The King is proud of the Spanish army after visiting the Baltic countries
Pride and satisfaction. King Felipe VI ended his tour of the Baltic countries at the Adazi military base in Latvia, where more than 650 Spanish soldiers, who are part of the NATO Forward Presence (EFP) mission, are located.Finally, the head of state received the support of a minister from the Baltic countries during the last two hours of his visit. The head of defense, Margarita Robles, accompanied him to the last of the day’s eight events. The absence of ministers on such a major official visit was unprecedented Undoubtedly, the controversy that marred the official visit of the King. The image that best reflects the loneliness of the monarch, in fact, occurred yesterday, early in the morning, during the greeting of the delegations. The Latvian delegation was made up of thirteen people, compared to five of the Spanish delegation. Beyond the numbers, what is striking is their extent since the host country attended with two ministers of defense and foreign affairs, in addition to the prime minister and the speaker of parliament.
still, The ugly nature of the government did not lessen the symbolism of the king’s visit to Adazi Just 260 kilometers from the Russian border Where the military base is located is where the Spanish contingent, part of the NATO Forward Presence (EFP) mission, is deployed, integrated into the Canadian-led Alliance’s land battalion. Its objective is both deterrence and defense, at a time of particular importance due to the growing escalation of international tensions in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Today, soldiers and personnel from NATO allies train and exercise together in the east of the Alliance, representing a strong expression of unity and solidarity. If they attack one partner, they attack all.
Since 2017, our country has been contributing to this allied deterrent force, to which it also provides 80 vehicles (including “Leopard” and “Pizarro” battle tanks), heavy artillery, a drone unit and a “NASMs” missile battery that protects the Latvian airport of Lielvārdes, just 170 kilometers west of the Russian border.
The visit to the base was Don Felipe’s last stop after three days of intense institutional meetings, in addition to visiting each of the NATO bases where there is a Spanish presence. In Estonia he held meetings with members of the Navy, in Lithuania with the Air Force and finally this afternoon with the Army. At the Latvian base, the Head of State reviewed a multinational battalion. Captain General Bourbon held a meeting with each of them and thanked them for their commitment to the alliance.
Before arriving at the base, the King met with Latvian officials. In a speech, he once again offered support to the people of Latvia: “You are not, and will not be, alone at this difficult time.” The King, once again, recalled our country’s commitment and solidarity with Ukraine and the effort of its army to “defend its territorial integrity, independence and national sovereignty.” He stressed that, like Latvia, our country will do everything possible to promote Kiev’s accession to the EU, in addition to participating and contributing to future reconstruction. In this sense, has supported the candidatures of Ukraine and Moldova to join the EU, negotiations formally began in Luxembourg yesterday.
Likewise, he said that Spain supports the country’s candidacy to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council between 2026 and 2027. In addition, he once again highlighted the joint economic opportunities of the two countries, especially in the field of infrastructure. . Rail Baltica project is in the spotlight, Which wants to unite Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania with Poland.
In addition, he visited with the President of Latvia monument of freedom, Built in honor of the soldiers who died during the Latvian War of Independence. In particular, they commemorate the 23,000 Jews, mostly Latvians, who were murdered in two mass executions more than eighty years ago. There the King approached a group of Spaniards waiting to welcome him, when he heard cheers for the King and long live Spain. Late in the afternoon, the monarch left Latvia, ending his third visit to the troops in a ten-year reign.