On 19 November 2021, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, Anže Logar, in Vilnius, for an exchange of views on current developments at the external border of the European Union. The Minister’s bilateral meeting took place during a high-level forum, “Future of Democracy”, organised by the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry.
Edgars Rinkēvičs thanked Slovenia for its contribution to the NATO enhanced Forward Presence battle group in Latvia. The Latvian Foreign Minister also thanked the Slovenian side for a recent donation of barbed wire for the protection of the external border.
During the meeting, the Ministers discussed the current state of play at the EU external border and hybrid attacks by the Lukashenko regime on Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. The two ministers were in agreement that Alexander Lukashenko’s regime with its destructive actions seeks to destabilise the situation in EU Member States and undermine the EU’s unified policy vis à vis Belarus.
In view of current developments at the EU’s external border, it is vital that amendments be made to EU legislation, which would enhance the capabilities of the Member States to protect their borders, the Latvian Foreign Minister said. According to Edgars Rinkēvičs, an appeal to third countries should continue urging them to find possibilities for gradually restricting the flow of people to Belarus.
Edgars Rinkēvičs and Anže Logar noted that the fifth round of sanctions against the Lukashenko regime should be approved as soon as possible. Taking into account Alexander Lukashenko’s actions, work should also begin on a sixth package of restrictive measures.