Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics on Tuesday visited the border fence being built on his country’s eastern EU external border with Russia.
Dressed in military uniform, he inspected the construction work at Karsava together with Border Guard Chief Guntis Pujats.
Rinkevics praised the progress in the construction of the barrier. Pujats described the situation at the border with Russia as relatively calm.
Latvia’s eastern border with Russia is 283 kilometers long. To improve safety, a barbed wire reinforced fence must be installed by the end of 2025. According to the Border Patrol, about 130 kilometers of this has already been completed.
Rinkevics said the construction of the military infrastructure would follow the construction of the fence. This is not just about border security, he said, but also about defense.
Latvia and its neighbors Estonia and Lithuania, concerned about their security due to Russia’s war against Ukraine, want to secure their borders with Russia and ally Belarus with defense facilities and bunkers against possible attacks.
