The NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Welcome Ceremony to Take Place in Latvia
On June 19 at the Camp Adazi in Latvia the enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup Welcome Ceremony will take place, thus also marking the successful completion of the eFP deployments to the Baltic States and Poland.
The troops of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence battlegroup will be welcomed by Raimonds Vejonis, the President of the Republic of Latvia, Raimonds Bergmanis, the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Latvia, Major General Leonids Kalnins, the Chief of Defence of the National Armed Forces, and other high level officials from NATO and troop-contributing nations.
The NATO enhanced forward presence battalion in Latvia will be led by Canada whose military personnel will also form the core of the battalion. In 2017 the battalion will be 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.
Notes to Editor!
Media representatives are invited to attend the press events scheduled for the Welcome Ceremony in Camp Adazi in Latvia only with prior accreditation.
Media will have the opportunity to cover the ceremony and attend two press conferences planned for this event. Media engagement with key leaders will be facilitated on-site.
Ceremony begins at 12:30 p.m. (EEST), on Monday, June 19, 2017. Media are to arrive by 11:30 a.m. at the gate of Camp Adazi. Media representatives will be requested to show valid ID or Passport upon arrival.
Transportation:
Transportation from the Ministry of Defence to Camp Adazi will be provided. The bus will leave at 10:30 a.m. from the Ministry of Defence, Kr. Valdemara Street 10/12, Riga, but departure from Adazi to Riga is planned at 04:00 p.m. During the accreditaiton, please note, if you are interested to use the transportation.
Media accreditation:
Please note that space will be limited. Interested media must register no later than June 12 with Ms.Aiva Kokoriša, Senior Desk Officer, Media Relations Section, Military Public Affairs Department, Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia by phone at (+371) 6 7335309 or by email at aiva.kokorisa@mod.gov.lv.
Media representatives will need to provide name, surname, valid ID or passport copy, and letter of intent from the editor.
Information prepared by:
Anete Gnēze, Head of the Media Relations Section
Military Public Affairs Department
Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia
Phone: 00 371 67335093; Cell: 00 371 26474087
E-mail: anete.gneze@mod.gov.lv
Website: www.mod.gov.lv