On Monday, 4 March, at the meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the European Union (EU) in Brussels, Minister of the Interior Rihards Kozlovskis briefed his counterparts on last week’s attack on the Occupation Museum in Riga. The Minister stressed to his counterparts in the other EU countries that this criminal offence in Latvia is being assessed in the context of the hybrid war in which we are currently living.
In their discussion on the security situation in the EU, the Baltic and Finnish Ministers of the Interior pointed to the hybrid attacks being carried out with the direct involvement of Russia and Belarus. The ministers stressed that attacks can take many forms and that the use of migrants to try to cross borders illegally is only one form of hybrid warfare.
In the context of hybrid attacks, Minister of the Interior Rihards Kozlovskis briefed the ministers of the other EU Member States on last week’s attack on the Museum of the Occupation, which led to the prompt apprehension and arrest of the perpetrators of the crime. At the ministerial meeting, Rihards Kozlovskis pointed out that such crimes are a serious threat to national security and that the internal affairs services take such hybrid attacks very seriously, and that in the subsequent proceedings such crimes will be treated with the full severity of the law, with punishment appropriate to the offence.
Also speaking at the Council of Justice and Home Affairs Ministers of the EU Member States, Ihor Klymenko, Minister of the Interior of Ukraine, thanked for the continued support and assistance received from EU countries, but reiterated that rapid military support is now crucial.
Kozlovskis confirmed the unwavering support of Latvia to Ukraine until its complete victory, providing assistance to Ukrainian civilians as well as military and expert-level support.
Ministers also discussed the European Commission’s report on the situation in the Schengen area and the pressure of illegal migration at the EU’s external borders, which is starting to increase again.
Prepared by:
Ministry of the Interior
Communication Department