On 28 and 29 November 2023, in Brussels, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Krišjānis Kariņš, will represent Latvia at the meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs, where NATO Allies will discuss the current security situation in the region, as well as the next steps in support for Ukraine.
Key topics of the meeting will include the strengthening of the Alliance’s deterrence and defence capabilities and the implementation of the new regional defence plans endorsed at the NATO Summit in Vilnius in July. The Ministers will discuss progress in implementing the plans, which provide for the defence of the Alliance’s territory from the first moment of conflict. They will also discuss progress towards a more equitable distribution in defence spending among NATO Allies. Latvia is one of eleven NATO countries contributing 2% of GDP to defence, in line with the collective decision of the Allies.
The Ministers will also discuss current security challenges in the Middle East and the Sahel region in Africa, as well as the growing influence of China in the Euro-Atlantic area. In a separate working session, the Ministers will discuss the situation in the Western Balkans region, where several armed escalations have taken place in recent months and the security environment remains fragile.
On the second day of the meeting, the NATO-Ukraine Council will meet for the first time in the format of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, with Ukraine represented by Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. The next steps to strengthen political and practical cooperation between NATO and Ukraine will be discussed at the meeting. The Allies are expected to express their commitment to continue their support to Ukraine for as long as necessary to strengthen Ukraine’s defence capabilities against the aggressor state Russia and to facilitate Ukraine’s progress towards NATO membership.
The Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs will also hold bilateral meetings with Allies in Brussels.
