On 16 November, President Edgars Rinkēvičs met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during his working visit to the Kingdom of Belgium in Brussels. The meeting discussed strengthening NATO's Eastern flank and preparing for the NATO Washington Summit in 2024. The parties also discussed support for Ukraine and Ukraine's integration into NATO.
President Rinkēvičs noted the importance of implementing the decisions taken at the Madrid and Vilnius NATO Summits, in particular on deterrence and defence. ‘Russia is and will continue to be the most serious and direct threat to the security of the Alliance. It is therefore essential to implement the decisions and regional defence plans adopted at the Madrid and Vilnius NATO Summits, strengthening the Alliance's deterrence capabilities and ensuring that NATO members' territories are protected from the first centimetre. Latvia, as a host country, is doing its utmost to ensure the best possible conditions for its allies and is continuously investing in and strengthening its defence capabilities. It is important that NATO provides maximum support, especially in strengthening air defence capabilities,’ said E. Rinkēvičs.
The President of Latvia stressed the need for NATO to provide systemic and long-term support to Ukraine and expressed support for closer integration of Ukraine into NATO. E. Rinkēvičs noted the importance of Sweden's accession to NATO, expressing hope for the swift conclusion of the ratification process of Sweden's application for membership.
