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Latvia

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President Prime Minister	Raimonds Véjonis (Latvian Green Party – Centrist party, since 2015) Māris Kučinskis (Union of Greens and Farmers, since 2016)
Population	1,973,700
Size	34,300 km² (88,900 sq. miles)
MEPs	8 (joined the EU in 2004)
Next presidential election Next legislative election	July 2019 October 2018
Presidency of the Council	July – December 2028
Last meeting with Theresa May	16 December 2016, at EU Summit
Brexit priorities	The UK has always been an ally for Latvia, particularly in terms of trade and promoting the importance of the internal market. It will be crucial for the Latvian Government to keep cooperating closely with the UK in the area of defence and security, as the UK is an important NATO partner that Latvia needs now it is facing security threats from Russia. As Latvia receives many EU funds, it will also look closely at how Brexit might impact the EU’s budget, as the UK is a large contributor and there is a chance that the funds allocated to certain countries will have to be reduced. Furthermore, with 80,000 Latvians living in the UK, the Latvian Government will seek to protect their rights as residents of the UK.
What Mr Kučinskis said on Brexit	3 February 2017 “What is most important is to think about a beneficial partnership (and) find an amicable solution to all of this.” “There are negotiators who are taking care of the best possible deal for both sides so that’s the top priority at the moment.” “Every member state is looking to build the best possible trading relationship with the UK and I think that the whole union will also benefit from a strong trading relationship with the UK,” 21 February 2017 “We see an opportunity for our companies and organizations to use Brexit for the creation of new synergies – we offer Latvia as a convenient place for opening businesses, education institutions and representations of financial services in EU territory.”
Latvia’s priorities	The Government’s priorities are to strengthen the economy, invest in education and health and deal with growing security concerns over Russia. Latvia will increase its defense budget to 2% of GDP in 2018, as stipulated by NATO rules.