On 4 December, President Edgars Rinkēvičs met at the Riga Castle with the President of the Republic of Estonia, Alar Karis, and the President of the Republic of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda. The annual meeting of the Presidents of the Baltic states focused on regional security, including the reinforcement of the Baltic states’ borders, joint transport and energy infrastructure projects, current issues within the European Union (EU), and continued support for Ukraine.
During the meeting, the President of Latvia emphasised the close cooperation between the Baltic states and the achievements made this year. “The desynchronisation from the Russian electricity grid and the subsequent connection to the continental European grid, implemented this February, is a contribution both to Europe’s collective security and to our own energy security. We have strengthened regional transport connectivity. We continue to reinforce the EU and NATO external eastern borders. Together, we continue to support Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and we advocate stricter measures to contain Russia,” said President Rinkēvičs.
Addressing regional security matters, the President of Latvia underlined the importance of coordinated efforts to strengthen the Baltic states' borders and of resolute action against hybrid threats. “The Baltic states are doing everything in their power to safeguard not only their own borders, but also the external borders of the EU and NATO. This includes security measures as well as counter-mobility solutions in the defence context, such as railway, road, and related infrastructure issues,” said E. Rinkēvičs. He noted that, following discussions at presidential level, further dialogue should continue among military experts and the responsible institutions.
The presidents of the Baltic states confirmed their support for Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor Russia. At the same time, President Rinkēvičs called for the use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine.
During their working visit, the presidents of the three Baltic states visited the National Library of Latvia and the exhibition “Freedom begins with a book”. The exhibition explores the period from 1525 to 1918, highlighting key milestones in Latvian book culture – from the first printed text in Latvian to the declaration of Latvia’s independence.