On 5 February, President Edgars Rinkēvičs met with Minister of Defence Andris Sprūds at the Riga Castle. The discussion focused on the increasing presence of NATO allied forces in Latvia and the country’s role as a host nation, including the progress of military infrastructure development.
During the meeting, the Minister of Defence provided an update on the development of the “Sēlija” military training area. Discussing key defence capability procurements, President Rinkēvičs emphasised the importance of air defence capabilities and ensuring that the National Armed Forces (NBS) are well supplied with ammunition and weaponry.
"The assessment of threats determines the collective capability goals of both Latvia and the entire Alliance to ensure effective deterrence and defence and to implement NATO defence plans. Defence capabilities come at a cost, which is why we must find solutions to increase our investments in security and defence," emphasised E. Rinkēvičs.
The President also discussed with the Minister of Defence the upcoming National Security Council meeting on 19 February, which will address the issue of increasing national defence spending and the necessity to strengthen the capabilities of the NBS in line with NATO objectives.
