On May 8 of this year, a high-level discussion titled "The Future of European Security: A Perspective from the Eastern Flank" took place in Riga, where experts and officials analyzed the critical importance of the European Union (EU) eastern region countries in strengthening the common security of the flank.
At the event, organized by the Foreign Affairs Working Group of the European People's Party faction, special attention was paid to how regional stability affects the economic and political security of all of Europe. The Chief of the State Border Guard (SBG), General Guntis Pujāts, participated in the discussion, emphasizing the role of border guard services in preventing hybrid threats and maintaining the integrity of the external border.
Along with the Chief of the SBG, General Guntis Pujāts, the discussion included Members of the European Parliament from several countries, policymakers, experts, and opinion leaders: the Commissioner responsible for the European economy and productivity Valdis Dombrovskis, Governor of the Bank of Latvia Mārtiņš Kazāks, Commander of the Latvian National Armed Forces Major General Kaspars Pudāns, head of the "Entrepreneurs for Peace" foundation Laura Skrodele, Chairperson of the Board of the Federation of Security and Defence Industries of Latvia Elīna Egle, and the head of the Saeima National Security Committee Ainars Latkovskis. The participants of the discussion were addressed by Prime Minister Evika Siliņa and Minister of Foreign Affairs Baiba Braže.
The future of European security is directly dependent on the ability to effectively cooperate between the military, civil, and private sectors. The experience and capacity of the Eastern Flank countries, which is being purposefully developed also with the help of EU financial instruments, has become one of the main pillars in the European Union's common defense strategy.
