Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics on Tuesday visited the fence being built on the EU’s eastern external border with Russia.
Wearing military uniform, he inspected construction sites near Karsava along with border guard chief Guntis Pujats.
Rinkevics praised the progress made in building the barrier. Pujats described the situation on the border with Russia as relatively calm.
Latvia’s eastern border with Russia is 283 kilometers long. To improve security, a fence reinforced with barbed wire should be erected by the end of 2025. According to the border guard, around 130 kilometers have already been completed.
Rinkevics said military infrastructure construction work would follow the construction of the fence. It’s not just about border security, he said, but also about defense.
Latvia and its neighbors Estonia and Lithuania, who are concerned about their security due to Russia’s war against Ukraine, want to protect their borders with Russia and its ally Belarus with defense installations and bunkers against possible attacks.
