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On Tuesday, August 26, Prime Minister Evika Siliņa met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who arrived in Latvia on his first official visit. During the meeting, Prime Minister Carney officially announced that Canada will continue to lead NATO’s Multinational Brigade in Latvia, reaffirming a firm commitment to ensuring allied presence in the Baltic region.
“We are very grateful to Canada for its armed forces’ presence in Latvia and for its leadership in commanding the NATO brigade. The brigade led by Canada is the first on the eastern flank to have already carried out brigade-level exercises. Its presence in Latvia is a clear signal to our allies and also to the aggressor – we are united and strong,” said E. Siliņa, emphasizing that this decision is highly significant for the security of Latvia and the wider region.
The heads of government of both countries discussed not only security and defense issues but also opportunities for economic cooperation, support for Ukraine, closer collaboration within NATO, and the use of opportunities offered by the European Union.
“Latvia is determined to strengthen economic cooperation as well. Our companies in the fields of digital technologies, hydrogen, drones, construction, and food production are very interested in and have great potential for closer cooperation with Canadian businesses,” noted the Latvian Prime Minister.
The talks also devoted special attention to support for Ukraine: “Latvia and Canada continue to steadfastly support Ukraine in various ways in its fight against Russian aggression. This is a very important signal to the aggressor – we stand together with Ukraine.”
