“Canada is an Ally and friend of particular importance to Latvia and the Baltic States and has a history of protecting our independence. As Latvia’s Ally in NATO, Canada continues contributing to our security. I highly appreciate and offer my thanks to the Canadian Foreign Minister for current cooperation, Canada’s leadership as the framework nation of NATO’s Multinational Brigade in Latvia, and its commitment to remain a security guarantor for Latvia and the entire region,” Foreign Minister Baiba Braže highlighted at the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Baltic States and Canada in Riga.
On Monday, 2 December 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Baiba Braže, welcomed the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Baltic States and Canada to Riga to strengthen dialogue in the “3+1” format on matters of shared interest.
This is already the third meeting in the present format. It focused on transatlantic relations, the security situation in Europe and globally, Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, further support to Ukraine, and cooperation with global partners, including in the Indo-Pacific region. Taking part in the meeting were the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Mélanie Joly, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Margus Tsahkna, and the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Egidijus Meilūnas.
The Canadian Foreign Minister’s visit to Latvia and a joint meeting of the Baltic and Canadian ministers strongly evidence the countries’ commitment to close transatlantic cooperation.
“Transatlantic cooperation is a long-term priority and a cornerstone of Latvia’s foreign and security policy, which includes strengthening the competitiveness of both the NATO eastern flank and the transatlantic area. Latvia is committed to ensuring all the infrastructure required to host the Allied presence,” Baiba Braže underlined.
Baiba Braže also pointed out that the Canadian military has been present in Latvia since 2017. “The establishment of the Canada-led NATO Multinational Brigade in Latvia is a powerful element of deterrence and defence.
The Latvian Foreign Minister emphasised that containing Russia and providing strong support to Ukraine are essential for the long-term interests of transatlantic partners.
She highlighted that Russia is a long-term threat in the Euro-Atlantic region, and “we must take every effort to contain it comprehensively. This includes reducing revenue to its economy, which in turn undermines its combat capabilities”.
The Minister stated, “We must target Russia and those supporting its aggression with stronger sanctions”. He also called for increased contributions to the security of the allies.
The Minister praised the recent Resolute Warrior 2024 exercise, which demonstrated the readiness of the Canadian-led NATO Multinational Brigade in Latvia to respond to threats. The exercise showcased the ability to project forces, maintain command and control, and ensure effective cooperation among member nations. This was the largest exercise led by Canada in Europe in the past 30 years.
