BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 21. From 20 to 21 August, Latvia’s Minister of Defence Andris Sprūds is on a working visit to Ankara, Türkiye, where he will meet with Turkish Defence Minister Yaşar Guler to discuss current geopolitical issues and bilateral defense cooperation, including expanding collaboration within the international Drone Coalition, Trend reports.
During the visit, Minister Sprūds will also hold talks with representatives of Türkiye’s defense industry, including the leadership of the Defence Industry Agency (SSB), as well as executives from leading defense technology companies Aselsan and Roketsan.
The agenda further includes familiarization with the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capabilities of the Turkish Armed Forces, followed by visits to the MKE ammunition factory and the state-owned defense company ASFAT.
Latvia and Türkiye maintain bilateral defense cooperation in the field of military education and training. Representatives of the Ministry of Defence and the National Armed Forces have participated in NATO’s Partnership for Peace courses in Ankara, as well as other Turkish military and civilian training programs.
Earlier this year, at the International Drone Summit, Türkiye announced its intention to join the Drone Coalition. The decision was formally endorsed on 2 July in Riga during a meeting of the coalition’s leadership committee.
The Drone Coalition, co-led by Latvia and the United Kingdom, now consists of 20 member states that have signed a Letter of Intent: Latvia, the United Kingdom, Australia, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Estonia, Italy, New Zealand, Canada, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Türkiye, Ukraine, Germany, and Sweden.
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