Prime Minister Evika Siliņa has approached Colonel Raivis Melnis about the position of defence minister. Melnis said in a press briefing after meeting with PM Siliņa on Tuesday that his priority was anti-drone defence capabilities, drawing on the Ukrainian experience.
Prime Minister Evika Siliņa (New Unity) had come to Colonel Raivis Melnis about the position of defence minister as early as Friday, two days before she called for the resignation of Defence Minister Andris Sprūds (Progressives). Melnis accepted the offer immediately and pledged to more actively apply Ukraine’s experience in the field of anti-drone defence and other matters in Latvia.
“I view this task as a mission during which I would like to organise and incorporate Ukraine’s experience in the development of the armed forces to fulfil the state’s objectives,” said Melnis.
He said that, drawing on his experience, he will strive to quickly adopt everything necessary from Ukraine and do so in close cooperation with the leadership of the National Armed Forces (NBS), by allocating the necessary resources and making the necessary decisions so that the team can ensure the security of our airspace and the defence of our borders.
“A security situation has arisen that requires duties to be carried out without delay. Therefore, it is significant that Mr. Melnis also has long and extensive experience in the National Armed Forces, enabling him to take practical action. The skies over the country’s eastern border are not safe,” the Prime Minister stated.
Siliņa noted that following last week’s drone incident, the suggestion to appoint a professional from the sector to the ministerial post had been raised repeatedly in discussions with members of the Saeima.
It will be up to the Saeima to decide whether there is a better candidate for the ministerial post, taking into account the relatively short term of office – about six months.
“This includes, perhaps, the opposition assessing whether they can propose a better candidate and whether they will be able to deliver the results that we all, including myself, need right now,” said Siliņa.
She reiterated that she is ready to visit the Saeima factions in the coming days together with the candidate for defence minister and jointly listen to the questions that MPs would like to ask Melnis. There have been no discussions with the Saeima’s opposition factions regarding the next defence minister so far, the head of government added.