After a drone dispute toppled the Siliņa cabinet, Kulbergs' four-party coalition took office in May 2026. Following the 3 October election the president renominated Kulbergs, who expects to present a new cabinet by 18 November.
What a Korean company can do now
Government · leader
Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs (United List, since 28 May 2026; in office after the October election, renominated 4 Nov) / President Edgars Rinkēvičs
Key national agenda
- Border, economic and energy security
- Continued support for Ukraine and measures to weaken and isolate Russia
- Eastern border operation VILKATIS (to 31 Dec 2026)
- Secure Rail Baltica funding and tighter project oversight
- Stricter immigration law (residence permits of Russian and Belarusian citizens)
Government programmes
Rail Baltica, Latvian sectionUnconfirmed (technical solutions adjusted to funding)
Monthly progress reporting to cabinet; five CEF grant agreements being amended. Applied to CEF Reflow 2026 (EUR 1.1bn total, 350m rail; deadline 6 Oct 2026). Latvia-Lithuania border section (BP9-BP11) works contract targeted for Jan 2027
Eastern border operation VILKATISNot disclosed
Operation on the eastern border until 31 Dec 2026 (State Chancellery)
Cybersecurity checks of remotely controlled equipmentNot disclosed
After cyberattacks on refrigeration systems, the Crisis Management Centre asked ministries and municipalities to check remote equipment (5 Nov 2026)
airBaltic second funding trancheEUR 125m (second tranche)
Conditions attached to a second EUR 125m tranche (single source)
Namejs 2026 crisis exerciseNot disclosed
Tested central-municipal cooperation in crises
Business opportunities
OT and industrial-control cybersecurity
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Low-emission bus supply
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Open this week
Rail signalling and dispatch control
Latvian Railways tendered a microprocessor dispatcher centralisation system for Riga-Lugaži.
Latvijas dzelzceļš
Transformers and rectifiers
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Tenders
- Microprocessor dispatcher centralisation system, Riga-Lugaži section · Latvijas dzelzceļš (state railway) · Deadline 2026-11-23
- Environmentally friendly buses (2 lots) · SIA Daugavpils satiksme · Deadline 2026-11-20
- Medium-voltage transformers and rectifiers for traction substations 6 and 28 · Rīgas satiksme · Deadline 2026-11-19
- Installation and replacement of 115/10.5kV transformer at Imanta heat plant · AS Rīgas siltums · Deadline 2026-11-27
- Sloka wastewater treatment plant reconstruction (design and build) · SIA Jūrmalas ūdens · Deadline 2026-11-30
Korean support schemes
- KOTRA government-to-government (G2G) and market support · KOTRA — KOTRA acts as the contracting party in G2G defence exports (e.g., Estonia's Chunmoo deal). The KOTRA office covering the Baltics/Slovenia was not confirmed in this review.
- SME Export Voucher · KOSME / KOTRA — General voucher scheme for certification, marketing and consulting costs; usable to prepare for EU public procurement (e.g., CE marking).
- K-SURE short-term export credit insurance · K-SURE — General cover for non-payment risk on EU buyers.
Official notices
Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia / State Chancellery
- 2026-11-05 Crisis Management Centre urged cybersecurity checks of remotely controlled equipment
- 2026-11-03 Kulbergs government continues until the Saeima approves a new cabinet
- 2026-10-13 Namejs 2026 exercise tested central-municipal crisis cooperation
- 2026-10-07 Eastern border operation VILKATIS to run until 31 Dec
Disaster · conflict · epidemic
Stable 2026-11-07
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Earth & space
Credit rating · FX
Unconfirmed (latest ratings not verified from an official source in this review) · K-SURE Unconfirmed · EUR +0.1%
Sanctions
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An EU and NATO member, not subject to country-level sanctions.
