A. Sprūds: Baltic Unity and Ability to Act Are Our Main Responses to Security Challenges

From 29 to 30 January, Defence Minister Andris Sprūds participated in a meeting of the Baltic Defence Ministers Committee in Tallinn, Estonia. During the meeting, the ministers reinforced a shared vision on strengthening regional security and agreed on concrete steps to develop combat capabilities, also focusing on continued support for Ukraine. 

“Our security is as strong as our will to act. The Baltic Defence Line and industrial cooperation are our responsibility and a practical response to regional challenges. By synchronising our forces, we are not only strengthening NATO’s border but also creating a lasting foundation of stability for all of Europe,” emphasised A. Sprūds. 

At the meeting, A. Sprūds, together with Estonia’s Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur and Lithuania’s Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas, also discussed cooperation between the Baltic states and the United States, stressing the need for a permanent allied presence in the region. Ministers agreed that closer cooperation in the defence industry and opportunities for joint procurement are the most effective ways to implement critical defence systems. 

At the end of the working visit, the defence minister visited the restored Estonian Statehood House. During the tour, not only the architectural value of the building after its recent renovation was highlighted, but also its historical role in the development of regional self-government — serving as a symbolic reminder of the shared path of the Baltic peoples to sovereignty. 

Within the framework of the Baltic Defence Ministers’ meeting, a letter of intent was signed on establishing a Military Mobility Zone among the Baltic states. The initiative aims to continue standardising national border crossing procedures, coordinating and monitoring military freight movement, and ensuring operative information exchange not only among the Baltic states but also more broadly within the EU and NATO, so that in crisis situations and in case of military threats it will be possible to rapidly receive allied forces in the Baltic region. Within this framework, work is planned on the further harmonisation of military movement procedures, alignment with the military mobility zones established by EU and NATO countries, the introduction of best practices, and the organisation of joint exercises.

The facilitation and improvement of military movement has been an important line of work for the defence sectors of the Baltic states for many years, and this initiative can be assessed as the next step in enhancing military mobility between the countries.
 

Information prepared by:
MoD Military Public Affairs Department
Media Relations Section
Phone: 67335129
E-mail: prese@mod.gov.lv