The head of state was accompanied by the Commander of the National Armed Forces, Major General Kaspars Pudāns, and the Chief of the State Border Guard, General Guntis Pujāts, and visited the Latvian-Russian border in Alūksne and Balvi municipalities.
“The President of Latvia began his visit by personally familiarizing himself with the work of the Pededze Border Guard Department and inspecting the border fence, the construction of which along the entire length of the country’s eastern border was completed at the end of 2025,” said a release from the presidential chancellery.
Having satisfied himself about the fence, Rinkēvičs moved on to the Liepna Reeds, a very swampy area, where he was informed about the progress of the construction of border guard technological infrastructure. He donned military-style olive drab fatigues and a beanie hat for the occasion.
“The constructed border fence is an important physical barrier on the eastern border of our country, but border security and protection must be purposefully strengthened every day. By the end of this year, it is important to complete the implementation of technological solutions for border surveillance along the entire length of the border. It is also important to continue to deploy anti-mobility solutions to strengthen border protection and to deploy radar and air defence systems,” Rinkēvičs said.
He also suggested that with the ongoing thaw, the pressure of illegal migration on the Latvian-Belarusian border is likely to increase.
President Rinkēvičs last made an inspection trip to the eastern border – that time in shirtsleeves – in August last year.