President of Latvia Egils Levits is currently in Slovakia with an official visit aimed at discussing current geopolitical situation, NATO and European Union (EU) response to Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting humanitarian crisis with Slovakia’s president, prime minister and speaker of the national parliament.
In addition to discussing the current geopolitical and regional security issues, President of Slovakia Zuzana Čaputová and President of Latvia Egils Levits also discussed humanitarian crisis caused by Russian invasion of Ukraine and help offered by European countries to Ukrainian refugees. President of Latvia praised Slovakia for rapid coordination of EU’ s civil security and humanitarian assistance to Ukrainian. Egils Levits also underlined that government and all people in Latvia have strongly supported Ukraine, while national and local governments quickly offered support to war refugees. Egils Levits also underlined that Latvian government and people have strongly supported Ukraine, while national and local governments have offered various support to war refugees.
Meeting also focused on current security along NATO’s Eastern Flank and reinforcement of Alliance’s eastern flank together with other allies. ‘Latvia and Slovakia unanimously support strengthening of NATO’s eastern flank. NATO heads of state and government, having met for extraordinary summit in Brussels, have sent a strong signal to Kremlin by establishing four additional battle groups in Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary,’ President Levits said.
President thanked Slovakia for its contribution to NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group Latvia. ‘150 Slovakian troops deployed in Latvia means that Slovakia has one of the largest contingents of Latvian battle group. This is a concrete contribution of Slovakia to the security of Latvia and the Baltics, as well as the collective defence of NATO member states. It is absolutely crucial in these circumstances,’ President of Latvia Egils Levits said during the press conference.
As regards to the Strategic Compass for the EU, an ambitious plan of action for strengthening the EU's security and defence policy by 2030 recently adopted by the Union, presidents of both countries agreed that coordinated EU and NATO actions will contribute to safer Europe as a whole.
Egils Levits and Zuzana Čaputová both stressed the need for an international tribunal to prosecute Russia for its war crimes and crimes against humanity. Prosecution of and more rigorous EU sanctions against Lukashenko’s regime in Belarus are also needed.
Role of mass media in curbing and preventing disinformation was another issue raised by heads of both states. Continued fight against Kremlin’s propaganda, which aims to justify or further lies spread by Russian establishment about its war in Ukraine, is indispensable. ‘Democracies are not helpless. We must be able to defend ourselves against all threats to our democratic systems and public opinions. We must fight disinformation to ensure free democratic discourse. Latvia has already made the necessary steps. Our meeting, inter alia, focused also on closer bilateral cooperation, exchange of experience and joint efforts to come up with new ways to cut back disinformation and anti-democratic propaganda,’ Egils Levits said.
Presidents of Slovakia and Latvia also discussed EU’s joint efforts in stepping up energy independence.
Three Seas Summit and Business Forum, which will be hosted by Riga this June, was another issue discussed during the meeting.
