On 30 July, President Edgars Rinkēvičs met the Minister of the Interior Rihards Kozlovskis at the Riga Castle. During the meeting, the parties discussed the response to the 29 July storm and extreme rainfall in Latvia, the development of the civil protection system, including the progress made regarding the establishment of shelters, as well as the budget for the interior services.
During the meeting, the President of Latvia commended the efforts of the interior services in addressing the aftermath of the storm and heavy rainfall, as well as in helping those affected by the crisis. President Rinkēvičs informed the Minister of the Interior that he will visit Jelgava on 31 July of this year to get acquainted with the storm and rainfall damage mitigation efforts.
During the meeting, E. Rinkēvičs emphasised the need to allocate a significant increase in funding for the interior affairs sector in the forthcoming national budget with added emphasis on ensuring a salary increase for interior and justice sector officials responsible for the internal security of the state. At the same time, President Rinkēvičs invited the Ministry of the Interior to engage in more active collaboration with Latvian municipalities and to work on the practical improvement of the civil protection system. Further efforts must be undertaken to ensure that every Latvian resident is informed and aware of the algorithm of action in crisis situations and that shelters are available to the population.
Prepared by the Chancery of the President of Latvia