Riga, 30 August 2022 (TDI): From 27th to 29th August, Latvia hosted a delegation of US congressional staff. The delegation had meetings with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Latvia.
The meetings focused on discussing regional security, Russian transgressions in Ukraine, and its regional implications and issues related to energy security were also part of the agenda.
The visit of the congressional staff was arranged as part of a broader Baltic States program.
Furthermore, the delegation also visited Ādaži Military Base, MikroTik, and Atlas Aerospace companies. During the visit, they were introduced to Latvian-made products in the field of high-tech and unmanned aerial vehicles. This assessment visit is a statutory part of the program.
Baltic States program
The program encompasses regular visits to the Baltic states since 2013. The visits help United States Congress to access the security situation in the region and to understand the requisites of strengthening regional security.
The United States uses this assessment to allocate appropriate funds for the development of defense systems in the Baltic states. The funding is made to the defense sector under the Baltic state initiative.
This year, in 2022, the US Congress has approved $180 Million in defense assistance to the Baltic States to the Baltic states to strengthen their security capabilities
Also read: Latvia provides defense assistance to Ukraine
The Baltic States’ Search for Security
Since their independence in 1991, security has been a major problem for the Baltic states. The States have been trying to establish links with Europe and perceive Russia as a major threat.
Their aspirations for NATO membership are based on their security perspective. Baltic States are engaged in trying to upgrade their armed forces and solve their territorial and ethnic disputes to meet the NATO membership criteria.
In regards to their relationship with Russia, there are problems on a number of issues and they are trying to resolve them, as a normal friendly relationship between them will be beneficial for both sides.
