Selection of conscripts for national defense service must be explained to young people and general public - Rinkevics

RIGA - The process in which conscripts are selected for the national defense service should be expensively explained to young people and the general public,  President Edgars Rinkevics believes. 

As the president's adviser Martins Dregeris told LETA, Rinkevics met with the Chief of Defense, Lt. Gen. Leonids Kalnins on Tuesday to discuss the development of the National Armed Forces (NAF) and the military protection of Latvia's eastern border. 

The president was briefed on the introduction of the national defense service and the first draw in which conscripts were selected for the mandatory military service. "Let's keep in mind that this is the first event of this kind, so I am calling on to provide explanations and talk to the public, especially to the young men that have been selected to join the service," Rinkevics said. 

The chief of defense informed the president about the solution for the military protection of Latvia's eastern border. Rinkevics urged the NAF commander to informed the public on practical measures planned to bolster the defense of Latvia's eastern border.

On January 24, the National Security Council is due to examine the plan for the strengthening the military protection of Latvia's eastern border, which among other things includes practical measures implementable within a realistic timeframe. 

As reported, since the number of volunteers enlisting in the third draft to the national defense service proved insufficient, a draw was organized for the first time to select young men for the mandatory military service, LETA was told at the Defense Ministry.

In the draw, the 300 conscripts were selected using a special random number generating software, but only 150 of them will be recruited after passing a medical examination.

In all, 480 conscripts will be enlisted in the third draft to the national defense service. As many as 515 persons volunteered for service in this draft, of whom only about 320 were found fit for service after medical examinations. Consequently, a further 150 men had to be conscripted compulsorily. In order to select these 150 people, 300 young men were selected by draw, as the army estimates that half of them will be found unfit for service.