LATVIA – NEWS
Canada will deploy 15 Leopard 2 tanks with personnel and equipment to Latvia in the next few months, the defence ministry has told LETA. The decision was announced by Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand at a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels on Friday. The tanks will be deployed in Latvia as part of the development of NATO’s forward combat team.
The Canadian-led multinational battlegroup currently has more than 1,700 soldiers from 11 countries, including Albania, Canada, the Czech Republic, Iceland, Italy, Montenegro, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and northern Macedonia. These troops participate in daily joint military exercises with the Latvian National Armed Forces, helping to improve allied cooperation in responding to security challenges.
In line with the decisions taken at the NATO Summit in Madrid on 29 June last year, the Latvian and Canadian defence ministers signed a declaration on the strengthening and expansion of the NATO advance combat team in Latvia to the brigade level.
The transfer of 15 Leopard 2 tanks and the further strengthening of the NATO forward combat team in Latvia is a clear example of NATO Allies’ commitment to collective security and support to their allies in the Baltic region. These actions will help ensure stability and demonstrate NATO’s resolve to address potential threats.
Source: 15min.lt
