Latvia's security will be priority and we must learn to live in new circumstances - president

RIGA - Latvia's security will be a priority and we must learn to live in the new circumstances, President Edgars Rinkevics said Friday in an interview on TV24 channel.

The president said that many national security issues are being tackled, for instance, compared to the beginning of the year, the development and reinforcement of military infrastructure at Latvia's eastern border is underway and construction of the fence on the eastern border is progressing. 

Rinkevics noted that these two are important elements - the first against any kind of military provocations and the second to hold off hybrid attacks like illegal migration. The president praised the performance of Latvia's security agencies which detain persons accused of espionage and organizing sabotages.

"What do we have to reckon with?! We have to reckon that security is a process. We will be constantly tested, there will be provocations. I know that the security authorities seriously analyze all the information that emerges from time to time about plans to organize sabotages, provocations in European and NATO territory, and react accordingly," the president said.

"In this way, we will also be able to improve common security and prevent provocations. We see that hybrid attacks have somehow become the new normal, since we have such an aggressive neighbor as Russia and its ally Belarus," Rinkevics said.