Russia is threat to whole Europe - Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg

RIGA - Russia is not only a threat to its neighbors, but to the whole of Europe, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Xavier Bettel said at a press conference after a meeting with Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze (New Unity) on Tuesday.

Bettel stressed that politicians often find it difficult to admit their mistakes, but he well remembers when colleagues from the Baltic states warned long ago that the Russian threat was real. The Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg also noted that Latvia "has suffered from the communist regime". In his view, it is now evident that it is not just a question of support for Ukraine, but of support for shared values and for the "European project".

"The fight on the front lines is a fight for us. The situation at our maritime borders is the situation at our common borders. Luxembourg is trying to give as much support as possible. [...] We want to contribute and support Latvia in what it is doing, because it is good for us too," said Bettel.

As for the "European project", the Deputy Prime Minister of Luxembourg noted that it is a project of solidarity. It cannot be the case that countries are responsible for all the problems that arise because of where they are, so solidarity is important.

Last week, the European Union granted a first tranche of EUR 1.5 billion from the proceeds of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. Asked about Luxembourg's position on this issue, Bettel noted that most of the European Central Bank's money was not in Luxembourg but in Brussels, despite Luxembourg's reputation for strong banks.

"We agreed that the proceeds should be invested in Ukraine, but initially I was concerned about legal certainty, for example, there could be a court tomorrow saying that this is not legal and the money invested in Ukraine has to be paid back. Who will pay it back?! I want to make sure that there is no risk of such litigation. Everything is clear on this point, we can proceed. We always want to act in accordance with the law," said Luxembourg's official.

The Latvian Foreign Minister told reporters that she and Bettel had discussed in detail current EU issues, such as how to ensure unity, how to take decisions despite the positions of individual countries that prevent unity.

"I will not go into details at the moment, but together we have a pretty good understanding. As regards the European Commission's next program and priorities, Latvia's priorities are security and economic development. [...] Of course, we are united in the view that containing Russia and supporting Ukraine is a priority, but the situation in the Middle East is also very explosive and affects everyone," said Braze.

The Latvian Foreign Minister welcomed Luxembourg's commitment to increase defense spending, which was announced at last year's NATO summit in Washington. In her view, this will provide more opportunities for procurement and cooperation. Braze added that such a step is not easy for Luxembourg, given the relatively small size of its armed forces, but that Luxembourg's contribution is equally important.

"Latvia is counting on Luxembourg's continued support in strengthening our defense capabilities. We are grateful for what Luxembourg is already doing. Our priority is a rotational model in air defense, ensuring a regular allied presence," said the Latvian Foreign Minister.

According to the Latvian Foreign Ministry, the Minister expressed Latvia’s interest in attracting new investments from Luxembourg – the country already being among the ten largest investors in Latvian companies. “We discussed with Bettel the ways to strengthen our bilateral contacts in economy and security, as we have a considerable potential for building economic cooperation, for instance, in space industry: Luxembourg is home to a large NATO and EU satellite center, and this is one of the areas which we are interested in and which holds a potential for tangible cooperation, which should be embraced. Let me note that Latvia, being an associated Member of the European Space Agency, is actively involved in international projects, and it is vital to promote experience sharing with other interested countries,” Braze emphasized.

She also pointed out that “we have a vast potential technological innovations, digitalization, banking and financial technologies sector. We’re going to meet several Latvian companies today, including those which are already operating successfully in Luxembourg and the Benelux, and would like to expand cooperation”.

In the context of the Baltic-Benelux cooperation, the two Ministers welcomed the signing of an agreement on automatic recognition of higher education qualifications – it took effect this past May 1 and is one of the vivid examples of cooperation between the Baltic states and the Benelux countries.

Braze expressed gratitude for the visit of Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, to Latvia in 2023, which demonstrated mutual respect and the strong relationship between the countries. Latvia and Luxembourg are linked not only by similar positions on important issues and participation in international organisations, but also by cooperation in the field of security, culture, education and by the active Latvian diaspora, which engages in both cultural projects and those in support of Ukraine.

The Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, has arrived in Latvia on an official visit, as part of which he also met with the President of Latvia Edgars Rinkevics, the CEO of the Freeport of Riga, Ansis Zeltins, as well as touring the Latvian National Museum of Art and the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia.