Relationship dossier
Iceland
Latvia
Relationship assessment
Iceland’s early recognition of Latvia and bilateral arrangements underpin a cooperative relationship.
Iceland toward Latvia
+25Iceland recognized Latvia’s restored independence in 1991, becoming the first country to do so. The governments also maintain bilateral tax arrangements.
Latvia toward Iceland
+15Latvia participates in bilateral tax arrangements with Iceland. The extent of other direct Latvian government cooperation with Iceland is less clear.
Overall relationship
+25The relationship has a cooperative foundation in Iceland’s prominent support for Latvia’s restored independence and in bilateral tax arrangements. NATO membership provides a shared security framework, while the scope of sustained cooperation directly between the two governments is less clear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Iceland’s early recognition of restored Latvian independence and the countries’ bilateral tax arrangements provide concrete foundations for cooperation. Their NATO membership offers a broader setting for security cooperation, though the scope of direct bilateral activity is less clear.
Key developments
Iceland recognized Latvia’s restored independence, becoming the first country to do so.
The countries established bilateral arrangements to address double taxation.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral cooperation beyond recognition and tax arrangements are unclear.
- The extent of direct security cooperation between the governments is unclear.