The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced that from December 1 to 4, 2024, she will travel to Riga, Latvia, to attend the second Canada-Baltic “3+1” Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and to Brussels, Belgium, to attend the NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

“Canada enjoys an excellent relationship with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania based on person-to-person ties, common fundamental values and Canada’s commitment to defence and deterrence on the Alliance’s eastern flank, including through the leadership of NATO Multinational Brigade Latvia. Canada’s priority for NATO is to ensure the Alliance remains modern, flexible, agile and able to face current and future threats. During this visit, I hope to continue strengthening relations with our NATO allies, as well as advancing our commitment to defending our shared values, security and freedom.”

- Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs

• Canada enjoys an excellent relationship with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania based on shared fundamental values that include support for democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and for the rules-based international order.

• Canada is the framework nation of NATO Multinational Brigade Latvia, which involves personnel from 13 member states, highlighting Canada’s and the Alliance’s commitments to NATO’s core principle of collective defence. Canada’s contributions to the Brigade are coordinated under Operation REASSURANCE, the largest overseas mission of the Canadian Armed Forces.

• Canada was a founding member of NATO. Today, NATO comprises 32 member countries unified in their commitment to safeguarding the freedom of their peoples based on the principles of democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law.

• Current Canadian contributions to NATO include:

  • supporting NATO deterrence and defence measures in Central and Eastern Europe through Operation REASSURANCE—Canada’s largest international military operation, with approximately 1,900 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members currently deployed. Under Operation REASSURANCE, Canada has been leading the multinational enhanced Forward Presence battlegroup in Latvia since 2017. In July 2023, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the renewal and expansion of Operation REASSURANCE, committing $2.6 billion to a 3-year mandate, with up to 2,200 CAF troops continuously deployed
  • deploying HMCS Charlottetown to join and assume flagship duties of Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) as part of Operation REASSURANCE in the Mediterranean Sea. Canada currently leads SNMG2, 1 of NATO’s 2 multinational standing maritime groups, and will hand over command of SNMG2 to Türkiye on December 3, 2024
  • hosting the NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence, located in Montréal, Quebec, and the North American regional office of NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic, located in Halifax, Nova Scotia
  • continuing to support training and capacity-building efforts in the Middle East under Operation IMPACT, including through NATO Mission Iraq, which was set up under Canadian command, and contributing to lasting security and stability in the country
  • providing CAF personnel to the NATO-led international peace support operation in Kosovo through Operation KOBOLD

Associated links

• Canada-Latvia relations
• Canada-Estonia relations
• Canada-Lithuania relations
• Canada and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
• Minister Joly to travel to Belgium to attend NATO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting

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