On 27 January 2023, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Sweden, Tobias Billström, who had arrived on a working visit.
The officials discussed the bilateral relations between Latvia and Sweden, regional cooperation and the security situation in the region, as well as current international developments. The Foreign Minister were unanimous that closer integration between the Baltic and Nordic countries should be promoted in all the areas. The Latvian Foreign Minister underlined that the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO would considerably strengthen security in the region and enhance cooperation in the defence sector.
Sweden’s accession to NATO will contribute significantly to the security of Latvia and the Baltic Sea region, where the threat posed by Russia is, and will remain a long-term issue, Edgars Rinkēvičs said.
The Ministers condemned Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, while stressing that military, economic, and political support for Ukraine should continue. At the same time, it was also important to ensure Russia’s accountability for its aggression and war crimes in Ukraine. We welcome the fact that Ukraine is one of the top priorities for the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Latvian Foreign Minister noted, adding that Ukraine must be provided with all possible support as long as necessary so as to strengthen its defence capabilities and reduce the consequences of the humanitarian disaster caused by Russia.