Strengthening defense cooperation and developing joint projects between Ukraine and Latvia: NSDC Deputy Secretary Davyd Aloian paid a working visit to Riga

Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Davyd Aloian paid a working visit to Riga (Republic of Latvia), during which he held a number of high-level meetings aimed at deepening Ukrainian-Latvian cooperation in the areas of security, defense, and the development of the defense-industrial complex.

As part of the visit, Davyd Aloian met with Prime Minister of Latvia Evika Siliņa, Minister of Defence Andris Sprūds, the Prime Minister’s National Security Adviser of the Republic of Latvia Airis Rikveilis, as well as members of the Saeima of Latvia — Chair of the National Security Committee Ainārs Latkovskis and Chair of the Defence, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Committee Raimonds Bergmanis.

During the meetings, the NSDC Deputy Secretary expressed gratitude to Latvia for its unwavering support for Ukraine since the first days of the full-scale war. In addition, he emphasized the importance of continuing defense assistance at the level of 0.25% of Latvia’s GDP.

One of the key topics was expanding Ukrainian-Latvian cooperation in the defense industry and launching new joint initiatives within the Build With Ukraine program.

Davyd Aloian noted that Build With Ukraine is not about relocating production, but about jointly building defense capabilities based on each side’s strengths. Ukraine offers unique combat experience, fast innovation cycles, and technologies. European partners, in turn, provide industrial capacity, regulatory stability, and long-term financial instruments.

In this way, cooperation is moving toward industrial partnerships — joint production, localization, cooperation in development, and predictable scaling of capacity.

Ukrainian-Latvian industrial cooperation has significant potential in this area. Key elements include strengthening direct cooperation between Ukrainian and Latvian enterprises, implementing joint projects, and exchanging technological solutions.
Special attention was given to interaction at the military level. Davyd Aloian met with representatives of the Latvian National Armed Forces — Chief of the Joint Staff Major General Georgs Kērliņgs and Deputy State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence for Logistics Major General Andis Dilāns.

The meeting discussed modern approaches to warfare, including the effective combination of UAV use with conventional weapons, which significantly increases effectiveness on the battlefield.

Davyd Aloian emphasized that the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine provides strategic coordination between state institutions, facilitates interaction with partners, and creates all necessary conditions for productive, long-term, and mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of security and defense.

Following the visit, the parties outlined further steps to develop defense cooperation and confirmed previous agreements on financial instruments to invest in joint projects.