Prime Minister Carney meets with President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs

CANADA, June 24 - Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, met with the President of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, on the margins of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Summit in The Hague, the Netherlands.

Building on the two countries’ already strong ties, the Prime Minister and the President discussed deepening the Canada-Latvia partnership, with a focus on increasing trade and investment, including in defence and energy.

They reaffirmed their shared commitment to regional security and underscored the importance of achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. They also discussed the need to increase pressure on Russia, including through sanctions.

Prime Minister Carney reiterated Canada’s support for Euro-Atlantic security, as demonstrated by its leadership through the Canada-led NATO Multinational Brigade in Latvia. He thanked the President for Latvia’s exemplary role in hosting Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members serving under Operation REASSURANCE. The operation includes approximately 2,000 personnel, making it the largest deployment of CAF members overseas.

The Prime Minister also outlined Canada’s plan to rebuild, rearm, and reinvest in the CAF – meeting the NATO 2 per cent target this year and accelerating defence investments in the years ahead.

The leaders agreed to remain in close contact.