At the military base in Ādaži, Minister Lipavský got acquainted with the activities of the Czech engineer battalion and thanked the soldiers for their service in securing the defence of NATO's eastern flank. On that occasion, he also paid tribute to the memory of soldiers killed in foreign missions.

Latvia is the flagship country within the EU as far as national sanctions are concerned. Czechia has also had its so-called 'Magnitsky' law since January this year. “The Latvians are setting an example for us. We have only recently adopted the law, so during the meeting I was interested in specific experiences that we could translate into our work,” the minister said.

The visit reflects the excellent level of bilateral relations; both countries have very close or identical foreign and security policy interests and priorities, especially in the field of transatlantic relations, support for Ukraine, and relations with EU and NATO partners. The subject of the talks was in particular the current developments in Europe in the context of Russian aggression against Ukraine, with an emphasis on post-war reconstruction. “The security of Latvia is the security of Czechia. The security of Ukraine concerns us all,” Minister Lipavský summarised during the press conference.

Minister Lipavský also discussed with his partners the issues of China, the future direction of the Eastern Partnership countries and the future geopolitical role of the EU.