Canadian Defense Minister to Visit Latvia Amid Deployment of NATO Battlegroup

Canadian Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan will travel to the Latvian capital of Riga this week to speak at a security conference, Canada’s Department of National Defense said in a release on Monday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — In June, Canada announced that Ottawa would establish a rotational NATO battlegroup to Latvia to enhance the block’s defense posture in Eastern and Central Europe.

"He [Sajjan] will … speak at the Riga Conference, which is known as a unique venue for dialogue on international security issues between leading global decision makers," the release stated.

Sajjan’s trip abroad, scheduled for October 24-29, will begin with a visit to Paris, France, where the minister will attend the Counter-Islamic State Ministerial Meeting of the US-led coalition.

Sajjan will then travel to Brussels, Belgium for a NATO Defense Ministers’ meeting, according to the release.

Following the NATO defense ministers' summit in June, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed that the Alliance had agreed to deploy four multinational battalions to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. The ministers also agreed on measures to enhance defense and deterrence in the Black Sea region.