On 4 February 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a draft order on the participation of two new civilian experts, Lolita Čigāne and Ričards Merķis, in the European Union Advisory Mission for Civil Security Sector Reform Ukraine (EUAM Ukraine), as from 15 March 2025.
Lolita Čigāne has been approved as senior advisor on EU integration issues, and Ričards Merķis, as advisor on strategic reforms.
After the new experts assume their posts on the EUAM Ukraine, six civilian experts from Latvia will be working on the mission. Currently, 23 European Union member states with 168 civilian experts participate in the mission.
The EU Advisory Mission Ukraine was established in 2014 to provide support to Ukraine in the field of civil security sector reforms. The mission offers advice to the Ukrainian authorities, both at the central and regional levels, in the formulation of civilian security sector reform strategies and the implementation of related reforms. In 2022, amendments were adopted to the mission’s mandate, which envisage rendering support to the border guard, customs and police authorities of Ukraine in coordinating the flow of humanitarian aid and refugees, as well as support with documenting Russia’s war crimes.
The selection of candidates for participation in EU missions is carried out by the European External Action Service. The participation of Latvian civilian experts in international missions and operations is stipulated in the Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 598 of 22 September 2020 “Procedure for sending a civilian expert for participation in an international mission or operation”.
Those interested in opportunities to join international missions and operations as a civilian expert are invited to contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by writing to civilie.eksperti@mfa.gov.lv