Andrejs Pildegovičs and other NB8 State Secretaries discuss security issues

On 14 March 2018 in Stockholm, Sweden, the State Secretary of the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Andrejs Pildegovičs, took part in the meeting of State Secretaries of the Baltic and Nordic countries in the NB8 (Nordic–Baltic Eight) format. The meeting addressed topics related to regional security, the state of affairs in Brexit negotiations, recent developments in the energy sector, relations between the NB8 region and China, and cooperation with the UN.

In the Latvian Embassy in Stockholm, State Secretary Pildegovičs met with non-resident ambassadors to Latvia to brief them about latest developments in the country and discuss upcoming events to celebrate Latvia’s centenary.

In a discussion on security, the NB8 State Secretaries were unanimous that under the current geopolitical climate it was of utmost importance to maintain mutual trust and solidarity. In the context of the NB8 region, it is vital to further develop cooperation with Finland and Sweden (29+2) in the shared interest of promoting joint activities of NATO and the EU in the security sector. It is no less important to take forward the initiatives of the Wales and Warsaw summits, notably in the field of collective defence, and foster a dialogue on NATO’s open door policy.

State Secretaries recognised that there were numerous challenges to the Brexit negotiations. They voiced support for the conditions offered by the EU considering that the EU and the United Kingdom will definitely remain trustworthy partners with multiple common interests, especially in the field of security.

In the context of energy policy, the participants noted that it was important to move ahead with a closer integration of the Baltic States into the network of the EU’s common energy infrastructure. The use of renewable resources should be facilitated in the NB8 region, as well as following further development of the Nord Stream 2 project.

The NB8 State Secretaries emphasised the role of China as a significant bilateral trade partner, increasingly active on a global scale.

In conclusion of the meeting, Sweden provided an update into the work of the United Nations Security Council, where the country is holding the seat of a non-permanent member from 2017 to 2018.