Latvia's strategic friendship with the US is mutually beneficial - Silina

RIGA - Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina (New Unity) said today during a meeting with US Ambassador to Latvia Chritopher Robinson that Latvia's strategic friendship with the United States is mutually beneficial.

During today's meeting, Robinson and Silina discussed the priorities of the partnership, focusing on areas such as defense, security and economic partnership and inclusive society, which, according to Silina, is one of the priorities of this government.

Silina affirmed that Latvia's strategic friendship with the United States is mutually beneficial in areas such as investment attraction, export promotion, military cooperation and border security.

The prime minister and the US ambassador also discussed the close and practical cooperation between the two countries, both bilaterally and within NATO, in support of Ukraine.

As reported, the government intends to strengthen the country's security in the next two years in the context of transatlantic relations, according to the action plan of the government led by Silina.

The plan is to strengthen the country's security both in the long term by ensuring the presence of NATO forces in the region, implementing the alliance's strategic concept, and by participating in the development of the European Union's (EU) security and defense policy, promoting the resilience and defense capabilities of member states in complementarity with the development of NATO capabilities, strengthening closer cooperation with Latvia's transatlantic partners and promoting EU-NATO cooperation.

The government, in cooperation with the Defense Ministry intends to promote initiatives and support EU decisions to strengthen defense industries and military production. It also plans to strengthen strategic cooperation with the US in the areas of security policy, economic and financial cooperation, European energy security, cyber security, strategic communication, education, media and freedom of expression.