From 27 to 29 August 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, Alise Balode, Head of the Economic Relations, Trade and Development Cooperation Directorate, Jānis Kažociņš, National Security Adviser to the President of Latvia, and Rolands Heniņš, Deputy State Secretary, Political Director at the Ministry of Defence, as well as members of the Saeima (Latvian Parliament) Inese Voika and Reinis Znotiņš. The meetings addressed the current security climate in the region, Russia’s hostilities in Ukraine and their broader impact, as well as issues related to energy security.
As part of its programme, the delegation also visited Ādaži Military Base and MikroTik and Atlas Aerospace companies, where they were introduced to Latvian-made products in the field of high tech 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 in the current year.