Comprehensive State Defence
On January 8, 2019, the Cabinet of Ministers reviewed and endorsed the Ministry of Defence’s informational report on the implementation of a comprehensive national defense system in Latvia. Its goal is to promote a responsible attitude toward the state and its security among the entire society by deepening cooperation among state institutions, introducing effective public-private partnership mechanisms, and establishing tools for public self-organization in the event of a crisis. At its meeting on January 28, 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers approved, and on May 29, 2025, the Saeima adopted amendments to the National Security Law, the Law “On Emergency Situations and States of Exception,” the Law on the Structure of the Cabinet of Ministers, and the Civil Service Law, providing for the reorganization of the crisis management system and stipulating that, going forward, the Crisis Management Center will be responsible for civil crisis management and the coordination of inter-agency cooperation at the national level, while also ensuring the coordination of issues related to the comprehensive state defence system.
The Crisis Management Center, as a unit within the State Chancellery under the functional supervision of the Prime Minister, began operations on July 1, 2025, with the aim of ensuring the planning, preparation, and implementation of crisis management measures. The Crisis Management Center plays a central role in the implementation of comprehensive state defence. Its mission is to prepare the documents necessary for decision-making, as well as to coordinate the work of institutions involved in civil crisis management and crisis communications. The Crisis Management Center cooperates with ministries and local governments, helping institutions improve their crisis management processes as well as the ability of various institutions to collaborate. The establishment and launch of the Crisis Management Center ensure a unified understanding of incidents and crises with the potential to affect multiple sectors, and provide a foundation for timely political and institutional engagement at the strategic level.
In light of the approved amendments to the National Security Law and the integration of the Crisis Management Center into the comprehensive state defence system, the Crisis Management Center has assumed a coordinating role in the implementation of the comprehensive national defence system, thereby strengthening the Crisis Management Center as the central coordinator within the comprehensive national defence system and developing proposals regarding the division of roles, areas of responsibility, resource allocation, and a regular training system, as well as mapping out operational mechanisms between the Crisis Management Center and the Comprehensive State Defence Working Group and its subgroups, the Civil Protection Operational Management Center, sectoral operational management centers, sectoral crisis management and resilience centers, and local governments. In 2025, the Ministry of Defence prepared and submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers draft legislation regarding the necessary amendments to Cabinet of Ministers Order No. 155 of April 4, 2019, “On the Comprehensive State Defence Coordination Group,” and Cabinet of Ministers Order No. 381 of June 22, 2023, “On the Establishment of a Working Group for the Oversight and Coordination of the Implementation of Comprehensive State Defense.”
On February 6, 2026, amendments to Cabinet of Ministers Order No. 36 “On the Working Group for the Supervision and Coordination of the Implementation of a Comprehensive State Defence System,” which stipulates that this group is led by the Director of the Crisis Center and that the Crisis Management Center performs the secretariat functions of the working group. Furthermore, in accordance with the amendments made to the order, the ministerial-level working group format for the coordination of comprehensive state defence has been abolished. Going forward, issues related to comprehensive national defence, resilience planning, implementation, and coordination will be addressed at the Cabinet of Ministers’ crisis management meetings, while a working group at the level of state secretaries will continue to ensure and promote a unified understanding among sectoral ministries regarding comprehensive state defence at the strategic level and cross-sectoral cooperation, submitting relevant decisions for consideration at the Cabinet of Ministers’ crisis management meetings.
The defence of the Latvian state and the preservation of its independence are the shared responsibility of the entire society, which is carried out through comprehensive national defence at all levels—from the individual to the national— ensuring a broad range of measures to strengthen Latvia’s deterrence and defence capabilities and to promote societal resilience and awareness.
To promote the public’s resilience to all types of crises, the Ministry of Defence has prepared informational materials and videos, including the booklet “What to Do in a Crisis,” so that in an emergency, every citizen can take care of themselves and their loved ones during the first 72 hours.
In 2024, an updated version of the booklet “What to Do in a Crisis” was published. It includes information on family action plans for crisis situations, providing practical guidance on developing a plan tailored to one’s place of residence. It also includes updated information on what to do in a crisis, essential supplies for emergencies, and items to keep in your car.
Drawing on Ukraine’s experience in the fight against the Russian occupying army, the handbook “What to Do in the Event of War” was published in 2024. It provides guidance on stockpiling supplies, communication and information gathering, what to do during shelling or if you find yourself in a combat zone, preparing your home as a shelter, maintaining psychological resilience during wartime, as well as other important information on coping with war.
National Defense Education has been introduced as a required course in Latvian secondary schools since September 1, 2024. In the 2025–2026 school year, National Defense Education is being successfully implemented in 271 secondary schools. As part of National Defense Education, children and young people are taught the fundamentals of citizenship and are provided with skills in the field of defense, while their courage, initiative, and sense of responsibility toward themselves and others are developed and strengthened.
To foster public trust in reliable defence-related media within the broader media landscape, the Ministry of Defence has launched a news portal dedicated to defense topics—“Sargs.lv” (https://www.sargs.lv/). This website, like the Latvian Army’s YouTube channel, provides the public with a wide range of information on defense and security topics and current events in the sector.
Within the framework of comprehensive state defence, increased attention is being focused on promoting the overall resilience of the national economy, ensuring the continuity of services essential to society, and strengthening critical infrastructure. Based on amendments to the National Security Law drafted by the Ministry of Defence, the definition of critical infrastructure has been expanded and a new classification established, adding sectoral critical infrastructure—or Category D critical infrastructure—to the framework. Category D covers critical infrastructure whose destruction, reduction in operational capacity, or interruption of critical services would significantly threaten public and national security during a declared state of emergency or wartime. Category D critical infrastructure encompasses services whose operation must be ensured during any crisis so that residents can continue their normal daily routines for as long as possible. The Ministry of Defence, in cooperation with sectoral ministries, identifies potential Category D critical infrastructure with the aim of ensuring the provision of all services essential to society, even during crisis situations.
One of the most important principles of comprehensive state defence is the decentralization of responsibility for crisis management. Each sectoral ministry is responsible for crisis management within its area of responsibility, while each Latvian municipality is responsible for crisis management within its territory.
As part of a comprehensive state defence strategy, increased attention is being paid to organizing various training exercises aimed at overcoming national threats. For example, since 2020, the National Armed Forces have been conducting the “Pilskalns” training exercises for municipal civil defensce commissions, while the readiness of state institutions to respond to national security threats is tested during the comprehensive state defence exercises “NAMEJS” and “AMEX.” The Cabinet of Ministers’ decision-making processes and crisis management procedures are tested during the strategic-level exercise “Kristaps.”