Bergmanis attends NATO Defence Ministers meeting in Brussels

Today, on 29 June, Defence Minister Raimonds Bergmanis will attend NATO defence ministers meeting in Brussels, Belgium, to discuss NATO’s plans to strengthen the alliance and its deterrence capabilities. 

Meeting of defence ministers will focus on implementation of 2016 Warsaw Summit agreements, significance of NATO’s enhanced forward presence (eFP) in the Baltics and Poland, strengthening of the transatlantic bond, increase of allied military spending, NATO’s role in fighting terrorism and EU-NATO cooperation. 

Defence ministers will also discuss the current issues related to international missions and key focus will be on NATO-led Resolute Support training mission in Afghanistan, which involves Latvian troops.

Ministers are expected to review and approve further NATO’s Capability Targets. 

On top of this meeting, Defence Minister Bergmanis will also meet with defence ministers of countries represented in the Canadian-led enhanced forward presence battlegroup to discuss the presence of multi-national battalion in Latvia, key challenges and possibilities of further strengthening of combat capabilities. 

Michel Fallon, the UK Secretary of State for Defence, will host Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) meeting. Agreement for establishment of Joint Expeditionary Force was signed in 2015 between seven countries – the UK, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Norway. JEF is designed to enhance its members’ ability to respond to modern challenges rapidly, as well as in an integrated and more-coordinated manner.

NATO defence ministers meeting will be chaired by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg who visited Latvia on 19 June to attend the welcoming ceremony of NATO eFP battlegroup in Ādaži and reiterate the unity and solidarity of the Alliance. 

Information prepared by:
Media Relations Section
MILITARY PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia
Phone: (+371) 6 7335045
E-mail: prese@mod.gov.lv