Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics speaks during a press conference in Riga, Latvia, Sept. 13, 2021. The foreign affairs and defense ministers of Poland and the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) met here on Monday to discuss security policy matters and regional challenges, the Latvian Foreign Ministry said. (Photo by Edijs Palens/Xinhua)
RIGA, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- The foreign affairs and defense ministers of Poland and the Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) met here on Monday to discuss security policy matters and regional challenges, the Latvian Foreign Ministry said.
Their agenda also included talks on the decisions made at the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) summit in Brussels in June and on the alliance's Strategic Concept and partnership policy.
The ministers recalled that NATO's Brussels summit reaffirmed transatlantic unity and the member states' commitment to strengthen the alliance. The decisions taken at the summit provide a solid basis for NATO's further adaptation, the ministers said.
One of the main themes of the meeting was a revision of NATO's Strategic Concept, which is due to be approved at the alliance's next summit in Madrid in 2022.
The participants confirmed that the Baltic countries and Poland have many common interests both in NATO and in the wider regional security context, but they also agreed that the priority is NATO's collective defense and deterrence.
In a separate session, the participating foreign ministers discussed NATO's partnership issues. They concluded that, considering the Baltic countries and Poland's geopolitical location, it is essential to ensure security and stability in the region, thereby strengthening the partners' stability and resilience. Enditem
