RIGA, April 24 (LETA) - Latvia is earmarking substantial funding for the military not to wage war but to ensure lasting peace in the country, Prime Minister Evika Silina (New Unity) said in her Defense Industry Day address.

In Latvia, deterrence and defense are often mentioned as one of the most effective means of ensuring peace and security in our region, but often it is still necessary to explain to the public why the country arms itself and why it spends so much money on it, the prime minister said.

"We are arming ourselves not to wage war but to achieve peace, so that peace in our country was lasting, while the weaponry served as a guarantee of this peace," Silina said.

Latvia and its allies have shown that they are ready to defend every inch of their land and NATO territory. "In our everyday lives, it rarely occurs to us that in combat situations, our soldiers would also depend on things like supply and logistics chains, which in turn depend on production capacities and the availability of raw materials," the prime minister added.

Silina stressed that the effectiveness of the defense industry in deterring a potential enemy is as important as a country's ability to provide the necessary intensity of combat operations.

The prime minister noted that it is in the interests of national security to develop a sustainable defense industrial and technological base and security of supply. In 2023, Latvia invested EUR 4.3 million in defense industry projects, a further EUR 4.9 million are earmarked for this year, and EUR 6.85 million for 2025. Defense Minister Andris Sprūds (Progressives) has been urging the government to allocate even more funds for these purpose, Silina said.

The prime minister said that she had heard the entrepreneurs' calls for simpler bureaucratic procedures and a more modern regulatory framework. The Defense Ministry, in collaboration with the business community, must work to take these issues off the agenda, the prime minister said.

Silina also emphasized the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) for national defense. The government is working on solutions to rationally address AI issues in security and defense, education, economy, transport, and will soon take conceptual decisions on this. The defense industry will be among the first to hear about this and will be able to participate in projects, Silina said.