Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže at NATO Headquarters

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg met with Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže at NATO Headquarters on Thursday (23 May 2024) to discuss stepping up support for Ukraine and preparations for the upcoming Washington Summit.

The Secretary General congratulated Latvia on the recent 20th anniversary of the country’s accession to NATO.

He commended Latvia’s pledge to increase defence spending to 3% of GDP by 2027 and thanked Minister Braže for Latvia’s significant contributions to the Alliance, including sending troops to NATO operations and missions in Kosovo and Iraq.

Latvia also hosts a Canadian-led multinational battlegroup, a base for NATO’s Baltic Air Policing Mission, and the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence.

Mr Stoltenberg further welcomed Latvia’s consistent and robust support for Ukraine.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg meets with Baiba Braže, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia

Looking ahead to the Washington Summit, the Secretary General said he expects Allied leaders will make progress in securing further long-term support for Ukraine, bolstering NATO’s deterrence and defence posture, and deepening cooperation with partners around the world, including in the Indo-Pacific.

Secretary General Stoltenberg and Minister Braže previously worked together at NATO Headquarters, where she served as Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy from 2020 to 2023.