Pabriks instructs the armed forces to start training near the Belarusian border / Article

Today, 18:09

Updated today, 7:17 p.m.

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NATO must take concrete steps to resolve the migration crisis on the Belarusian border on Sunday, 14 November, Polish Prime Minister Matthew Moravecki said adding that Poland, together with Lithuania and Latvia, could request consultations under Article 4 of the Alliance Treaty. Latvian Minister of Defense Artis Pabriks, who went to Brussels today, informed Latvian Television that if there is such a request for consultations, Latvia will support it. According to him, the situation has not yet reached such a critical level, but at the same time there are no signs that it could improve.

“I cannot rule out the possibility that we may come to such a request to consider the need for consultations under Article 4.

At the moment, I do not think that is the case at the moment, but we have been discussing this – it has been on the agenda since the beginning of the crisis. It is clear that the country against which the main hybrid blow will be the initiator, but in general, if the situation continues to worsen and there is a need for such consultations, we will do so together, “said the Minister.” I am currently on my way to Brussels. We will also have lunch with NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg, so I assume we will be able to discuss these matters and I will also hear the views of my Polish and Lithuanian colleagues on this subject. “

“Currently, there is no sign that the situation has eased. There is no sign of that and we see migrants being prepared to cross the border,” Pabriks continued. “We cannot rule out that some of these groups will move further north and may reach the Latvian border. We are ready for that.

I have asked for military exercises to be announced in the Latgale region, so that our Belarusian colleagues, if you can call it that, know that it is not simply the same.

Approximately 3,000 representatives of the Latvian Armed Forces will take part in this exercise. The training will continue for about a month. “

The Minister noted that the training has already begun. The National Armed Forces specified that the “Decisive Point” exercise will take place in the South-East region of Latvia from November 13 to December 12. Their goal is to train a large-scale unit – the command structure, mobility and mutual cooperation of all National Guard brigades.

If Poland proposes to start consultations on Article 4 of the NATO Treaty, then Latvia’s support will undoubtedly be in place, Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs (“New Unity”) also confirmed before leaving for the European Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels.

“Currently, we see that the situation on the Polish-Belarusian border has deteriorated rapidly. More and more units of the Belarusian Armed Forces are appearing. Exercises are taking place involving Russian armed forces. All this, of course, is quite dangerous,” the minister said.

Currently, the great powers are trying to calm the situation through diplomatic means. The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs has contacted the Foreign Minister of Belarus today. The leaders of several countries have consulted within the framework of NATO and the EU, and the German Chancellor has held talks with the President of Russia.

“Will it give results, I would refrain from predicting this time! But I would very much like to hope that common sense will give results,” said Rinkēvičs.

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