From 31 May to 2 June 2022, Latvia hosted a visit from a delegation of the United States Congressional Staff.
During their visit, congressional staffers met with Andris Pelšs, State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Juris Štālmeistars, Head of the Economic Relations, Trade and Development Cooperation Directorate, as well as with Rolands Heniņš, Deputy State Secretary, Political Director at the Ministry of Defence, and Jānis Kažociņš, National Security Adviser to the President of Latvia. The meetings addressed the security situation in the region, Russia’s hostilities in Ukraine and their broader impact, as well as issues related to energy security.
The delegation visited Camp Ādaži military base and Latvian companies developing advanced technologies in the field of 5G and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The visit of the congressional staff was arranged as part of a broader Baltic States programme. Visits of this kind to the Baltic States have been taking place on a regular basis since 2013. They help the United States Congress to explore the security situation in the Baltic region and to understand what is required for the strengthening of the Baltic States’ security.
Each year, the United States Congress makes an assessment of and assigns funding for the development of the Baltic States’ defence sector under the Baltic Security Initiative. In 2022, the United States Congress approved 180 million USD in defence assistance to the Baltic States to bolster their capabilities.