On 20 April, at the invitation of President Edgars Rinkēvičs, a discussion was held at the Riga Castle on the role of the defence industry in strengthening overall national defence capabilities, ensuring security of supply, and addressing current challenges in increasing the industry’s capacity.
Opening the discussion, the President emphasised that the geopolitical situation is becoming increasingly tense, and that the state must become more self-sufficient in the provision of military equipment and ammunition. This requires not relying solely on allied resources, but fostering closer cooperation between the public sector, businesses and researchers.
“We must be capable of providing the essentials for the development of our own armed forces and those of the region. We can no longer rely on the assumption that everything is fine “on paper”. This applies to ammunition and military equipment. The experience of Ukraine and the Middle East shows that drone and counter-drone technologies are developing very rapidly, and we must constantly improve them. There is little point in producing reserves years in advance if they become outdated within six months. In Latvia’s context, it is crucial to establish a sustainable system of cooperation in production and to reassess bureaucratic procedures,” the President noted during the discussion.
Assessing progress to date, President Rinkēvičs called on participants to focus on the future – how to address existing challenges in production and competitiveness, workforce attraction, reducing bureaucracy, procurement and contract procedures, and what changes are needed in the regulatory framework. He also highlighted Latvia’s commitment, enshrined in the National Defence Financing Law, to invest 5% of gross domestic product in defence, noting that the defence industry’s ability to meet growing demand and requirements is of decisive importance.
The discussion was attended by the Ministers of Defence and Economics, as well as representatives of defence industry associations, businesses, higher education institutions and defence sector experts.
