From 15 to 18 July, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica visited the US to participate in the Aspen Security Forum—one of the world's most influential platforms for dialogue on security and foreign policy.
“We see that the American public’s attention in foreign affairs is divided between developments in the Middle East, relations with China, and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Our task is to ensure that halting Russian aggression remains a top priority on the US political agenda, and that Europe—including Ukraine—stays in clear focus. Russia’s war in Ukraine, China’s behaviour and activities in the Indo-Pacific, and the situation in the Middle East are deeply interconnected. They cannot be addressed in isolation. This war is being fought both on the ground and in the digital realm. We must be able to defend ourselves, our allies, and our societies,” emphasised Kalniņa-Lukaševica, drawing attention to the link between Russian aggression, developments in the Middle East, and China’s ambitions.
In discussions with forum participants, Kalniņa-Lukaševica highlighted Latvia’s readiness to cooperate in the development of high technologies and artificial intelligence. Latvia’s newly established Artificial Intelligence Centre and dedicated regulatory framework drew considerable interest from both researchers and technology companies.
In her meetings, Kalniņa-Lukaševica presented Latvia’s perspective on the importance of US support for Ukraine and continued presence in the Baltic region, as a means of deterring and containing Russian aggression. “Only strength and a unified stance among allies can stop Russian aggression. Russia’s leaders only respond to power—this must include both military measures and far-reaching sanctions.”
The purpose of the Deputy Speaker’s visit was to strengthen transatlantic ties, particularly through deeper engagement with US officials and by providing insights into the security situation in the Baltic region.
The Aspen Security Forum brings together political leaders, security and foreign policy experts, and think tank representatives annually to address pressing global security challenges. This year’s opening panel discussion focused specifically on Europe’s security challenges and the threat posed by Russia. A dedicated session was also held on support for Ukraine, including arms deliveries and the reinforcement of sanctions against Russia.
Key topics at this year’s forum also included developments in the Middle East, China’s growing influence, India’s strategic ambitions, as well as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, advanced military technologies, space security, energy resilience, and international trade cooperation .
During the forum, Deputy Speaker Kalniņa-Lukaševica met with current US Senator Christopher Andrew Coons, former Senators Roy Dean Blunt and Kay Bailey Hutchison, and former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Kalniņa-Lukaševica also held meetings with leaders and researchers from the Aspen Strategy Group, The Aspen Institute, the Atlantic Council, and the Hudson Institute, as well as representatives from OpenAI, Amazon AWS, the Krach Institute, Radia, and Defcon AI. Additional engagements included discussions with EU Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, Latvia’s Honorary Consul in Colorado Aivars Ziediņš, and Baiba Cisco, a representative of the Latvian American Chamber of Commerce in Denver, along with a number of other officials and private sector representatives from the US, Ukraine, and Israel.
This marks the first time Latvian representatives have been invited to participate in the Aspen Security Forum. The invitation to Deputy Speaker Kalniņa-Lukaševica was personally extended by the forum’s director Anja Manuel.
Saeima Press Service