Latvia sees promising opportunities for collaboration between entrepreneurs from both countries, particularly in jointly advancing military capabilities. Recognising the importance of ensuring sustainable peace in the region, Latvia acknowledges that it is at the beginning stages of developing its military industry but already has much to learn from and share with Ukraine. This was expressed by the Speaker of the Saeima, Daiga Mieriņa, on Tuesday, 14 January, during a meeting in Kyiv with Ukraine’s Prime Minister, Denys Shmyhal.
Continuing its military cooperation, Latvia plans to train 4,000 Ukrainian soldiers this year and invest EUR 20 million in the development of the Drone Coalition.
Latvia is also prepared to share its IT services and solutions, as well as its knowledge and experience in the establishment and management of critical infrastructure.
Speaker Mieriņa urged joint efforts to establish a Black Sea-Baltic Sea transport corridor, which would include the Rail Baltica railway connection in the future. She emphasised the importance of moving towards the complete isolation of the aggressor state, including ceasing the use of Russian infrastructure entirely.
The parties discussed progress on the 16th package of European Union sanctions against Russia. Ukraine’s Prime Minister expressed high appreciation for Latvia’s leadership in advancing sanctions, particularly highlighting the need to continue combating Russia’s shadow fleet, significantly curbing the aggressor’s revenues from oil product sales, and imposing sanctions on Russia’s nuclear energy sector.
Speaker Mieriņa was accompanied on her visit by the Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, Antoņina Ņenaševa, the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Ināra Mūrniece, the Chair of the Defence, Internal Affairs, and Corruption Prevention Committee, Raimonds Bergmanis, and the Secretary of the Committee, Jānis Skrastiņš, who also leads the parliamentary cooperation group with Ukraine.
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Saeima Press Service