Today, 24 May, in Riga, a two-day meeting of the Ministers of the Interior of the Baltic States, Finland, Norway, Poland and Ukraine concluded. The aim of the meeting was to share experiences and strengthen the civil protection sector in the region, with an emphasis on shelters. The Ministers of the Interior discussed the overall security situation at the borders of the countries, as well as possible additional actions to counter the elements of hybrid warfare provoked by Russia and Belarus.
The Ministers recognize that the threat posed to our countries by the aggressive government regimes of Russia and Belarus remains unchanged. Monitoring the situation at the external borders and on the international scene is essential to remain informed and prepared to address any potential threats in a timely manner.
The Minister of the Interior R.Kozlovskis indicated: “Our eastern neighbor is not sleeping – day after day our region faces various threats from Russia and Belarus, and we are living in a hybrid war. We are coordinated with the countries of the region in a common fight. Recognizing the threats we face, all countries in the region need to strengthen the capacity of their internal affairs services as well as law enforcement. The experience of Finland and Ukraine shows that the Baltic States have a long way to go in improving their civil protection and resilience capacities, including in providing safe havens and shelters for their populations. While the SFRS is actively assessing the situation of existing shelter sites, work is also important to develop a building code for new constructions, taking into account the Finnish experience.”
The need for close cooperation in the future was highlighted, with the importance of inter-state coordination on internal security and the development of common external borders being emphasized.
The ministers also adopted a joint statement at the meeting of Member States.
Link to the text of the Joint Ministerial Statement: https://www.iem.gov.lv/lv/media/11769/download?attachment
Prepared by:
Communication Department
