Words by President of the Government at his meeting with Spanish military contingent deployed at Adazi base

Adazi base, Latvia

Good day.

Thank you very much, lieutenant colonel, for you warm welcome and kind words.

The last time I visited an overseas deployment - our Patriot missile battery in Turkey - almost all the members were from Cadiz and were about to return home to celebrate the carnival. I am told that almost all of you are from Badajoz, with a few from San Sebastian. I have realised that every time I visit a Spanish overseas mission I am also visiting parts of Spain. I am sure that you take a part of Spain away with you whenever you are deployed.

You mission here, in Latvia, at the other end of Europe, is historic. It is the first time that Spain has sent armoured units beyond our borders

I appreciate the logistical effort made by the Army in transporting all these resources; but this mission is important, above all, because it shows Spain's solidarity with our most distant allies and a tremendous degree of commitment to NATO, because our national security interests also exist in those countries with which we share our mutual defence and because we want to see a NATO with a 360º perspective.

Spain will continue to maintain this level of commitment with the Baltic countries, particularly in Latvia, where Spain could head up the Multinational Battalion in the future.

You have more than five months of your mission ahead of you before spending Christmas with your families. I want to express my recognition of your work, wish you the very best over these coming months, wish you a successful mission and hope that you also see on the horizon that you will be back in Spain, safe and sound, to spend the festive period with your families.

Thank you very much for what you do, which means guaranteeing the peace, security and liberty of many people: those in Latvia, in the rest of Europe and also, as part of Europe, in Spain.

Thank you very much.