On 17 July 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže, met with the members of the United States Congress – the co-chair of the House Baltic Caucus, Representative Don Bacon, and a Caucus member, Representative Salud Carbajal. The officials discussed political, economic and defence cooperation between Latvia and the United States, the recent NATO Summit in Washington, support to Ukraine, as well as international developments.
During the conversation, the Minister thanked Congressmen Don Bakon and Salud Karbahal for contribution made by the House Baltic Caucus of the U.S. Congress to the strengthening of ties between the U.S. and the Baltic States, and of the Baltic States’ security though support for the Baltic Security Initiative (BSI) in the Congress. The Minister commended U.S. leadership in the strengthening of transatlantic security and underlined the importance of U.S. presence in the Baltics to reinforce deterrence and defence capabilities, addressing the threat posed by Russia.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže: “At the recent NATO Summit in Washington, I had the opportunity to ascertain that the NATO Alliance was united, capable of action and ready to invest sizeably in defence capabilities. Latvia greatly appreciates the U.S. leadership and the broad support of both parties in the Congress for the transatlantic Alliance and to Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor.”
The Minister emphasised that immediate and sustainable support to Ukraine against the Russian aggression is crucial for the victory of Ukraine, which is guarantor of security and stability for Latvia, the Baltics and the entire Euro-Atlantic space. The Minister informed U.S. officials about Latvia’s contribution to security, which will exceed 3% of GDP this year already.
The officials also exchanged views on the potential for economic cooperation between the two countries, notably in the fields of innovation, new technologies and military industry.
The Representatives of the U.S. Congress are staying in Latvia from 16 to 18 July as part of their regional visit to the Baltic States. The Representatives are scheduled to meet with the Prime Minister Evika Siliņa and the Minister of Defence, Andris Sprūds, and to visit military bases.
