Latvia’s contribution to international missions and operations: a way to achieve political goals

The most important Latvia’s contribution to the collective defence is involvement in international operations. The involvement of Latvia’s national contingent in international operations comprises several stages: preparation, deployment and post-deployment. The institutional framework plays an important role in the above-mentioned stages, because it includes decision making procedure and planning in compliance with the international operation tasks and responsibilities of soldiers. The aim is to determine whether the perception of policy makers has changed over time. Tasks to achieve the aim: identify the institutional system and responsibilities of institutions to prepare, deploy and provide the necessary support for Latvia’s national contingent during and after international operation; explore practical aspects of Latvia’s involvement in international operations.Methodology:Research is based on analysis of new institutionalism, defence policy planning documents, interviews with officials from the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia and the National Armed Forces of Latvia.Results:The most important authors of new institutionalism are J. March and J.P. Olsen, B.G. Peters etc. New institutionalism has three basic approaches: historical institutionalism, rational choice institutionalism and sociological institutionalism. Latvia’s participation in international operations is an important part of Latvia’s defence policy, and the Latvian national contingent is an instrument for the defence policy makers to achieve political goals, therefore significant attention should be paid to the national contingent’s preparation, deployment and post-deployment stage. The stages of involvement of Latvia’s national contingent in international operations may be considered as a path – a basis for Latvia to be not only a security and defence receiver, but also a provider