The Ukrainian-Latvian Business Forum was held at the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, during which the parties discussed cooperation in defense, energy, infrastructure, technology, and investment, and held a series of B2B meetings. Following the event, nine memorandums were signed, seven of which were in the military and dual-use sectors, and two in the trade sector.
The forum was attended by Ukrainian Minister of Economy Oleksiy Sobolev, Latvian Minister of Economy Viktors Valainis, Latvian Ambassador to Ukraine Andrejs Pildegovičs, Gennadiy Chizhikov, President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Aigars Rostovskis, President of the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; representatives of the Latvian Investment and Development Agency; and representatives of Ukrainian and Latvian businesses. The program also included a plenary session, a business session, separate panel discussions on defense, technology, energy, and infrastructure, as well as an AirBaltic workshop for Ukrainian companies.
Speaking at the forum, Gennadiy Chizhikov, President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, emphasized that the event signals a shift from political support to substantive economic cooperation. “Today’s forum is a very important signal for our business communities. It shows that Ukraine and Latvia are not limited to political support or general declarations. We are shaping a concrete agenda for economic cooperation—substantive, sector-specific, and results-oriented,” he said.
According to Chizhikov, for the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, cooperation with Latvia has a practical dimension, particularly in terms of expanding partnerships between companies, forming new production chains, promoting investment projects, and cooperation in sectors that will shape the economy of the future. He specifically noted that the forum’s program focuses on areas where both countries can achieve the greatest mutual added value—defense, energy and infrastructure, technology, investment cooperation, and practical B2B contacts.
Speaking about defense cooperation, Chizhikov stated that Ukraine today is not only a country that is defending itself but also a country that generates new solutions in the fields of security, defense technologies, and dual-use developments. “We are convinced that Ukrainian-Latvian cooperation in the field of defense tech can include joint development, technological cooperation, the integration of engineering solutions, and the creation of new products for the European security market,” he noted.
Separately, the president of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry emphasized the potential for cooperation in the fields of energy, infrastructure, and technology. According to him, Ukraine is interested in partnering with Latvian companies in the fields of energy efficiency, energy services, infrastructure restoration, logistics, municipal solutions, the digital economy, cybersecurity, telecommunications, and innovative entrepreneurship. He also highlighted the practical nature of the forum as a platform for negotiations, project presentations, and the launch of new partnerships.
“Our main message today is simple and clear: Ukraine and Latvia can achieve much more together. We can invest together. We can produce together. We can enter new markets together. And we can create a new economic reality together, in which the Ukrainian-Latvian partnership will be one of the examples of successful European economic cooperation,” Chizhikov stated.
He added that the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is ready to continue serving as an institutional partner for Latvian businesses in finding contacts, supporting projects, developing B2B dialogue, and deepening inter-chamber cooperation.
