The US leadership confirms its desire to continue close cooperation with the Baltic States / Article / LSM.lv

Arriving in Europe for the first time, the new US Secretary of State (Foreign Secretary) Anthony Blinken also met with the Baltic foreign ministers in Brussels on Wednesday and emphasized that the new US government is determined to continue close cooperation with the Baltic states, which are allies in the NATO alliance.

“I had the pleasure of talking to my Baltic colleagues. We look forward to continuing to work with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to ensure security and promote prosperity in Europe and the world, ”says Blinken.

Pleasure speaking with my Baltic counterparts today. We look forward to working with Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to guarantee security and increase prosperity in Europe and around the world. pic.twitter.com/bTqR0EqhP6

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) March 24, 2021

A meeting of NATO foreign ministers closed in Brussels on Wednesday. It was the first face-to-face meeting of North Atlantic Alliance politicians in about a year and a half. During the meeting, discussions took place on the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, as well as on Russia and the challenges posed by climate change.

The role of the US leader

Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs thanked the United States for its significant and constant support for the security and defense of the Baltics. “The US leadership in NATO is important for Latvia,” Rinkēvičs emphasized. The Minister confirmed that Latvia will continue to contribute to NATO’s collective efforts.

During the meeting, Blinken reaffirmed the commitment of the Joe Biden administration to re-establish friendly relations with the United States. During his first visit to Europe, the US senior diplomat demonstrated a change in US foreign policy, which focused on the priority of American interests during the time of former President Donald Trump.

“I think that this administration will try to cooperate with the European Union, with European allies, also on issues where cooperation may not have been good before, such as human rights. The United States has returned to the UN Human Rights Council, which is to be welcomed. There will be more cooperation in multilateral formats, ”says Rinkēvičs.

Strong support continues

US support for Baltic security has always been very strong during both Republicans and Democrats, including during Trump’s presidency, despite Trump’s rhetoric, which has sometimes raised doubts about Trump’s interest in maintaining good relations with Europe and NATO.

“As for security issues, bilateral cooperation, regional security – whichever party is in power in Congress and the White House, our support has always been very clear, and even today it was very clearly stated,” Rinkēvičs concludes.

“We specifically discussed and emphasized the need to continue the previous administration’s support for the Three Seas Initiative, as it is also a real investment in our digital, energy and transport sectors. The US Secretary of State was supportive and pointed out that, unlike Latvia and Estonia, there are still some countries that have not yet invested money in the respective investment fund, because it is still important. And I agree with that, ”says Rinkēvičs.

The US government will also continue to oppose the continued construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea by Germany and Russia. Americans say they do not rule out any solution to the problem.

Rinkēvičs said that Latvia, together with several like-minded countries, had always been against the Nord Stream 2 project, believing that this political project would increase the European Union’s energy dependence on one supplier.

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