“Putting aside the current international security situation and events in Ukraine, this remains a way for states to cooperate ad prevent future potential incidents that could emerge due to a lack of information. Such inspection visits were even going on during the Cold War between western-bloc nations and the Soviet Union,” Galkins explained.
In light of both countries’ membership in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the 2011 Vienna document on measures for strengthening trust and security, such visits are conducted as a routine sharing of information on military developments and activities.
A small group of Russian experts are flying over Latvia’s central regions in National Armed Forces (NBS) helicopters, getting a bird’s eye view of Riga’s International Airport, the up-and-coming but still in-the-works airfield in Tukums, as well as the newly-refurbed Lielvārde military airbase for eventual NATO mission basing.
The visit also includes a drive-through tour of the Ādaži army base and shooting range, excluding whatsoever any exposure of the army base headquarters premises, reported LETA.
The visiting experts from the next-door power were also on a previous similar tour in February.
In the meantime, as reported, events in Ukraine have led to a marked intensification of tensions between the Russian Federation and NATO, as Baltic Air Police jets and navy patrol boats are on heightened vigils to scramble to monitor Russian military craft near Baltic borders on a more frequent and regular basis.
