The U.S. Department of Energy announced a $1.3 million investment in strengthening border security and radiation detection in Latvia

RIGA – The U.S. Department of Energy announced the donation of surveillance and auxiliary equipment to the Latvian State Border Guard, a $1.3 million investment in strengthening border security and radiation detection in Latvia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Alliance.

U.S. Ambassador to Latvia Christopher Robinson and State Border Guard Chief Gen. Guntis Pujāts recently made an official visit to the Latvia-Belarus border to view infrastructure upgrades and discuss cooperative projects.

“Border security is an essential component of the United States’ security partnership with our Latvian Allies. We look forward to deepening that cooperation and we reiterate our commitment to ensuring that the NATO Alliance has the necessary capabilities to guard against all external threats,” Ambassador Robinson said.  

In recent years, the U.S. Embassy has worked closely with the State Border Guard to enhance border security cooperation between the U.S. and Latvian governments. 

The U.S. Department of Energy has donated approximately $1.86 million over the last year in portable and mobile detection equipment for border security and radiation detection.  In March 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense completed a project to transfer 67 Polaris tactical vehicles to improve off-road patrolling of the border.

The U.S. Embassy also has led capacity-building trips in which State Border Guard representatives traveled to the United States to meet with U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials.