On 9 February 2022, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Andris Pelšs, met with the Chairman of the Foreign and European Union Affairs Committee of the Polish Senate, Bogdan Klich. The officials discussed the security-related and EU matters of current relevance, as well as issues important for bilateral relations between Latvia and Poland.
Andris Pelšs praised the close cooperation between Latvia and Poland when confronted with similar security challenges. The State Secretary thanked Poland for its contribution to the strengthening of security in the region through participation in the NATO enhanced Forward Presence battle group in Latvia and in the Baltic Air Policing mission. The officials were in agreement that the Allied response to Russia’s military escalation near the Ukrainian border has been unified, and NATO’s presence on its eastern flank must be further reinforced.
State Secretary Pelšs also pointed out that the work on the development of transport and energy infrastructure facilities of strategic importance for the Baltic States and Poland must continue. He expressed hope that the Three Seas Initiative Summit scheduled to be held in Riga in June would contribute to mobilising investments into projects that enhance regional connectivity and economic growth.
During the meeting, the State Secretary informed Bogdan Klich about the events of the Conference on the Future of Europe organised in Latvia and he noted the importance of maintaining public interest in EU matters and engaging with society in an exchange of views.