On 20 February, President Edgars Rinkēvičs met with Prime Minister of Lithuania Gintautas Paluckas at the Riga Castle. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the close bilateral relations, regional security, support for Ukraine, and the strengthening of transatlantic ties.
President Rinkēvičs welcomed the Prime Minister's first visit to Latvia in his new role, highlighting the close political and economic cooperation between the two countries. He also acknowledged the significant progress made in enhancing regional energy security, including the disconnection of the Baltic states from the Belarusian and Russian electricity grid.
The President of Latvia emphasised that Europe must take greater responsibility for its own security and continue providing consistent and comprehensive support to Ukraine. "Europe must take greater responsibility for its security. It must maintain consistent and comprehensive support for Ukraine while working alongside the United States to achieve lasting peace. This is in the interests of Europe, Ukraine, and the United States," said E. Rinkēvičs.
During the meeting, the officials also discussed strengthening Europe’s defence capabilities and defence industry, protecting critical infrastructure, and other matters related to regional security.
