Latvian and Estonian ministers agree that mutually coordinated action is an essential aspect of the successful acquisition of an air defense system

RIGA - Joint and mutually coordinated action is an essential aspect for the successful purchase of a medium-range air defense system, concluded the Defense Ministers of Latvia and Estonia.

On Tuesday, Latvian Defense Minister Inara Murniece (National Alliance) met Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur during a working visit to Tallinn.

During the meeting, the officials discussed the bilateral cooperation between Latvia and Estonia to date, as well as regional security issues, the implementation of the decisions of the NATO Madrid summit and the cooperation of the Baltic states in the field of defense.

"The Baltic states must take into account the lessons of Ukraine's struggle with the aggressor, and the strengthening of air defense capabilities should be one of the common goals of the Baltic states. To achieve this goal, we must work both at the national level and all the Baltic states together with NATO. Latvia and Estonia are already closely cooperating to identify possible manufacturers of medium-range air defense systems and then decide on a joint procurement," the defense minister says.

The defense ministers of Latvia and Estonia agreed that joint and mutually coordinated action is an essential aspect for the successful acquisition of a medium-range air defense system.

As reported, during the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid, Latvia and Estonia signed a letter of intent on a joint purchase of medium-range air defense systems.

The letter of intent will serve as a basis for concluding a joint purchase agreement with Estonia, allowing for mutual coordination of activities, effective use of defense funding and strengthening the region's overall stability and security.

The joint purchase with Estonia means that work on the creation of medium-range air defense system in Latvia will start without a delay, realizing the importance of this capability. It also cannot be ruled out that some other allies might be involved in these purchases as well.

Air defense is a critical element of Latvia's military security, as such a system will significantly increase Latvian army's ability to shoot down missiles of the type Russia is currently using in Ukraine.