On 16 February 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Krišjānis Kariņš, attended the opening session of the 60th Munich Security Conference, as well as participating in several discussion panels. Alongside the main agenda, the minister also had several bilateral meetings.
In a discussion, “Strategically Aligning Security and Prosperity in the Emerging Global Order”, held by the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), the Foreign Minister Krišjānis Kariņš emphasized that Russia was attacking the values of the democratic world in an effort to prove the superiority of force over a rules-based world order. “We cannot let that happen. The democratic world must help Ukraine win,” Krišjānis Kariņš emphasized.
While taking part in a discussion, “Three Seas Partnership on Ukraine’s Reconstruction: Mapping the transatlantic community’s response”, hosted by the Atlantic Council think-tank, Krišjānis Kariņš noted that the Three Seas Initiative, which spans 13 European Union Member States and candidate countries, as well as Ukraine and Moldova, were bracing to implement, with strong support from the United States of America, important infrastructure, connectivity, energy and security projects in Europe.
The Foreign Ministers of the Baltic States had a meeting with the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom, David Cameron to discuss support to Ukraine and close cooperation in NATO. During the conversation, the Latvian Foreign Minister expressed gratitude for the vital contribution by the United Kingdom to the security of the Baltic region. He emphasised that strong cooperation and the military presence of the United Kingdom were important for the Baltic Sea region and the Euro-Atlantic security architecture. The Ministers also exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East, as well as looking at the possibilities for the use of Russia’s frozen assets, and at other sanctions-related issues.
In a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Krišjānis Kariņš thanked him for current cooperation, both bilaterally and in international organisations. The Ministers discussed the global security situation, including the crisis in the Middle East and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
During his meeting with Robert Floyd, Executive Secretary of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), Krišjānis Kariņš underlined that a sooner entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) was extremely important. This is both a political necessity and a tangible contribution to further strengthening of international peace and security. He pointed out that Russia’s decision to denounce the CTBT, as well as an increase in its nuclear rhetoric and statements about the deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus, deserved condemnation. This erodes the international architecture of arms control and non-proliferation and undermines the ongoing disarmament efforts. Russia, as a signatory to the CTBT, must continue to comply with the provisions of the Treaty. The Latvian Foreign Minister emphasized that Latvia welcomed the organization’s efforts to ensure global monitoring and an effective verification system against nuclear testing through the help of its International Data Centre. The Minister also highlighted Latvia’s confidence in the ability of the CTBTO to strengthen the nuclear test ban regime.
