Defence Minister meets with Spanish government delegation

On 18 July, Defence Minister Raimonds Bergmanis together with other officials of the government led by Prime Minister Māris Kučinskis shall meet with Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy Brey and Spanish Defence Minister María Dolores de Cospedal García who are in Latvia on a working visit.

Officials of both countries meet to discuss the bilateral relations between Latvia and Spain, as well as talk about current defence issues and NATO and EU developments.

Spanish government delegation will also visit Camp Ādaži and meet the Spanish contingent of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Latvian-based multinational battle-group.

Currently more than 300 Spanish troops of the mechanised infantry brigade are deployed to Latvia in scope of the NATO eFP Latvian-based battle group. Spanish troops are supported by different armoured vehicles, including Leopard tanks, Pizarro infantry fighting vehicles, other support vehicles and engineering/logistics equipment, which Spanish troops have brought with them to Latvia.

The NATO enhanced Forward Presence battlegroup in Latvia is led by Canada. The battalion is manned also by Albania, Italy, Poland, Slovenia and Spain, in total, more than 1000 soldiers.

At the NATO Summit in Warsaw in July 2016, the Heads of State and Governments agreed to deploy multinational battlegroups to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. The deployment of NATO enhanced Forward Presence battalion in Latvia follows an agreement by NATO Allies to strengthen deterrence and collective defence in the Baltic region.

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