The event titled “new government, renewed priorities. An update with H.E. Brian Szwarc, Ambassador of Canada to Latvia” took place on Monday, April 28th, 2025 at the Pullman Riga Old Town Hotel.
Over the last few months, Canada has witnessed many political changes. These started with the implementation of the Trump tariffs earlier this year, then the resignation of then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, followed by the Canadian general elections on April 28th, 2025 with the re-election of a minority Liberal government headed by a new Prime Minister, Mark Carney.
Given the current geopolitical context, many questions were being raised. For us in Latvia, how will this affect Latvia? Will deteriorating conditions between the US and Canada provide incentives for Canadians to consider the EU to diversify commercial activities in our direction? Will the pressure on NATO spending affect us? And may more questions come to mind.
On May 27th, King Charles III delivered the Speech from the Throne which outlined the government's legislative agenda and priorities for the upcoming parliamentary session.
Ambassador Szwarc provided an update on the new Government’s composition and shared an overview of the key points raised in the Throne Speech. The following are the main effects related to Latvia:
- Canada continues its NATO commitment by the Canadian Armed Forces leading Task Force Latvia as the top priority. Increased Canadian defense spending assures support of Task Force Latvia and Latvian security.
- The development of stronger commercial and trade relations between Canada and Latvia is now the second priority of the Embassy. This recognizes that the US is still Canada’s most important trading partner, but also acknowledges the need for Canadian businesses to diversify in response to the Trump administration’s economic policies related to Canada.
Ed Kalvins noted that CanCham’s newly introduced strategy on the development of strategic partnerships is aimed at enhancing our engagement with Canadian companies, even those reluctant to committing resources to the Northern European market. This strategy will be promoted in the coming months. This could also facilitate Latvian companies wishing to enter the Canadian market to develop strategic partnerships with Canadian companies.
Ed Kalvins,
Chairman,
Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Latvia
