The Ministers of the Interior of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania have sent an official letter to Janez Lenarčič, Commissioner for Crisis Management of the European Commission, in order to stimulate the discussion of the Ministers of the Interior on the strengthening of civil security at the European Union level. (EU) and to discuss the readiness to various types of threats and crisis situations, the LETA agency was informed by the Ministry of the Interior.
Civil protection is an interaction between the state and the population. Taking into account that no two crises are alike, civil protection plans must be such that they can be implemented and adapted to different situations, said Latvian Interior Minister Kristaps Eklons (AP).
Taking into account Russia’s extended war in Ukraine, as well as the hybrid attack organized by Belarus, the measures envisaged by the national civil protection plan were revised in Latvia, with particular attention to actions in the event of a possible state threat. However, strengthening EU security requires a unified vision of action in crisis situations both at the level of the Baltic states and the EU as a whole, Eklon points out.
In connection with the current geopolitical and security situation in the region, the strengthening of civil protection has become even more important, therefore the Ministers of the Interior offer the European Commission to organize a joint ministerial discussion, which would give the opportunity to lend more political attention the strengthening of civil protection. In the discussion, Member States will share views and ideas on how to strengthen and improve the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and resilience against various threats, including hybrid threats, as well as agree on attracting EU financial instruments.
The ministerial discussion could also include the issue of organizing joint training and measures to raise citizens’ awareness in the event of a threat.
Last month, Eklon met with the interior ministers of the Baltic states to share their experience on strengthening internal security, as well as to discuss the development of the civil protection system in the countries of the region. The meeting focused on the resilience of critical infrastructure and the prevention of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.
