspects.

US President Barack Obama missed a self-imposed deadline of January 22 to close the detention facility for terrorism suspects in Cuba. More than 190 inmates still remain at Guantanamo.