Areas of activity

Intelligence is one of the MIDD’s principal areas of activity aimed at obtaining information about the intentions and activities of foreign governments, government institutions, organizations or individuals directed or potentially directable against the Republic of Latvia and its vital national interests. The MIDD is the national institution for signals intelligence, which carries out and controls signals intelligence and ensures the protection of the obtained information.

Counterintelligence is the MIDD’s activity aimed at ensuring the protection of the national constitutional system, national independence, national economic, scientific, technical and military potential, official secrets and vital national interests and security against espionage, sabotage, subversive activities, terrorist acts and other threats, as well as at implementing specific measures to prevent or discontinue such threats or eliminate their consequences.

An official secret is such military, political, economic, scientific, technical or other type of information which is included in the list approved by the Cabinet of Ministers and the loss or illegal disclosure of which may cause harm to national security, economic or political interests. The MIDD carries out activities (incl. security vetting of individuals and premises) to ensure the preservation of an official secret and prevent its illegal disclosure (use) within the Ministry of Defence, its subordinate institutions, the National Armed Forces, military sites, as well as institutions, organisations and commercial undertakings if their activities are related to an official secret in the area of military defence.

In carrying out intelligence and counterintelligence activities and fulfilling other functions, the MIDD closely cooperates with other Latvian state security institutions (the Constitution Protection Bureau, the State Security Service), as well as with foreign partner services.In carrying out intelligence and counterintelligence activities and fulfilling other functions, the MIDD closely cooperates with other Latvian state security institutions (the Constitution Protection Bureau, the State Security Service), as well as with foreign partner services.