On 18 February 2025, at the informal meeting of the European Union (EU) Ministers for European Affairs held in Warsaw, Poland, the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dace Melbārde, discussed topics related to Europe’s security and resilience and priorities for the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework, MFF (2028–2034). The European affairs ministers also shared views on hybrid threats faced by countries in the EU enlargement process and on potential counter-measures.
Since Russia launched its full-scale war against Ukraine on 22 February 2022, hybrid threats to the EU, NATO and their member states have increased significantly. The threats also affect third countries that have begun, or aspire to start negotiations on joining one of those organisations. In 2024, hybrid threats were encountered by Moldova, Ukraine, and the countries of the Western Balkans – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia – as well as Georgia.
Dace Melbārde: “It is critical to strengthen the security of countries undergoing the European Union enlargement process and their resilience against hybrid threats, terrorism, information manipulation and interference, disinformation, and cyber attacks. Candidate countries should be clearly aware of Russia’s targeted policies by promoting and maintaining their dependence on Russian energy resources or by disseminating narratives against EU values in the media and public space. Sharing experience is no less important: the EU can also draw lessons from the war in Ukraine to strengthen its resilience.”
On the basis of a report “Safer Together: Strengthening Europe’s Civilian and Military Preparedness and Readiness” and recommendations produced by the former President of Finland and Special Adviser to the President of the European Commission, Sauli Niinistö, together with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, the participants dicussed the strengthening of Europan civilian and military preparedness and readiness.
Dace Melbārde: “Security is at the heart of everything – security is a prerequisite for both economic growth and people’s well-being. People need to become more active and better informed about their role in strengthening security. The current geopolitical situation calls for a completely new approach to promoting the EU’s readiness to respond to current and potential crises. Strengthening societal resilience and engaging in crisis management is an important part of a sustainable civilian and military preparedness and readiness in Europe.”
In a discussion on the EU’s multiannual budget, Dace Melbārde pointed out that geopolitical reality, including funding for security and defence needs, should be taken into account when planning an ambitious overall budget, with a view to supporting the EU’s eastern border regions in particular. In order to strengthen the EU’s competitiveness, it is important to continue territorial, economic and social convergence through traditional policies, namely, the Cohesion Policy and the common agricultural policy. Latvia is open to discussions on both diversification of funding and changes in the MFF structure, if they are aimed at improving efficiency and focus on overlapping instruments.
The EU Multiannual Financial Framework is a policy and financial programming mechanism that sets out the maximum overall amount and expenditure of the EU budget. The current MFF covers the period from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2027. Latvia’s priority directions in the forthcoming negotiations on the EU’s next multi-annual budget period are security and defence, the cohesion policy, the common agricultural policy, and support for the implementation of the Rail Baltica project.
The informal meetings of EU Ministers for European Affairs take place twice a year in a country holding the presidency of the Council of the European Union – during the first half of 2025, it is Poland. The formal meetings of the General Affairs Council are held monthly in Brussels or Luxembourg.
