Emphasizes cooperation between Latvia and Estonia in providing international support to Ukraine

In Tallinn, Braže met with Estonian President Alar Karis, Speaker of the Parliament Lauri Husar, Minister of Foreign Affairs Margus Cahkna and Head of the Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee Marko Mikhelson, discussing current issues of the Baltic States region and the international agenda, providing support to Ukraine, as well as opportunities to develop bilateral cooperation between Latvia and Estonia.

During a meeting with the highest officials of Estonia, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia assessed the neighborly relations and cooperation between Latvia and Estonia as excellent.

“The complex geopolitical conditions and common support for Ukraine have brought neighbors and friends even closer together,”

said the politician.

Officials of Latvia and Estonia have expressed their satisfaction with the bilateral cooperation and intensive exchange of visits.

The interlocutors agreed on the strict partnership between the two countries, both bilaterally and in regional and multilateral formats, including the cooperation format of the Nordic and Baltic States, or NB8, in the European Union, NATO and the UN.

Discussing the security situation in the region, including preparations for the upcoming NATO summit in Washington, the minister emphasized the implementation of NATO’s defense plans, support for Ukraine, containment of Russia, as well as the experience of Latvia and Estonia in the fight against the hybrid threat created by Russia, including public involvement in strengthening national resilience.

The negotiating parties have promised to continue “comprehensive support for Ukraine and its reconstruction, to strengthen sanctions against Russia and fight against their circumvention, as well as to advocate for Russia to be fully accountable for its aggression.”

During the visit, there was also a round table discussion with experts at the Estonian International Center for Defense and Security (ICDS) on Russia’s threat to the rules-based international order.

The representatives of both Latvia and Estonia agreed that it is necessary to continue working on the implementation of regionally important transport and energy infrastructure projects, especially emphasizing the importance of “Rail Baltica”.

Estonian President Alars Karis, during a meeting with the Latvian foreign minister in Tallinn on Monday, stated that close cooperation in joint infrastructure projects helps significantly improve the security of the Baltic region.

“Strengthening the critical infrastructure of Estonia and Latvia and promoting joint transport projects is an important part of our security and resilience,” said Karis.

They also discussed ways to coordinate the actions of the two countries, continuing to provide comprehensive support to Ukraine, taking into account both the upcoming peace conference in Switzerland and the NATO Washington summit.

“We need to monitor the preparations for the peace conference in Switzerland so that the peace plan fully complies with the UN Charter and focuses on restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity,” Karis said.