On 17 August, President Edgars Rinkēvičs, Chief of the State Border Guard Guntis Pujāts, and Commander of the National Armed Forces Lieutenant General Kaspars Pudāns visited sections of the Latvian–Belarussian border under the responsibility of the Daugavpils Regional Department of the State Border Guard. They reviewed the current situation at the border, measures to counter the pressure of irregular migration, the technical equipment available to border guards, progress in implementing smart border security solutions, as well as planned counter-mobility measures and the deployment of National Armed Forces counter-mobility resources.
At the “Indra” Border Crossing Point, the President was briefed on the current situation regarding rail freight traffic between Latvia and Belarus, as well as planned measures to restrict rail traffic and contingency scenarios for deploying counter-mobility resources along the Latvia–Belarus railway line in the event of a growing threat.
During the visit to the Piedruja Border Guard Unit of the Daugavpils Regional Department of the State Border Guard, a key topic of discussion was cooperation between the State Border Guard, the National Armed Forces, the State Police, and state security institutions. This included short-term cooperation as part of Operation “Vilkatis”, as well as longer-term efforts to strengthen capacity to prevent and counter hybrid warfare activities. International cooperation was also discussed, including the presence of border guard personnel from Finland, Estonia, and Lithuania along the Latvia–Belarus border.
“During the visit, I received confirmation that, by the end of the year, the Latvian–Belarussian border will be fully equipped with technology to ensure more effective border control. However, to make full use of these technologies, the Border Guard needs additional personnel – up to 200 additional staff – to ensure a rapid response. Fences, sensors and video surveillance are one element, but we also need border guards who can respond quickly, particularly in light of the clear evidence of how our border infrastructure is being damaged. Otherwise, the investments made in technology will not deliver a tangible return,” said President Rinkēvičs following the visit.
Ģirts Ozols, the Chairman of the Board of the state-owned company “Latvian State Radio and Television Centre”, and other representatives provided an update on the implementation of technological infrastructure solutions along the border and progress in their installation on the Latvian–Belarussian border, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year. They also briefed the President on the maintenance of the systems, the visibility they provide to the State Border Guard, and the response to incidents.
During the visit, President Rinkēvičs also visited counter-mobility equipment storage site and received a briefing from representatives of the National Armed Forces.
The President stated that progress in strengthening the protection and defence of Latvia’s state border, as well as the current situation regarding irregular migration, would be discussed at the meeting of the National Security Council on 19 August.
