BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 20. Latvia is engaged
in fostering practical cooperation between Azerbaijan and the
European Union (EU), Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Baiba
Braže said in an exclusive interview with Trend during the
Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
She pointed out that relations between Latvia and Azerbaijan are
traditionally close and constructive, encompassing excellent
political dialogue, inter-parliamentary exchanges, sectoral
cooperation, economic and people-to-people contacts.
“Moreover, since 2017 these relations have been elevated to the
level of a strategic partnership, reflecting a high degree of
mutual trust and understanding. In the current turbulent
geopolitical environment, the importance of such strategic
relations cannot be underestimated. We share a common understanding
of the importance of the UN Charter, namely multilateralism,
international law, and the rules-based international order, as well
as respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of
independent states. Our partnership helps us in defending these
principles together, using both our bilateral engagement, as well
as cooperation within international organizations,” said the
minister.
Braže noted that Latvia’s current membership as an elected
member in the UN Security Council provides an additional
opportunity to work in support of the core principles of the UN
Charter.
“We also commend the positive dynamics in the EU – Azerbaijan
relations, where Latvia, as an EU Member State, is engaged in
fostering closer dialogue and practical cooperation for mutually
beneficial engagement,” she added.
Speaking about the progress in the peace process between Armenia
and Azerbaijan, Latvia’s foreign minister noted that her country
commends the agreements reached on 8 August 2025 in Washington
D.C., in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump.
“They mark a significant breakthrough to end decades of
conflict. Latvia fully supports the Armenia-Azerbaijan
normalisation process, where we see continued constructive
engagement from the both sides. Latvia considers it important for
the international community to promote and facilitate this process.
The eventual signing of a peace treaty will significantly
contribute to security, stability as well as prosperity in the
South Caucasus region, while also opening new opportunities for
closer cooperation with Europe, including in the field of
connectivity,” she said.
The Latvian foreign minister also talked about the issues which
were high on the agenda of her participation at the Antalya
Diplomacy Forum.
“My central message was that it is crucial to maintain NATO’s
360-degree approach to defence and deterrence, as security
challenges and threats from different directions are increasingly
interlinked. Russia’s full‑scale war of aggression against Ukraine
has exposed critical gaps in Europe’s defence industrial capacity,
prompting large-scale investments in ammunition production, supply
chains, and long-term procurement. To ensure that the Alliance
remains militarily and politically strong, European and Canadian
allies must devote more resources to collective defence and
generate substantial capabilities and forces. This is the “peace
through strength” approach that the security environment demands
and it must guide our national and collective efforts in the
preparations for the NATO Summit in Ankara,” she explained.
Braže went on to add that the EU could operationalise its
economic‑security toolbox under the European Economic Security
Strategy and its reinforcement in the joint communication on
Strengthening EU Economic Security, notably through de‑risking
critical dependencies, countering economic coercion, and aligning
trade, investment‑screening and industrial instruments.
“From Latvia’s perspective, EU economic security needs to be
built through our partnerships – our FTAs, our Economic Security
dialogues, work within the G7 and possible plurilateral
initiatives. The EU has a strong shared interest in working closely
with like-minded partners, where cooperation to ensure a shared
understanding and strengthened economic security is already
underway. Deepening partnerships and reinforcing the rules‑based
international order – an explicit pillar of the Economic Security
Strategy – is essential to contain regional crises and prevent them
from mutating into systemic economic disruptions.
Energy price volatility remains one of the most immediate
transmission channels of instability. Also here the EU has already
tools at its disposal. For example, REPowerEU – a comprehensive
plan to rapidly end dependence on Russian fossil fuels, accelerate
the green energy transition, and increase energy efficiency. It is
an imitative that is specifically aimed at diversifying supply,
stabilising markets and containing price volatility,” she
added.
The Latvian minister noted that the European Union’s response to
the crisis intensified by the war against Iran builds directly on
the lessons learned from overcoming its past energy
dependencies.
“Reliance on Russian energy created disproportionate
vulnerabilities, and reducing that dependence required major
political effort and significant economic cost. This experience has
strengthened the EU’s ability to react quickly and implement
coordinated measures, including joint gas purchasing, reinforced
strategic reserves and targeted market interventions. At the same
time, the crisis reaffirms that sustained investment in renewables
has been the right strategic choice. Work on wind, solar and
hydropower is being accelerated across the Union, with nuclear
energy remaining under discussion as an additional option. For
Latvia, strong hydropower capacity provides an important
foundation, but diversification of the energy mix remains essential
to adapt to changing conditions. The Baltic states’ disconnection
from the Russian BRELL system has been a crucial step, speeding up
integration into the wider EU energy network and improving the
ability to move energy where it is most needed. These efforts
strengthen both Europe’s security and its global competitiveness
[and additionaly increase energy price affordability],” Braže
concluded.
