On Wednesday Vance is meeting Defense Minister Raimonds Bergmanis to discuss the implementation of the decisions taken during the NATO Warsaw summit. Bergmanis will introduce Vance with Latvia's defense priorities, investments into developing military infrastructure and improving Latvia's capabilities as a receiving country.
While on September 15 Vance is to meet Latvian chief of defense Raimonds Graube to discuss the upcoming deployment of Canada-led NATO troops to Latvia.
During his visit, Canada's military chief is to visit the Ādaži military base and lay flowers at the Brethren Cemetery.
Canada is due to send around 450 personnel to Latvia in early 2017 as part of a NATO decision to bolster its eastern border. Canada will be leading a battalion of multinational NATO forces.
The Defense Ministry previously stated that the specific countries which will be a part of the Canada-led battalion in Latvia will be known after a meeting of NATO defense ministers in October.
The significant strengthening of the NATO presence in the Baltic states comes as a direct result of Russia's overt and covert military and hybrid actions in Ukraine.
