Vejonis met General Pierre de Villiers as part of a two-day visit to Latvia by France's senior military officer to discuss the security situation in the region, as well as Latvian and French cooperation in the field of defense, plus preparations for the NATO summit in Warsaw, which will decide on the precise composition of new allied forces to be stationed in the Baltic region.
During the meeting, the president expressed his gratitude for French planes participating in the Baltic air police mission and lauded France's decision to participation in NATO's strategic communications center of excellence (STRATCOMCOE) which is based in Riga.
"Solidarity means a lot to us, especially in terms of increasing the allied presence in the region. So we look forward to ever greater French political and military support to the Baltic countries," said Vejonis.
At the same time, the President stressed that Latvia needs to be an active and reliable ally in NATO, and contribute to its own stability and security.
"We need to send a clear signal of our unity and commitment. It is important to acknowledge the importance of belonging to NATO," said Vejonis.
