The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Edgars Rinkēvičs, attended the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union in Luxembourg on June 26, 2023. During the meeting, key issues such as the Russian aggression against Ukraine, the EU’s digital diplomacy, and the EU’s relations with Latin American and Caribbean countries were discussed. Rinkēvičs emphasized the need for continued attention on the actions of Russia’s Wagner Group of mercenaries.
Amidst the exchange of views on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and recent events in Russia, Minister Rinkēvičs emphasized the importance of closely monitoring the movements of the Wagner Group. In particular, he drew attention to reports suggesting that the leader of the Wagner Group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, might be heading to Belarus.
Rinkēvičs stressed the significance of treating this information with particular care, as its confirmation would pose a direct security challenge not only to Ukraine but also to EU Member States, including Latvia. He underlined the need to reinforce security in the EU border area in response to such a development.
While highlighting the need for ongoing support to Ukraine and the implementation of coordinated sanctions against Russia and Belarus, Rinkēvičs called for the continuation of the current strategy. He emphasized the importance of maintaining support for Ukraine and coordinating efforts with like-minded countries to uphold the sanctions policy.
During the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting, Minister Rinkēvičs also held discussions with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell. The officials engaged in talks about various current topics on the EU’s agenda, further strengthening cooperation between Latvia and the EU.
Notably, this meeting marked Minister Rinkēvičs’ final participation in the EU Foreign Affairs Council as the Foreign Minister of Latvia. On this occasion, he expressed his gratitude to High Representative Borrell and his colleagues for their successful cooperation throughout his tenure.
