NATO countries to significantly increase presence in Latvia

Latvia's Minister of Defense, Andris Spruds, revealed plans to host around 5,000 NATO troops in the country over the next few years.

The Canadian-led Enhanced Forward Presence battle group in Latvia will be expanded to the level of a multinational brigade. It is expected that the brigade will reach full operational readiness by 2026, comprising around 3,500 troops, he said, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

Concurrently, NATO forces will be stationed in Latvia for various operations, bringing their collective strength to about 5,000 personnel within the next two years, Minister Spruds confirmed.

The commencement of NATO's expanded presence to brigade level was marked by a ceremony at the Adazi military base on July 3. Minister Spruds hailed Latvia as the first Baltic nation to host a NATO multinational brigade.

The Adazi military base will serve as the main hub for the brigade, with headquarters situated in Ceri, Marupes County, and major exercises conducted at the Selia training ground.

Major General Jette Albinus, Commander of NATO's Multinational Division North, emphasized at the ceremony that this day marks an important milestone as representatives from 14 alliance countries begin arriving in Latvia. "This is a signal that we are united and ready to face any challenges, including aggression from another country," she underscored.

In the coming months, Latvia and NATO allies will take further steps to transform the battle group into a fully operational brigade, according to the agency.

In June 2022, at the NATO summit in Madrid, Latvia and Canada signed a declaration to strengthen and further develop the Enhanced Forward Presence battle group in Latvia. In July 2023, ahead of the NATO summit in Vilnius, ministers from both countries signed a roadmap at the Adazi military base outlining future steps for transforming the battle group into a brigade.

Colonel Cedric Aspiro will oversee the formation of the brigade, as well as the arrival and integration of other battlegroups into it.

Currently, the Canadian-led Enhanced Forward Presence battle group in Latvia, on a rotational basis, includes approximately 1,900 troops from Albania, Canada, Czech Republic, Iceland, Italy, Montenegro, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and North Macedonia. Denmark and Sweden will also be part of the new NATO multinational brigade in Latvia.