During the meeting, the officials discussed the bilateral cooperation between Latvia and Estonia to date, as well as regional security issues, and the implementation of the decisions of the NATO Madrid summit.
"The Baltic states must take into account the lessons of Ukraine's struggle with the aggressor, and strengthening air defense capabilities should be made one of the common goals of the Baltic states. In order to achieve this goal, we need to work both at the national level and among all the Baltic States together with NATO.
"Latvia and Estonia are already closely cooperating in order to identify possible manufacturers of medium-range air defense systems and then decide on joint procurement," said Mūrniece.
The defense ministers of Latvia and Estonia agreed that joint and coordinated action is essential for the successful acquisition of a medium-range air defense system.
On June 30, 2022, during the NATO Madrid summit, Latvia and Estonia signed a joint letter of intent for the purchase of medium-range air defense systems. The letter of intent serves as the basis for concluding a joint procurement agreement between the two countries.
On January 11, Mūrniece will participate in a meeting of the Committee of Defense Ministers of the Baltic States, where she will discuss regional security challenges again with both Pevkur and Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anušauskas.
During the meeting, the defense ministers of the Baltic states will discuss the current situation in Ukraine in connection with the war waged by Russia and its impact on regional security, as well as the support already provided and in the future to Ukraine.
