News item | 07-03-2022 | 15:28
Minister Hoekstra of Foreign Affairs will visit Finland and the Baltic States today and tomorrow. The visit is entirely devoted to the war in Ukraine.
Hoekstra is the first to visit Finland today, where he will speak with his fellow Foreign Minister Haavisto. Later today, the Dutch delegation will leave for the Estonian capital Tallinn, where the Dutch minister will meet his colleague Liimets. Hoekstra then travels to Riga, the capital of Latvia, for a meeting with Foreign Minister Rinkēvičs.
Tomorrow Hoekstra will speak with his Lithuanian colleague Landsbergis in Vilnius.
East flank security
The main topic of the talks is how the countries can protect their freedom, way of life and common values together. The war in Ukraine makes a conversation about working together more important than ever.
Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania play a crucial role in ensuring European security, as their borders are part of the eastern flank of the EU and NATO† The four northern countries are direct neighbors of Russia and Belarus.
Their borders are also our borders. Their safety is our safety’, says Minister Hoekstra. ‘It is not without reason that the Netherlands contributes hundreds of soldiers to the NATO mission in the Baltic States.’
Target visit
The purpose of the visit is to show in the first place that the Netherlands stands unitedly behind its partners and allies. The Netherlands has been working closely with Finland and the Baltic States for some time; the war in Ukraine has brought the countries even closer together.
In addition, the visit is also intended to learn from the experiences of Finland and the Baltic States. The knowledge these countries have of the Russian Federation is of great value in the current crisis.
Hoekstra: ‘There is an unprecedented war going on on our continent. A war that also threatens the security and stability in our country and the other countries in the EU. Now more than ever, we must work together with like-minded countries for European security.’