On 29 November 2021 in Riga, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Edgars Rinkēvičs, had a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, Mélanie Joly, for a discussion on the political dialogue between the two countries, cooperation between Latvia and Canada on security matters and in NATO. The officials also shared opinions on economic cooperation and on current international relations issues, especially security situation in Ukraine, Afghanistan and Ethiopia.
During the meeting, Edgars Rinkēvičs thanked for the presence of Canadian troops in Latvia, as Canada is providing a considerable contribution to security not only of Latvia but also of the entire Baltic region. The Ministers were unanimous about the need to raise awareness among the general public in Latvia and Canada about Canada’s presence in Latvia. This would also further enhance business contacts and cultural ties between the two countries. The Latvian Foreign Minister drew attention to Latvia continuing large-scale procurements of Canadian AirBus aircraft, thereby notably increasing the trade statistics.
The parties also discussed the migrant crisis triggered by Belarus, and the security situation in Ukraine. According to Edgars Rinkēvičs, Ukraine should continue receiving strong international support.