Defence minister's visit in Latvia

On 19 December, the new defence minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen visited Latvia to take part in a meeting in the framework of Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) with political leaders from United Kingdom, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. This was the defence minister´s first visit abroad in his new position. The JEF-meeting focused on the security situation in the region, assistance to Ukraine, the increased Russian military activities in the High North, North Atlantic and Baltic Sea region, and the growing hybrid threats. 

Following the JEF-meeting, the defence minister visited the Danish soldiers in camp Valdemar at the Ādaži military base outside Riga, where the 750 Danish soldiers from the Danish battalion are currently deployed. The minister had a briefing, and a short tour in the camp with opportunity to talk to some of the soldiers. He also addressed the soldiers to thank them for their efforts and important contribution to regional security, and wishing them and their families back home a merry Christmas.

The visit ended with a bilateral meeting with the new Latvian minister for defence Ināra Mūrniece who also took up office last week after the formation of the new Latvian government.