On 22 July, President Edgars Rinkēvičs chaired a meeting of the National Security Council at Riga Castle.
The Council discussed current international security policy issues and their impact on national security. Participants included Ināra Mūrniece, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Saeima. The Council agreed that the NATO Summit held in Ankara, Türkiye, on 7–8 July had been successful for Latvia, highlighting the unity of the transatlantic Alliance, it’s clear commitment to collective defence as the highest priority, and the substantial increase in defence spending by NATO's European Allies and Canada. At the same time, the Council discussed Latvia's next steps in strengthening national security and defence through close cooperation with NATO Allies, partners such as Ukraine, and companies operating in the defence industry.
The Council expressed its appreciation to Canada for its decision to extend the mandate of the Canadian military presence in Latvia until 2031 and to increase the number of Canadian troops stationed in the country. It also welcomed Canada's decision, together with Latvia and Denmark, to assume the role of framework nation for NATO's Multinational Division North.
As part of preparations for the 15th Saeima elections, the Council reviewed progress to date, the timetable for the remaining preparations, and the key priorities for ensuring the successful conduct of the elections. The Council heard briefings from the Chairman of the Central Election Commission, Māris Zviedris, the Director of the State Digital Development Agency, Valdis Pusvācietis, the Chairman of the Board of the state-owned company “Latvian State Radio and Television Centre”, Ģirts Ozols, and the Deputy Head of CERT.LV, Varis Teivāns, on security aspects of the election process, including the performance of digital platforms and protection against external interference. The Council called on all responsible institutions to establish clear protocols for polling stations in the event of a potential airspace threat on election day. The Council concluded that preparations for the elections are currently progressing in accordance with the planned timetable and scope.
The Council also reviewed the findings following the major cyber incident affecting the infrastructure of the Joint Stock Company “Latvijas valsts meži”. It heard briefings from the Minister for Agriculture, Uldis Augulis, representatives of “Latvijas valsts meži”, and CERT.LV on the analysis of the incident and the measures implemented to reduce future risks.
The Council also discussed the current situation on Latvia's eastern border, with particular attention to migratory pressure and acts of sabotage on the Latvia–Belarus border, and received reports from state security institutions. The Council agreed on a set of specific measures to be implemented by the Ministries of the Interior, Defence and Foreign Affairs, in close cooperation with the state security institutions, to normalise the situation on the eastern border.