Danish military presence in Latvia strengthens NATO's Eastern flank defense capabilities - Spruds

RIGA - The presence of the Danish military contingent in Latvia strengthens NATO's collective defense and deterrence capabilities of the Eastern flank, Latvian Defense Minister Andris Spruds (Progressives) said after a meeting with Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.

According to the Defense Ministry, the officials met today to discuss regional security issues, as well as the development of the multinational division headquarters North.

The Danish defense minister stressed that the Danish soldiers appreciate the living conditions provided by Latvia and thanked Latvia for its cooperation in the development of the Multinational Division Headquarters North.

The officials also discussed support to Ukraine and cooperation in the international drone coalition.

"Latvia highly appreciates both Denmark's participation in the first NATO Multinational Brigade and its leadership of the Multinational Division Headquarters North at the Adazi base," said Spruds.

The Multinational Division Headquarters North, in which Latvia and Denmark have assumed the role of framework nations, was opened in 2019 with the aim of improving the defense of the Baltic states and strengthening NATO's collective deterrence and defense. The headquarters provides unified command in the Baltic region.

In the summer of 2023, the Multinational Divisional Headquarters North reached full combat readiness, fulfilling the necessary requirements to be fully capable of providing situational awareness for security in the region.