Since Russia's aggression in Ukraine in 2014, and alongside the increased presence of allied forces in Latvia, the intensity of military exercises on our country's territory has also grown, and the Ministry of Defence has therefore purposefully developed and expanded its training infrastructure in order to strengthen the capabilities of Latvian and allied troops. The Ādaži training area has been the largest training site in the Baltic states for more than 90 years, and it was expanded in 2017. At the same time, over these years the Ministry of Defence has established several training areas, including the “Lāčusils” training area in Alūksne municipality, the “Mežaine” training area developed in Skrunda, and the “Meža Mackeviči” training area in Augšdaugava municipality. All of these training areas are used intensively and serve as training sites for soldiers and members of the National Guard, and troops from allied countries also train there so that, if the need arises, they can defend Latvia and every centimetre of our country.

According to the Ministry of Defence's plans, one of the country's defence priorities is to strengthen the permanent presence of NATO allied forces in Latvia by ensuring favourable host nation support arrangements and the fulfilment of the commitments Latvia has undertaken towards its allies. In view of the decisions taken at the NATO Madrid summit on a greater allied presence in the Baltic states, as well as the defence sector's ambitions regarding an increase in the number of National Armed Forces personnel, a new training area needs to be established in order to provide soldiers with a place to train. Likewise, following the war Russia launched without justification in Ukraine on 24 February 2022, several allies have demonstrated their readiness to defend Latvia by sending additional troops and equipment to us, which only increases the burden on the existing military infrastructure. Additional troops from the USA, Canada, Denmark and Spain have already arrived in Latvia this year, and they are strengthening their capabilities day by day, shoulder to shoulder with our soldiers and the NATO enhanced forward presence battlegroup.

The Ministry of Defence and the National Armed Forces have assessed several possible locations for the establishment of a new training area and have recognised as the most suitable option the creation of a training area in a territory covering Aizkraukle and Jēkabpils municipalities.

On 22 June 2023, the Saeima adopted, in its second and final reading, the Law on the Establishment of the “Sēlija” Military Training Area, setting out the preconditions for the creation of the new “Sēlija” military training area in the territories of Jēkabpils and Aizkraukle municipalities.

The concessions contained in the law will make it possible to begin construction of the training area's infrastructure on properties encumbered by servitudes that are subject to expropriation for public needs – for the construction of the military training area. Work that changes the condition and value of a property, such as tree felling or construction works, will, prior to completion of the expropriation process, be organised once the Ministry of Defence has taken a decision on determining fair compensation.

At the same time, the Saeima adopted amendments to the Forest Law that will allow state forest land to be received as compensation for an expropriated property, should the owner express such a wish.

The training area is being developed in such a way as to interfere as little as possible with the rights of private owners and residents' freedom of movement – most of the training area is planned on forest properties.

For the development of the “Sēlija” military training area, the Ministry of Defence plans to take over land with a total area of 25,596* ha, including:

1,001 ha of land owned by private persons (natural and legal persons);

24,595 ha of land owned by public persons (the state, local government).

The process of establishing the infrastructure and of expropriation is being organised in stages. The first stage, covering approximately 61% of the total area of the training area, is currently under way. The first stage provides for:

the expropriation of 14 properties owned by private persons with a total area of 160 ha, which is about 16% of the total area to be expropriated from private persons;

the transfer of 11 state properties held by the Ministry of Agriculture, with a total area of 15,430 ha, into the possession of the Ministry of Defence, which is about 63% of the total land to be taken over from public persons.

In 2023, 5 properties belonging to private persons with a total area of 90.3 ha were taken over into the possession of the Ministry of Defence, or 56% of the private land area envisaged in the first stage. The remaining 9 privately owned properties are at various stages of the expropriation process.

In order to transfer 11 state properties held by the Ministry of Agriculture into the possession of the Ministry of Defence, a draft Cabinet of Ministers order on the transfer of the properties has been prepared. Likewise, in 2023 an agreement was concluded with AS “Latvijas valsts meži” on the use of the land units required for the first stage of construction of the Sēlija military training area until their holder changes to the Ministry of Defence.

At present, the Ministry of Defence has at its disposal 99.6% of the total area planned for the first stage.

In implementing the establishment of the “Sēlija” military training area, the State Defence Military Sites and Procurement Centre has begun implementing the plan for the first stage of the training area's infrastructure. Work has started on drawing up construction designs for an unexploded ordnance zone, an ammunition storage site, firing ranges, a territorial development concept and other facilities, and 4 construction design contracts have been concluded.

Implementation of the first stage began in 2023 and is due to be completed by 2025.

Work is under way in parallel on the construction plan and the setting of technical requirements for the second stage of infrastructure.

In the second stage of establishing the training area, the main planned facilities will be:

A manoeuvre corridor;

Warehouses;

Barracks;

A canteen;

A medical centre;

Other support infrastructure.

The second stage of the project is due to be implemented from 2025 to 2030.

Once the second stage of establishing the Sēlija training area is complete, it will be able to accommodate and train a brigade-level NATO allied military unit, as well as State Defence Service units and other National Armed Forces units.

*the area is stated in accordance with the current stage of takeover and expropriation.