On Wednesday, the National Security Council will discuss how to deal with security threats posed by drones. Asked whether institutional changes would be needed to improve the system, such as the integration of the State Border Guard into the Ministry of Defense, Rinkēvičs said that the Council would hear reports from responsible officials to understand what further steps should be taken. However, it is clear that there is a "serious need to improve cooperation between the armed forces, the Ministry of Defense on the one hand, and the border guards, the Ministry of the Interior on the other".
"Both institutions have been working on improving cooperation. But whether the State Border Guard should be included in the Ministry of Defense, I think - no," said the President of Latvia.
He said that such a system existed in the past, but there were certain reasons why the Border Guard was placed under the supervision of the Ministry of the Interior. "The police functions, the cooperation with the European Union, and also certain NATO guidelines," the President listed the reasons.
Rinkēvičs stressed that there was no experience in NATO member states of the border guard being under the Ministry of Defense. "I do not think we should make such decisions," he added.
