Latvia welcomes Germany’s leadership role in Europe

Riga (dpa) – Following his visit to Lithuania, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is now in Latvia. In Riga, he met with Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs and Prime Minister Evika Siliņa. Together with Rinkēvičs, he visited a German Navy vessel taking part in NATO’s “Baltic Sentry” operation in the Baltic Sea. This is the twelfth official visit Steinmeier has made to Latvia during his long political career. He and Rinkēvičs have known each other for many years and share a close relationship: the two men both previously served as foreign ministers and now hold the highest office in their respective countries. 

Ahead of the meeting, Rinkēvičs said he believed it was appropriate and right that given the geopolitical confrontation with Russia, Germany was seeking to take on greater responsibility within the EU and NATO. The Federal Government's plans to expand and strengthen the Bundeswehr – plans that Chancellor Friedrich Merz says will make it the strongest conventional army in Europe – have raised no concerns in Latvia. “Germany has convincingly demonstrated over decades that it is a democratic, law-based country founded on Western values,” said Rinkēvičs. He added that strengthening the Bundeswehr was “in the interest of Europe’s overall security”.