Latvia, Netherlands expand drone defence cooperation

Industry representatives, military officials and policymakers from Latvia and abroad gathered in Riga for the second consecutive year at the Drone Summit, where Latvia and the Netherlands signed a memorandum on closer cooperation in defence innovation, testing and training.

The agreement provides for the use of Latvia’s new Sēlija military training ranges by the Dutch armed forces for military exercises, including drone and counter-drone operations, Delfi reports. 

Outgoing Latvian Prime Minister and acting Defence Minister Evika Siliņa said the memorandum would strengthen national security while also creating opportunities for local industry.

“The memorandum also demonstrates the political will of both countries to deepen our cooperation in the field of defence. The agreement foresees that the Dutch armed forces will use the drone and anti-drone capabilities of the Sēlija military range for training, exercises and testing. This also means an increased military presence of the allies here in Latvia,” Siliņa said.

She is currently also serving as defence minister following the resignation of Andris Sprūds.

One of the primary objectives of the still under-construction Sēlija training area is to facilitate joint allied initiatives. Allied forces have long participated in activities at Latvia’s Ādaži military base, but the growing scale of operations has made available space increasingly limited.

Dutch Defence Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius highlighted rising security concerns along NATO’s eastern flank and stressed the need for greater military readiness in response to Russia’s ongoing aggression.

“I know that here in the Baltics, you feel these threats every day. Russia is accelerating its military production, so we must be smarter, faster and more flexible so that our continent is safe and we continue to support our Ukrainian friends,” she said.

By Vafa Guliyeva