On 4 April 2023, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Andris Pelšs, met with a United States Congressional staff delegation for a discussion on bilateral cooperation between Latvia and the United States of America, the security situation in the region, the war waged by Russia on Ukraine, and the fight against disinformation. During their stay in Latvia, members of the US Congressional staff are having meetings with Latvian public officials, as well as visiting the military base of the National Armed Forces in Ādaži and US troops deployed in Latvia.
In a conversation with US Congressional staff, the State Secretary Andris Pelšs praised the excellent bilateral relations between Latvia and the US and the strong transatlantic unity, which is of particular importance in the current geopolitical situation. The meeting highlighted Latvia’s leadership in assistance efforts for Ukraine in both bilateral and multilateral formats, and the unwavering support by the US in the defence sector.
During their visit in Latvia from 3 to 5 April, the U.S. delegation also has meetings with officials at the Saeima (The Latvian Parliament), the President’s Chancery, the Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as experts from the NATO Strategic Communication Centre of Excellence. The delegation is also visiting the Office of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Riga and a Latvian company, Atlas Aerospace, where they will get acquainted with a manufacturing facility for unmanned aerial vehicles.
Background information
Visits by the US Congressional staff 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 on the ground 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 225 million USD in defence assistance to the three Baltic States to bolster their capabilities in 2023.