On 15 November, President Edgars Rinkēvičs paid a working visit to Brussels, the Kingdom of Belgium, and met with the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Valdis Dombrovskis.
The meetings focused on support to Ukraine, the European Union's (EU) enlargement policy, the situation in the Middle East, strengthening the EU's defence industry capacity, as well as migration challenges, paying special attention to the situation on Latvia's eastern border.
President Rinkēvičs expressed support for the EU's enlargement policy, in particular with regards to the opening of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. "The European Union must send a clear signal of support to European countries committed to democratic reforms. At the same time, aspiring countries must embrace the values and principles of the European Union not only in words, but also by clearly demonstrating the results of reforms," Rinkēvičs noted. The President of Latvia indicated that he fully supported the opening of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. He also welcomes the efforts of the Western Balkan countries to introduce the necessary reforms.
Discussing Russia's aggression against Ukraine, President of Latvia confirmed Latvia's unwavering support for Ukraine, calling on the EU to provide all necessary support. "Russia's aggression against Ukraine remains the most significant security threat. The European Union and its member states must do everything possible to support Ukraine for as long as necessary. All the commitments made so far to provide military and financial support in the short and long term must be honoured. The capacity of the defence industry must be built up and the necessary decisions taken to ensure that Ukraine is financed without interruption," said E. Rinkēvičs.
Discussing the situation in the Middle East following the Hamas terrorist attacks against the State of Israel on 7 October 2023, President Rinkēvičs acknowledged Israel's right to self-defence, while stressing the need to reduce the threat to Palestinian civilians and to prevent the deterioration of the humanitarian situation and the escalation of the conflict in the wider region.
The President of Latvia also raised the issue of the hybrid attack by Belarus on the EU's external border. E. Rinkēvičs called on the EU to address the artificially created migration crisis, including by adapting migration legislation to the current challenges and maintaining political pressure on the A. Lukashenko regime.
