During the conversation, the President of Latvia thanked Canada for its contribution to Latvia’s security, undertaking the leadership of the Allied Multinational Battalion in Latvia following the decision of the NATO Summit in Warsaw. “At the time when extensive military exercise of Russian military forces is taking place at the borders of the Baltic States, we appreciate the Enhanced Forward Presence in the region. The Canadian-led NATO Battle Group has achieved full operational readiness,” emphasised Raimonds Vējonis.
He pointed to the ever-growing cooperation between NATO and the EU to reduce a hybrid threat, as well as the importance of strategic communication, highlighting the deterrence message of the NATO mission and welcoming Canadian support for the operation of the NATO Strategic Communication Centre of Excellence located in Riga.
Raimonds Vējonis also expressed his satisfaction with the delivery of the new generation of aircraft Bombardier CS 300 aircraft to the national airline, airBaltic, as the renewed fleet will enable the airline to work at a lower cost and become greener.
During the meeting, the President of Latvia noted the active political dialogue and economic cooperation between the two countries. Latvia was the first EU Member State to ratify the EU-Canada Trade Agreement (CETA).
“The trade turnover with Canada has grown significantly in recent years, and the CETA will bring new opportunities for businesses from both countries. We look forward to developing even closer economic cooperation, both by diversifying exports of Latvian goods and by attracting investments from Canada,” told Raimonds Vējonis.