- Following the success of the NATO Summit in Vilnius in July,
Minister will visit the two Baltic
nations to show the UK’s leadership in tackling threats to
European security.
- He will discuss plans to bolster NATO’s Eastern Flank before
attending a NATO Cyber Conference in Berlin.
- Visit will also reiterate collective support for Ukraine in
the face of Russian aggression and enable discussions on the
situation in the Middle East and preventing regional escalation.
Minister for Europe, , will visit Lithuania and
Latvia to underline the UK’s continued commitment to the Baltic
States’ security and discuss the strengthening of support to
Ukraine.
During meetings in Vilnius with Lithuanian Deputy Foreign
Minister, Jonas Survila, and the Presidential National Security
Advisor, Kęstutis Budrys, the Minister will discuss growing
cooperation, from the training of Ukrainian forces to closer
collaboration on regional security and tackling illegal
migration. He will also highlight the need for a collective
effort to prevent the tragic situation in the Middle East from
escalating more widely and support humanitarian aid entering
Gaza.
The visit follows the NATO Summit which Vilnius hosted in July,
where the Prime Minister outlined the UK’s leading role in
protecting regional security in the face of increased threats
across Europe.
In Riga, Minister Docherty will meet Latvian Parliamentary
Secretary, Reinis Brusbārdis, and the Minister of Energy, Kaspars
Melnis, to discuss the importance of energy security, and how the
two countries can work together to address Russian malign
influence.
Minister for Europe, said:
The Baltic States are on the frontline of Russia’s malign
activity, and the UK is steadfast in our commitment to supporting
them defend their freedom and security.
Through NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force, we are working
with Latvia and Lithuania to keep the region and our allies safe,
including through a united effort to prevent further conflict and
terrorism in the Middle East.
More than 20,000 British troops will
be deployed to the region next year, where they will take
part in large-scale, multi-country exercises, as well as carrying
out air policing and cold weather training.
The UK has a long-standing relationship with both Latvia and
Lithuania across all arms of the military, including cooperation
in NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF).
The Minister is also expected to visit the Hill of Crosses, an
important cultural site symbolic of Lithuanian identity and
peaceful resistance. In Latvia, he will lay a wreath at both the
Commonwealth War Grave in Jelgava and at Riga’s Freedom Monument,
which commemorates those who fought for Latvia’s independence
over 100 years ago.
Later in the week, the Minister will go on to represent the UK at
the first NATO Cyber Defence Conference taking place in Berlin.
The gathering will discuss the Alliance’s ability to adapt to
evolving cyber threats and the strengthening of its ability to
detect, prevent and respond to malicious cyber activities.
