The President of Latvia indicated that Latvia had already increased its defence spending from the state budget significantly and that we were committed to achieving the defence spending of two percent of GDP by 2018.
Raimonds Vējonis stressed that the challenges of cybersecurity were paid great attention during the meeting that the NATO Member States faced more often and whose elimination was among the priorities of the Alliance.
The President of Latvia also welcomed the opportunity to welcome the US Senators in the Riga Castle, who have long been known for their strong support for strengthening the security of the Baltic region. “In the past, I have repeatedly met with Senator John McCain, and I wish to thank him for the reiterated and constant commitment of the United States to their obligations under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty,” said the President of Latvia.
Raimonds Vējonis stressed that the US Senators visited Latvia at the time crucial for the Baltic States and he recalled the historically significant decision made at the NATO Summit in Warsaw on strengthening the Allied presence in the Baltic States and Poland.
Raimonds Vējonis also confirmed that Latvia would continue its close cooperation with both the new US administration and the United States Congress.
He also reminded that the presence of the US troops and military equipment in the Baltic States had a paramount symbolic and practical importance: “The United States have been and remain our strategic partner in the matters of security and defence both in bilateral cooperation and within the NATO.”