When meeting at the annual Baltic SAIs Forum, which took place during the INCOSAI XXV in Egypt this year, the Baltic SAI teams discussed current national security and defence issues, as well as communication of audit results and strengthening public trust. During the Forum, participants exchanged experiences on the main activities of 2025, priorities for 2026, as well as shared future plans, achievements and challenges related to public financial management and the effective use of public funds.
“The Baltic states are facing similar challenges such as defence spending is growing rapidly, public expectations for transparency and responsible behaviour with public funds are increasing. Our common task is to make sure that the funding intended for security is used meaningfully and makes a real contribution to national defence. Therefore, the main goal of the Forum was to share experience on how to strengthen the role of audits, promote transparent governance and maintain public trust,” emphasised Auditor General Edgars Korčagins.
Auditor General Edgars Korčagins presented completed and currently ongoing audits in the field of national security and defence at the Forum, including on human resource development in the National Armed Forces of Latvia, strengthening the Eastern border, development of medical support capabilities in military structures and cooperation with the civilian health sector.
In the discussions, colleagues from Estonia and Lithuania outlined the challenges of transparency in defence procurement, as well as balancing public information between secrecy requirements and responsibility for public trust and transparency of processes.
At the same time, the communication of audit results was also an important topic of the Forum. The participants agreed that targeted and understandable communication helped the public understand the essence of what was revealed in audits. Ms Gunta Krevica, Head of the Communication Division of the State Audit Office of Latvia, stressed that audit communication did not begin and did not stop only with the publication of a final audit report, as communication covers the entire audit life cycle from the start of an audit to the moment when the implementation of recommendations is completed. Communication is not just about visibility but also about trust, about the confidence that audits are conducted professionally, independently and in the public interest.
The experience of the SAI Estonia confirms that the basis of effective communication is simple and clear language. On the other hand, the SAI Lithuania stressed that communication was important both to inform about audit results and to demonstrate their significance to the public.
At the conclusion of the Forum, participants agreed to continue regular consultations and joint initiatives in 2026, with particular attention to cooperation in audits on defence and security issues.
About the State Audit Office of Latvia
The State Audit Office of the Republic of Latvia is an independent, collegial supreme audit institution. The purpose of its activity is to find out whether the actions with the financial means and property of a public entity are legal, correct, useful and in line with public interests, as well as to provide recommendations for the elimination of discovered irregularities. The State Audit Office conducts audits in accordance with International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions INTOSAI (ISSAI), whose recognition in Latvia is determined by the Auditor General. Upon discovering deficiencies, the State Audit Office of Latvia provides recommendations for their elimination, but it informs law enforcement authorities about potential infringements of the law.