During a two-day visit to Latgale, the eastern border region of Latvia and the EU, the Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže, commended the meaningful contribution by professionals from Latvia’s key authorities and companies working in Latgale, including the temporary administration of the Rēzekne Municipality, to the development and security of Latvia and the EU.
SANCTIONS
“During these days at Terehova and Pāternieki, I learned about the work of the Latvian State border Guard and the State Revenue Service Customs Administration, and I highly appreciate their enormous contribution made by working day-to-day to ensure the enforcement of sanctions imposed by the EU against Russia and Belarus and to prevent their circumvention. They stand on guard not only at the external eastern border of Latvia, but also of the EU and NATO – being a country that borders both Russia and Belarus, we are the first EU security line,” Foreign Minister Baiba Braže emphasised after touring the customs and border control posts.
In meetings with the Chief of the State Border Guard, General Guntis Pujāts, and the Deputy Director General of the SRS for Customs, Director of Customs Administration, Raimonds Zukuls, the Minister of Foreign Affairs discussed practical enforcement aspects of the sanctions imposed, the resources needed, control mechanisms, queue management procedures, and other matters.
“As a matter of course, our colleagues from the border and customs services are assuming a full burden of responsibility on behalf of the EU right now by monitoring compliance with sanctions and preventing violations or opportunities to circumvent them. At the moment, work is going on under the conditions of increased intensity: it calls for additional financial and human resources. I will discuss what I have seen and learned over these days with my colleagues in the EU, since this is a burden that must be shared between all EU countries,” Baiba Braže underlined.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, together with its counterparts in other EU Member States, is working on establishing new sanctions; the Foreign Ministry is the coordinating authority on sanctions issues in Latvia. Baiba Braže stressed that the Ministry is working closely together with both the authorities on a daily basis, including the ongoing intensive efforts to effectively enforce the sanctions targeting Russia and Belarus, as well as to strengthen restrictive measures even further.
BUSINESS
As Baiba Braže met with companies producing and exporting in Latgale, she emphasised that the security capabilities of Latvia largely depend on the country’s economic performance. The Minister also stressed that it was in the interests of all of us to degrade Russia’s military capabilities.
“There are many challenges in the border region, but there is also an array of opportunities and advantages. For example, unlike other regions, the border area has a developed security infrastructure, a special economic zone, security export has been developed and so have high technologies in the security sector. I am happy about the entrepreneurs we met who demonstrated innovative products, which are unique not only in Latvia and which we export,” Baiba Braže said.
Experts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and business people discussed practical matters on how the Foreign Service can support them in exports and with solving the problems they encounter, how to benefit from business networking events, as well as the knowledge of the Foreign Service and its range of contacts, including the implementation of EU projects.
Taking part in the round table discussion were the Head of the Temporary Adminstration of the Rēzekne Municipality, Guna Puce, representatives from the Rēzekne Special Economic Zone and companies – SIA Verems RSEZ, AS Latvijas Finieris, SIA LEAX Rēzekne RSEZ, SIA NewFuels RSEZ, SIA IRBIS Technology RSEZ, SIA Magistr-Fiskevegn Group.mfg RSEZ, SIA OptoElektronika LV RSEZ, AS Rēzeknes dzirnavnieks RSEZ, and SIA Baltiks East.
As part of her visit, the Minister of Foreign Affairs also toured the manufacturing facilities of SIA Baltic Bullets, a company that has been cooperating with Ukraine since 2021. The company uses innovative, high-precision and patent technologies to manufacture ammunition.
The Foreign Minister noted the interest of Latvian business community in building contacts with partners in Ukraine: several businesses that she met work with Ukraine in the export of electronics, wires, drones, food products, energy infrastructure equipment, as well as cooperating in the field of security.
SECURITY EXPORT
The knowledge of Latvian experts is put to use to strengthen security in other regions. Within the framework of the EU Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA), the Dog Handling Centre of the Latvian State Border Guard College trains instructors from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan to improve their theoretical knowledge and practical skills for day-to-day tasks of detecting explosives, ammunition and weapons.
As part of her visit, the Minister met the staff the Latvian State Border Guard College and attended the demonstrations by dog handlers from the Central Asian Border Guard and Customs Services arranged by the Dog Handling Centre.
BOMCA
The Latvian State Border Guard is the lead partner in the management consortium for the BOMCA programme. The project aims to improve security, stability and sustainable growth in the region while supporting cross-border cooperation and improving living standards for people in the border areas of Central Asia.
On 18 and 19 July 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baiba Braže, travelled to Latgale, the EU’s eastern border, on a regional visit.
FURTHER INFORMATION
- The 14th Sanctions Package against Russia
- The 8th Sanctions Package against Belarus
- Baiba Braže in a meeting with LCCI: cooperation between the Foreign Service and Latvian businesses is important in all foreign policy activities
- Baiba Braže in a meeting with the Employers’ Confederation of Latvia: economic security today is as important a cornerstone of national security as military security
- Minister of Foreign Affairs Baiba Braže to visit the customs and border control posts of Terehova and Pāternieki at the EU eastern border, and meet with Latgale businesses
- Baiba Braže at the Sanctions Council meeting: Close public-private cooperation in preparation and enforcement of sanctions is important for Latvia’s security
