Statement by the Prime Minister on Latvia's Independence Day

OTTAWA, ON, Nov. 18, 2023 /CNW/ - The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on Latvia's Independence Day:

"Today, we join Latvian communities in Canada and around the world to celebrate Latvia's Independence Day.

"Canada and Latvia share close ties based on common values of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law, as well as a mutual commitment to transatlantic security. In 2004, Canada became the first country to ratify Latvia's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Since 2017, under Operation REASSURANCE, Canada has served as the Framework Nation for the NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battle Group in Latvia, to strengthen deterrence and defence efforts in the region.

"I was pleased to visit Latvia earlier this year and to announce new funding to renew and expand Operation REASSURANCE, with a focus on scaling the multinational combat-capable battle group to brigade size. This operation is the largest Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) overseas mission and our contribution to the biggest reinforcement of the Alliance's collective defence in a generation. I thank Latvia for its continued hospitality toward CAF personnel stationed in their country.

"Beyond defence co-operation, the relationship between our two countries is also deeply rooted in strong people-to-people and commercial ties. Canada is home to nearly 30,000 people of Latvian descent who have made, and continue to make, significant economic, social, and cultural contributions to our country. And the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement continues to create good middle-class jobs and new opportunities for people on both sides of the Atlantic.

"On behalf of the Government of Canada, I extend my best wishes to all those celebrating Latvia's Independence Day today. We will continue to build on our countries' extensive partnership as we strive for a more peaceful world."

This document is also available at https://pm.gc.ca

SOURCE Prime Minister's Office