On Wednesday in Riga, the Defense Ministers of Latvia and Ukraine signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the military industry, the LETA agency reported from the Ministry of Defense.
The parties confirmed that they will continue to support and encourage cooperation in the field of military industry, including the training of military personnel, conducting research and development work, as well as the exchange of military technologies and knowledge between Latvia and Ukraine.
The memorandum establishes the commitment of the states to promote and support the creation of joint ventures in the defense sector.
During the meeting, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds handed over to his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal a list of products and technologies offered by Latvian military manufacturers. Ukraine will be able to select the necessary items from it, after which Latvia, considering Ukraine's choices and its own capabilities, will assess the possibility of procuring the corresponding products and technologies as part of military support. The list includes 54 companies and over 300 product names.
Shmyhal also met with Prime Minister Evika Siliņa on Wednesday.
During the meeting, she emphasized that Latvia supports Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor and that this support will not wane. "Next year, we plan to allocate 0.25% of GDP for military support to Ukraine," Siliņa assured.
The head of the Latvian government stated that Latvia is learning from Ukraine's experience on the battlefield and is using this knowledge to better prepare its soldiers and develop the defense industry, especially in the field of drones.
"The memorandum of understanding signed today in the field of defense industry opens new opportunities for enterprises of both countries in the development of technologies and the production of weapons that are so necessary for Ukraine on the battlefield," Siliņa stated.
In addition, Shmyhal has scheduled meetings today with the Speaker of the Saeima, Daiga Mieriņa, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže.
On Thursday, November 6, the defense ministers will visit the base in Ādaži, where a meeting with media representatives is also planned.
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