Signed Technical Arrangement to support NATO Enhanced Forward Presence in Latvia

On 18 April, in Riga, Latvia, Brigadier General Ivo Mogiļnijs, Chief of Staff of the Joint Headquarters of the Latvian National Armed Forces, and Brigadier-General Bruce Ploughman, Chief of Staff Readiness Canadian Joint Operations Command, signed a Technical Arrangement which outlines the general principles governing the establishment and operation of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup in Latvia, as well as provision of host nation support for it.

“I am pleased that Canada led battlegroup will be soon deployed in Latvia, and this arrangement is the basis of its successful deployment in our country and provision of host nation support for it,” points out Latvian Defence Minister Raimonds Bergmanis. “Latvia is a member of the strongest military alliance in the world, and the presence of Canada led battle group in Latvia will strengthen our security significantly.”

“This event brings us one step closer to the arrival of Canadian Armed Forces personnel in Latvia, alongside our partners from Albania, Italy, Poland, Slovenia and Spain. Our leadership of the enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup reaffirms our unwavering commitment to the Alliance and its goal of collective security,” stresses Canadian National Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan.

The Technical Arrangement was signed during a solemn ceremony in the presence of His Excellency Alain Hausser, the Ambassador of Canada to Latvia, and Brigadier General (retired) Juris Kiukucāns, Executive Secretary for Military Capability Development, Latvian Ministry of Defence.

As we reported earlier, NATO multinational battalion-sized battle group will be deployed in Latvia in June this year, and it will be formed by about 1000 Allied soldiers, including up to 455 soldiers of the Canadian Armed Forces. 

At the NATO Warsaw Summit, it was announced that multinational battalion - sized battle groups will be deployed to the Baltic States and Poland and that Canada will assume the role of the framework nation of this battlegroup in Latvia. Albania, Italy, Poland, Slovenia and Spain have approved that they will contribute to the Canadian led multinational battlegroup to be deployed in Latvia.

Media Relations Section
MILITARY PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia
Phone: (+371) 6 7335045
E-mail: prese@mod.gov.lv