RIGA - If Finland or Estonia invokes NATO's Article 4, which commits member states to consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the member state is threatened, Latvia will support them, President Edgars Rinkevics said.
As the president's adviser Martins Dregeris told LETA, Rinkevics has said already before that in order to deter an adversary, the readiness of defense forces and capabilities on the ground, in the air and at sea, as well as effective command and cooperation capabilities tested in exercises in the priority.
Therefore, in the context of countering Russia's hybrid warfare in the Baltic Sea and the recent cable incidents, the Latvian president stresses increased patrolling, bolstering physical presence of NATO and allied forces in the Baltic Sea as one of the essential elements for strengthening security in the Baltic Sea. In Rinkevics' view, it is important to remain vigilant, to ensure effective exchange of information among allies.
Another element is the imposition of sanctions on the Russian "shadow fleet", given that these vessels not only cut subsea cables but are also used as intelligence platforms. The presidential adviser referred to Rinkevics' earlier statement that when thinking about the security of the Baltic Sea region, all options and scenarios should be "kept on the table", including a possible closure of the Baltic Sea.
The president noted that, according to Article 4 of the Washington Treaty, consultations are initiated by a state which considers that its territorial integrity, political independence or security is threatened. If Finland or Estonia requests Article 4 consultations, Latvia will support them.
Dregeris underlined that Rinkevics clearly expressed solidarity with Finland and Estonia immediately after the cable incident. The presidential adviser noted that on December 30 last year, NATO allies met at NATO Headquarters to consult on the security of critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, with all allies expressing their solidarity and discussed additional measures to protect critical underwater infrastructure.
As reported, since Russia's repeated invasion of Ukraine three years ago, subsea infrastructure has been damaged repeatedly in the Baltic Sea.
Two communication cables were damaged in Swedish territorial waters on November 17 and 18. The C-Lion-1 communication cable between Finland and Germany and the Arelion telecommunications cable connecting Sweden and Lithuania were damaged in the Swedish economic zone. The Chinese vessel Yi Peng 3 is suspected of involvement in damaging the cables.
NATO has agreed to increase its presence in the Baltic Sea following the disruption of the EstLink 2 undersea electricity cable linking Finland and Estonia, the latest cable and pipeline damage in the region caused by ships with links to Russia and China.
The European Union said it was stepping up measures to protect subsea cables by improving information sharing and using new technologies to detect damage and expand repair options.
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