France–Latvia: from a European relationship to an increasingly concrete partnershipFrance–Latvia: from a European relationship to an increasingly concrete partnership

A relationship set within a strategic framework

France and Latvia are both members of the European Union, NATO and the euro area. This institutional proximity forms the foundation of their relationship, but it no longer captures its full substance.

Bilateral cooperation is structured in particular by the France–Latvia Strategic Partnership Action Plan 2023–2027. When Ambassador Manuel Lafont Rapnouil took up his duties in 2024, the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was already highlighting the intensity of the political dialogue, as well as cooperation in the economic, security and education fields.

The regional context naturally gives security particular importance. Latvia lies on NATO’s eastern flank, and the Latvian authorities regularly highlight France’s contribution to the security of the Baltic region and to the long-term stability of this flank of the Alliance.

Yet reducing the Franco-Latvian relationship to its security dimension would mean missing an important shift: the partnership is now developing simultaneously in the economy, culture, education, research and at territorial level.

From economic diplomacy to companies

One of the most visible examples of this shift is the development of a Franco-Latvian ecosystem around business and investment.

In May 2026, the Gateway to France seminar held in Riga brought together, around companies, actors such as the Embassy of France, the Latvian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LTRK), the Business Club France Latvia, Business France, LIAA and risingSUD.

The objective was highly operational: developing business networks, presenting the opportunities offered by the French market and fostering investment and export cooperation between the two countries. This is precisely how the Ambassador presented the event in his public communication.

The event also enabled Latvian companies from very different sectors — technology, industry, defence, aviation, food and manufacturing — to present their activities and their international ambitions.

This logic matters: the economic relationship does not run solely in the France → Latvia direction.

It also concerns Latvian companies wishing to invest, export, find partners or develop their business in France.

It is this bilateral character that now needs to be strengthened.

A relationship that does not stop at Riga

Another interesting signal is emerging in territorial cooperation.

In February 2026, the Ambassador of France travelled to Jelgava with representatives of the Embassy and the Institut français. The discussions covered, at the same time, the economic environment, education, culture and the possibilities for future cooperation.

The city notably presented its industrial park and its economic profile, while the talks addressed ways of strengthening relations with French partners.

This visit is part of a longer-standing relationship: Jelgava and Rueil-Malmaison are twinned, and new projects between them continue to be explored. The Ambassador himself has publicly referred to the prospects linked to this territorial cooperation.

This type of relationship is of particular interest because it brings Franco-Latvian cooperation down from the institutional level to that of territories, educational institutions, companies and local actors.

Culture as long-term infrastructure

The cultural dimension has just been further strengthened.

On 24 September 2026, France and Latvia signed an action plan for cultural cooperation covering the period 2026–2031.

This is not merely a declaration of intent. The arrangement provides a framework designed to facilitate joint projects, the circulation of works, the mobility of professionals, artist residencies, translations, co-productions, training and the exchange of good practice.

The choice of a horizon extending to 2031 is significant: it anchors this cooperation in the long term.

The Ambassador also highlights the role of the 30th anniversary of the Institut français de Lettonie in 2027, with a programme intended to reach Riga but also Latvia’s regions.

Culture here is more than a parallel strand of the diplomatic relationship. It creates human networks, mutual understanding and habits of cooperation whose effects often extend beyond the cultural sector alone.

Education, research, technology: the next bridges

This broad conception of the partnership is also reflected in the Embassy’s public priorities.

In his communications, Manuel Lafont Rapnouil explicitly links linguistic, university, scientific, technological, environmental and educational cooperation to the building of partnerships between France and Latvia.

For its part, the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlights the country’s interest in developing the learning of French, notably as a second foreign language in Latvian schools.

These are areas whose results are measured over several years, but they contribute directly to the depth of an economic relationship: talent mobility, university cooperation, joint research, linguistic understanding and the ability of companies to recruit people familiar with both environments.

An ecosystem rather than a single institution

What ultimately emerges from these initiatives is the diversity of the actors involved.

Embassies, ministries, economic agencies, chambers of commerce, business networks, local authorities, universities, cultural institutions and entrepreneurs each play a part in the relationship.

The strength of the Franco-Latvian partnership therefore depends less on any single institution than on the ability of this ecosystem to work together.

It is also within this architecture that the role of the French Foreign Trade Advisors (CCE) fits.

The CCE do not replace the Embassy, the Economic Service, Business France or professional organisations. Their value lies elsewhere: the operational experience of executives and entrepreneurs who deal with the realities of the market every day.

In Latvia, this knowledge of the ground can help to better understand the local economy, identify sectoral developments, support French companies and feed back to public actors an interpretation grounded in entrepreneurial experience.

From institutional relations to concrete projects

The challenge in the coming years will therefore be less about multiplying statements on the quality of Franco-Latvian relations than about gradually turning this proximity into observable results.

• More French companies present in Latvia.
• More Latvian companies developing their activities in France.
• More joint projects.
• More collaboration between territories, universities and research centres.
• Greater circulation of talent.

The current momentum shows that several building blocks are already in place.

From now on, the true indicator of the depth of the France–Latvia relationship will be its capacity to produce concrete cooperation on a lasting basis.

And it is precisely this evolution that CCEF.LV intends to observe and document.