From 30 March to 1 April 2026, the Political Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ivars Lasis, was on a working visit to the United States (US) with the aim of strengthening dialogue and cooperation between the two countries on a range of strategically important bilateral and multilateral issues. During the visit, Ivars Lasis met with several officials from the US Department of State, including the Political Director, Allison Hooker; Deputy Directors of the Bureau of European Affairs, Chris Smith and Sonata Coulter; as well as the Director of the American-Central European Business Association (ACEBA), Eric Stewart; and Senior Fellow at the Centre on Europe and Eurasia in the Hudson Institute, Daniel Kochis.
In discussions with the State Department's Political Director, Allison Hooker, and other officials, attention was focused on deepening and expanding security, defence, and economic relations between the two countries, particularly in the defence industry, energy, and technology sectors. The most pressing European security issues were also discussed in preparation for this year’s NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, including accelerating the strengthening of European defence capabilities and the security of NATO’s eastern flank, increasing pressure on Russia, as well as continuing comprehensive support for Ukraine. US officials welcomed Latvia’s commitment, ratified in law on 26 March of this year, to allocate 5% of its gross domestic product to defence annually by 2027, making Latvia a role model for other Allies. Political Director Allison Hooker confirmed that it is in the US interest to promote closer transatlantic cooperation.
Ivars Lasis also discussed current security policy challenges, as well as the strengthening of transatlantic relations and unity, with the prominent US think-tank, the Hudson Institute. Strengthening cooperation to raise awareness of the long-term threats to transatlantic security posed by Russia was also discussed.
Discussions with ACEBA leadership focused on further fostering contacts and cooperation between Latvian and US businesses, with the aim of encouraging greater US investments in Latvia.