Inevitably events in Ukraine were to the fore with Latvian Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma describing them as "a wake-up call" that would force the region to "get real about defense" in her introductory remarks.
The conference continues Saturday and can be viewed live by clicking here.
It is the ninth time the conference has taken place and is one of the first major events to take place in the newly-opened Latvian National Library building.
