On Thursday, 19 January, the Minister of the Interior Māris Kučinskis met Christian Heldt, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Republic of Latvia, in Riga.
The issues related to the security situation in Latvia in the context of war activities in Ukraine, challenges of law enforcement services in near future, international cooperation in the field of law enforcement, as well as the situation in relation to the flood of the current year in Jekabpils were discussed during the meeting.
M. Kučinskis informed the Ambassador on the situation in Jekabpils, as well as about the measures for minimization of consequences of flood already performed. C. Heldt proposed to deepen the bilateral exchange of experiences and best practices after the floods, which also occurred in the Ahr Valley of West Germany, thereby strengthening common best practices in the field of civil protection.
When discussing the security issues, the role of the border control on the Eastern border was emphasized. M. Kučinskis emphasized that one of the most serious challenges for Latvia in this area is the flow of migrants, through Moscow reaching Belarus, from where, in turn, attempts are organized for illegal movement of these persons to Latvia. “I am focusing on strengthening the Eastern border of the state, improvement of the civil defense system, and modernization of the material and technical base of our services," said M.Kučinskis.
Germany has always been one of the most trusted and closest partners of Latvia, and that completely refers to the field of the internal affairs. It is proved by intensive and successful bilateral cooperation between the law enforcement authorities of our countries, as well as cooperation in the international criminal police organizations. Germany is an important partner for Latvia in the European Union and NATO.
Prepared by:
Andrejs Vaivars
Advisor to the Minister for the Interior
Phone: +371 67829685
E-mail: andrejs.vaivars@iem.gov.lv