NATO deputy chief visits Latvia and addresses Riga Conference

NATO said Shekerinska joined Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide for a Riga Conference panel on diplomacy in a changing security environment. According to NATO, she said Russia’s war against Ukraine and hostile actions against Allies had reinforced Alliance unity, and pledged continued NATO support for Ukraine.

According to NATO, Shekerinska cited Latvia’s allocation of 0.25% of GDP to supporting Ukraine. NATO said she also identified Baltic Air Policing, Baltic Sentry and Eastern Sentry as examples of joint responses involving Allied forces along the eastern flank.

NATO said Shekerinska visited its multinational brigade at Ādaži Military Base and received a briefing from Major General Ulrich Essemann-Beck, commander of NATO Multinational Division Headquarters North. According to NATO, she held bilateral meetings with Latvian Defence Minister Raivis Melnis, Braže and Eide, and also met German Parliamentary State Secretary Sebastian Hartmann and Latvian National Security Adviser Ilze Milta.