The full-scale war of Russia in Ukraine and the deterioration of the overall security situation have further increased the role of the NATO Multinational Division 'North' and the significance of the presence of allied troops in Latvia, emphasized President Edgars Rinkevics.
As reported by the LETA agency, the communication specialist of the media center of the president's office, Evita Urpena, on Thursday, Rinkevics participated in the ceremony of changing the commanders of the multinational NATO 'North' division, where Major General Ulrich Esmann-Bek of the Danish Armed Forces replaced the former commander, Major General Jette Albinus.
Rinkevics emphasized that this summer marks ten years since the decision was made at the NATO Warsaw Summit in 2016 to deploy allied troops in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. He noted that the initial battalion-sized battle group has grown into a multinational NATO brigade in Latvia, which, together with the Latvian Mechanized Brigade and other units, is now fully integrated into NATO's force structure.
The president highly appreciated Albinus's contribution - she took command of the division at the moment when the headquarters at the Adazi base was declared fully operational, and under her leadership, it reached a new level of high combat readiness, significantly strengthening NATO's collective defense capabilities.
Rinkevics also highlighted Denmark's 'steadfast leadership' in commanding the division, noting that Denmark's role in strengthening the security of the alliance's northeastern flank is 'truly significant.'
To the new commander Esmann-Bek, the president wished to continue the work of the division and develop its capabilities in the long term. Rinkevics emphasized that creating reliable deterrence and defense capabilities is an ongoing process that requires constant vigilance, adaptation, and readiness, including for the most severe scenarios.
Leave a comment