On November 9, 2023, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Krišjānis Kariņš met with the Ambassador of Canada to Latvia, Brian Szwarc. In their meeting, the Foreign Minister and the Ambassador discussed recent developments in bilateral cooperation and foreign policy, and the security situation in the region and across the globe, including support for Ukraine against Russia’s full-scale aggression, and developments in the Middle East.
The officials agreed that Latvia and Canada were like-minded countries whose relations are based on cooperation in the Euro-Atlantic space, a common understanding of values, the international rules-based order, and the role of multilateral cooperation in solving global issues.
The Minister thanked Canada for its invaluable contribution to the security and defence of Latvia. In particular, the Minister emphasized the enhancement of NATO presence and a course towards the establishment of a combat-capable brigade, which is both an essential safeguard of security for Latvia and the Baltic States region and a strong political commitment to Allied solidarity.
The diplomats also discussed the situation at Latvia’s external border and the ways for strengthening economic cooperation, especially in the fields of high technology and military industry.
