"It will not be possible to fully provide for everyone from the outside, and the question here is that one must think about how to secure oneself — speaking of apartment buildings, basements that are owned, assessing how far shelters are located," stated Gints Kaminskis, head of the Latvian Union of Local Governments, on TV24, discussing the readiness of municipalities for Hour X and the safety of the civilian population.
Four years ago, when the war in Ukraine began, there was much unknown, and there are still many questions that need answers. However, Ukraine's experience has forced a new perspective on various issues — what the state and local governments can do in a crisis situation to ensure that residents feel safe, writes nra.lv.
"Every year, the Latvian Union of Local Governments holds closed events for local government leaders on security issues to discuss the work done and move forward. And this year, a similar event was recently held, where it was noted that the steps taken in the chosen direction are correct, but it is necessary to continue working and ensure further development," said Kaminskis.
The Riga and Kekava municipalities have allocated financial support to residents and individuals for the arrangement of shelters on their private property. In response to the question of whether other municipalities should do the same, Kaminskis noted that this is not European funding, but a voluntary function, and if a municipality has more resources, it can do so. The head of the union emphasized the need for state funding and participation in leveling the finances of municipalities so that they can make investment decisions where it is most needed by residents.
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