Joint press point

Prime Minister Kariņš,
Welcome to the NATO Headquarters.
It’s a great pleasure to welcome you here to the new NATO headquarters.
And also to meet with you and to discuss a wide range of different issues which are of great importance for NATO and for Latvia.
We have just discussed the ongoing adaptation of NATO, the need to change NATO as the world is changing.
And when NATO leaders meet in London in December, we will boost the readiness of our forces, and work towards fairer burden-sharing in our Alliance.    

Latvia is a highly valued Ally, making an important contribution to our collective defence.  Your forces are training Afghan troops to fight terrorism. You host a multinational NATO battlegroup in your country. And you contribute actively to regional exercises.

This week, as we speak, Latvia is leading exercise Silver Arrow. Bringing together 3,000 troops from 12 NATO Allies and providing training for one of four battlegroups in the region. Such exercises are part of NATO’s strengthened deterrence and defence in a more unpredictable world.

Latvia also leads by example on defence investment. You commit 2 percent of your GDP for defence and you are investing in major equipment.
It is important that we continue investing in our defence. To ensure that our service men and women have what they need in order to keep our nations safe.

Latvia is part of a strong NATO, where Allies stand shoulder to shoulder. Allied jets keep your skies safe. Allied ships keep the Baltic Sea secure. And NATO battlegroups in the region prevent conflict and preserve peace.
In Ādaži, troops from 9 Allies serve alongside Latvian forces. They send a clear message: NATO stands as one.
They demonstrate the strength of the transatlantic bond – soldiers from North America and Europe serving together to keep our Alliance safe. This bond guarantees our security and our prosperity.
Allowing us to live our lives in freedom.

So once again Mister Prime Minister, it has been a great honour and pleasure to meet with you and I’m looking forward to continue to work with you, to continue to adapt and to strengthen our Alliance, our transatlantic partnership.