The President of Poland visited Latvia
President Karol Nawrocki paid a working visit to Latvia, where he met with President Edgars Rinkēvičs. The main topics of discussion were security issues in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine, migration pressure from Belarus, and the situation in the Baltic Sea. During his visit, the President of Poland met with soldiers of the Polish Military Contingent stationed at the military base in Ādaži which currently numbers over three hundred soldiers.
“Our meeting today has indeed confirmed the cooperation between Poland and Latvia, which is delivered in a number of areas and in many formats,” said President Karol Nawrocki during a joint press conference.
He also drew attention to the commitment shown by our countries in building responsibility for the security of NATO's eastern flank. „The best proof and symbol of this, as the President mentioned, are the Polish soldiers [stationed] at the Ādaži base,” he added.
The President of Poland also recalled that Poland, as a responsible NATO ally, has increased its defence spending to reach almost 5% of its GDP this year. He expressed his satisfaction that, following the decision of President Edgars Rinkēvičs and the Latvian government, our ally will likewise allocate this amount to its armed forces.
“This shows that Poland and Latvia are not only countries expecting the Alliance's support in building our responsibility for security, but also that we provide security and are fully aware that investments to this end are necessary today,” he noted.
During a press conference, Karol Nawrocki announced that Poland will host a meeting of state leaders devoted to Baltic Sea security issues next year. He has already invited the Latvian leader to attend.
The President of Poland said that economic cooperation was also discussed. „The value of Polish–Latvian trade reaches EUR 3 billion annually. I am very pleased that Poland is one of Latvia's most important trading partners, ranking third among the main exporters to the Latvian market,” he noted.
The Polish leader also thanked his Latvian counterpart for his clear statement regarding Poles living in Latvia.
During the visit, Karol Nawrocki and Edgars Rinkēvičs held one–on–one talks and took part in a plenary meeting of the delegations.
Before noon, President Karol Nawrocki spoke with Latvian Prime Minister Evika Siliņa.
During his visit, the President of Poland met with soldiers of the Polish Military Contingent stationed at the military base in Ādaži which currently numbers over three hundred soldiers.
“You, dear soldiers, tell the world about Poland, you tell them who we really are as a national community, what values are important to us. You are ambassadors of Poland and Polishness in the lands where you serve,” said Karol Nawrocki.
