On 31 May and 1 June 2023, an informal meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers took place in Oslo, where Latvia was represented by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andris Pelšs.
Ministers discussed preparations for the upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius on 11-12 July, including strengthening NATO's deterrence and defence on its Eastern flank and long-term practical and political support to Ukraine.
The State Secretary underlined that, with the upcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius, it is important to make progress in implementing the decisions of the 2022 NATO Madrid Summit to strengthen the Alliance's deterrence and defence capabilities. The transformation of the NATO eFP Battle Group into a combat-capable brigade, as well as other measures to strengthen NATO's Eastern flank, are important for Latvia. The State Secretary expressed the hope that Sweden will become a full member of NATO by the time of the NATO Summit, thus completing the enlargement process in the Baltic Sea region.
On NATO-Ukraine relations, Andris Pelšs expressed the hope that at the Vilnius Summit the Allies would agree on a substantial package of support to promote Ukraine's institutional reforms and the Euro-Atlantic integration process, and confirmed Latvia's determination to continue to provide all necessary support to Ukraine.
At the same time, during the informal meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers, the State Secretary met with Eivind Vad Petersson, State Secretary to the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs. They discussed a wide range of issues, including bilateral relations between Latvia and Norway, the security situation in the region and support to Ukraine. Andris Pelšs stressed the need for even closer cooperation in the Nordic-Baltic or NB8 format. The officials agreed that Ukraine should be supported for as long as necessary.
Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway