On 11 and 12 July 2023, Vilnius hosted a NATO Summit, which included a meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the Foreign Ministers’ level on the challenges faced by NATO’s closest European partners – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Moldova. The session was attended by the Foreign Ministers of the partner countries as well as the Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service for Common Security and Defence Policy. Latvia was represented by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andris Pelšs.
Strengthening collective security and providing support to Ukraine is a priority for NATO allies, Andris Pelšs noted at the meeting. He added that it was no less important to support NATO partner countries facing various challenges, including pressure from Russia.
Latvia has contributed to the strengthening of security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, and Moldova by supporting NATO’s tailored support packages, as well as making a significant input to the stability and security of the Western Balkans region through its participation in the NATO operation in Kosovo (KFOR).
The summit must be viewed positively from the perspective of the security of Latvia, the region and NATO and of global security. The event reaffirmed the unity of determination and values of the Allies, which makes NATO the most successful and currently the strongest defence alliance in history. The decisions taken unanimously by the allies are a testament to this.
The summit approved new detailed NATO defence plans, made important decisions on strengthening the Alliance’s defence capabilities and further cooperation with Ukraine. The Vilnius Summit will enter history with the full participation of Finland as a NATO Ally. In addition, a political agreement has been reached about Sweden soon becoming a full NATO Member. Sweden took part in all the sessions of the Summit as an invited country.
The Vilnius Summit marks a series of concrete steps to implement the commitment made a year ago in Madrid to defend every inch of NATO territory from minute one. Defence plans greatly enhance the Alliance’s ability to repel any threat from any side, including hybrid and cyberspace threats. The new model of NATO forces envisages the commitment of allies to significantly increase the volume of rapid response forces and improve their combat readiness. Finland’s immediate full integration into defence plans significantly improves the security of the Baltic Sea region.
The Allies are of the same mind that achieving high ambitions calls for upscaling defence expenditure. The commitment made in Vilnius envisages that in future the member countries will invest at least 2% of their GDP in defence, of which at least 20%, in the purchase and development of new equipment.
Latvia’s defence expenditure already exceeds 2% of GDP and is expected reach 3% in the next few years. Latvia’s priorities are anti-aircraft, anti-missile and coastal defence. Latvia is building a new military base and training grounds in Sēlija, as well as further developing the Ādaži base in order to ensure appropriate hosting conditions for Latvia- based NATO troops and equipment.
The Allies reasserted that Russia was the biggest threat to Euro-Atlantic security and expressed united support for Ukraine’s future membership of NATO. The leaders agreed on a massive assistance package for Ukraine that will contribute to the defence capabilities and living conditions of the Ukrainian forces and bring Ukraine closer to NATO standards.
In order to strengthen the political dialogue between NATO and Ukraine, the Allies have agreed the establishment of a NATO-Ukraine Council, which will be an important platform for mutual consultation and joint decision-making as equal partners. As part of the summit, the inaugural meeting of the Council took place with the participation of the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During the meeting, NATO leaders expressed unwavering support for Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression and stressed that Ukraine would become a NATO Member when circumstances permit.
Partners from the Asia-Pacific region – Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea – highlighted the connection and interaction between European and Asian security. That includes being on the same page concerning the challenges posed by Chinese politics and the China-Russia strategic partnership. The partners are providing support to Ukraine, and the Allies are represented in the Pacific.
The Allies and the partners also discussed deepening of practical cooperation in the domains such as emerging technology development, cyber Defense and tackling hybrid challenges. This provides a basis for future cooperation.
Photo: NATO