On 11 June, President Edgars Rinkēvičs met with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at Riga Castle. The meeting took place on the margins of the Summit of NATO's Eastern Flank countries, otherwise known as the Bucharest Nine (B9) Summit, held in Riga.
President Edgars Rinkēvičs presented Jens Stoltenberg with the Order of the Three Stars (First Class) and appointed him Commander of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Three Stars for special merits and significant contribution to strengthening Latvia's security and defence, based on the decision of the Chapter of Orders on 10 April 2024.
"The award of the highest state honour is a tribute to Jens Stoltenberg for his efforts toward strengthening the political and military dimensions of the NATO Alliance amidst a particularly challenging geopolitical environment. Jens Stoltenberg has made a significant contribution to reinforcing Latvia's defence and security through the deployment of the Enhanced Forward Presence Battle Groups on NATO's Eastern flank. Furthermore, Jens Stoltenberg has advanced international support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression from the early days of the war," said E. Rinkēvičs.
President Rinkēvičs and NATO Secretary General J. Stoltenberg discussed the upcoming NATO Summit to be held in Washington on 9-11 July, where Latvia will be represented by the President. E. Rinkēvičs emphasised the need to take decisions at the Summit that will raise deterrence capabilities, ensure the defence of NATO member states' territory from the first centimetre, and provide long-term support for Ukraine.
During the meeting, the President of Latvia also highlighted the role of NATO and its allies in providing long-term support to Ukraine. "During the Washington Summit we must reach an agreement on a support package for Ukraine that would provide robust military and financial support to Ukraine in the long term," said E. Rinkēvičs. At the same time, the President of Latvia reaffirmed his support for Ukraine's right to self-defence and agreed with the NATO Secretary General on the need to lift constraints on the use of military assistance provided to Ukraine.
