Slovak mechanized infantry company to arrive in Latvia

Following the NATO Warsaw Summit decision on military engagement of Visegrad Group, a mechanized infantry company of Slovak Armed Forces is arriving in Latvia this week to help strengthen the security of the Baltic region.

Deployment of the mechanized infantry company is Slovakia’s input in NATO’s collective security arrangements on Alliance’s Eastern border and is aimed at boosting the interoperability of troops.

Slovak Armed Forces are sending 150-soldier strong mechanized company of the 13th Mechanized Battalion based in Levice and motorized vehicles of several different types to Latvia.

During the three-month rotation period the Slovak mechanized company will have joint training with 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion of the Latvian National Armed Forces Land Force Infantry Brigade, and take part in multinational training "Summer Shield XIV" and "Saber Strike 2017".

As we reported earlier, initial agreements regarding the rotational military presence of Visegrad Group in the Baltic region were reached during the meeting of foreign ministers of Baltic, Nordic and Visegrad Group countries in spring of 2016.

As agreed, this year’s rotational presence of Visegrad Group soldiers in the Baltic region will be rolled out as follows: Czech troops deployed to Lithuania for January-March period, Slovak rotation in Latvia for the second quarter, Hungarian rotation in Estonia for the third quarter and Polish rotation to Lithuania in the fourth quarter.

Visegrad Group is an alliance formed by Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary in 1991.

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