Latvia plans new military base, return of compulsory national service

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Latvia plans to establish another international military base in a zone straddling the regions of Aizkraukle and Jēkabpils in the south of the country, Minister of Defense Artis Pabriks said at a press conference on Tuesday, July 5.

Most of the property where the military base is planned to be built currently belongs to state forestry company "Latvijas valsts meži" (Latvian state forests), the LETA newswire reports. It is fairly close to the border with Lithuania.

The Ministry of Defense plans to take over 81 different plots of land with an area of ​​1,072 hectares in the territory of Aizkraukles and Jēkabpils counties for the creation of the Zalve military zone. The expropriation process will take place in accordance with a special law.

"Along with the strengthening of national defense, the creation of the new military range will create new business opportunities, additional jobs, as well as contribute to the development of the region's infrastructure and economy," the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Local residents will be able to continue to gather mushrooms and berries in "most" of the military zone, and the national armed forces will not prohibit movement on regional and national roads, but "movement may be restricted for the duration of the military training, which the public will be informed about."

"The military zone will be established in an area rich in habitats and various bird species. The national armed forces will respect the requirements of environmental protection and treat nature with care," the Ministry said, adding that the creation and use of new military ranges would not endanger protected birds and their nesting places.

In order to verify whether private properties are located in the planned territory of the Zalve military zone, members of the public are invited to contact the State Military Facilities and Procurement Center on telephone number 26177070.

Last week, the NATO summit ended in Madrid, with a commitment to significantly increase NATO deployments to Latvia and the other Baltic states in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

The Canada-led NATO battlegroup group in Latvia currently comprises almost 2,000 soldiers, but the new commitment is to create combat-ready groups of brigade size – usually of 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers.

At present NATO forces are based at camp Ādaži near the Latvian capital, but the arrival of large numbers of reinforcements will mean not only that more bunk beds are required but that suitable infrastructure and services for soldiers, support staff, and social amenities must be required. Establishing all of that on a virgin site will be a major undertaking.

The announcement is likely to spark predictable fury in Russia.

Pabriks also announced plans to reintroduce national military service for males from 2023, first on a voluntary basis and then in compulsory form at a later date. This comes despite reservations about national service being expressed by Latvia's defense chief in February this year.

The information provided to the media by the Ministry of Defense shows that the defense service will be gradually introduced over the course of five years. From January 1, 2023, the first phase of implementation will take place, for which it will be possible to apply voluntarily. 

It is expected that recruitment to the service will take place twice a year - on January 1 and July 1. It is planned that after a five-year transition period, the service will be compulsory for men aged 18 to 27.

However, if a person at the age of 18 is still studying, they will be able to defer their service until after graduation. 

National service will last for 12 months, but one month of that will be holiday, and people can expect to be paid 400 euros plus travel expenses per month, slightly less than the national minimum wage of 500 euros.

Women will be able to apply to the National Defense Service voluntarily, the Ministry of Defense plans. 
Only citizens of Latvia will be admitted to the service and individuals will also have to meet health requirements, which are analogous to those of the National Guard.

Latvia abolished mandatory military service in January 2007, fully switching to a professional military service backed up by a National Guard militia.

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