Spanish troops in Latvia receive Minister Robles and prepare to hand over to a new contingent

The Minister for Defence, Margarita Robles, visited the military base in Adazi (Latvia), where the 622 soldiers who currently make up the contingent with which Spain is taking part in the NATO mission 'Enhanced Forward Presence' (eFP) are deployed to contribute to deterrence on the Eastern flank.

Latvia is currently the largest mission abroad, and in her message to the troops, Robles thanked them personally for the "important work they do, leaving their homes and their families, but above all, fulfilling their duties with rigour and professionalism and flying the Spanish flag high".

The minister's visit, accompanied by the Secretary General for Defence Policy, Admiral General Juan Francisco Martínez Núñez, and the Commander of the Operations Command, Lieutenant General Francisco Braco, began at Riga International Airport, where they were received by the Spanish Ambassador to the Republic of Latvia, Manuel Alhama.

Robles later held a meeting with her Latvian counterpart, Andris Sprüds, with whom she discussed the permanence of the Spanish contingent, which is highly valued by the Baltic country. From the capital, the delegation travelled to the Adazi manoeuvres camp, where it could see first-hand the day-to-day life of the soldiers stationed there, who in barely a fortnight's time will take over from the next contingent.

In this regard, Robles spoke to them about their imminent return home to enjoy Christmas with their loved ones, reminding them that "they can leave with the satisfaction of having done their duty, knowing that Latvia is always very close to Spain and always delighted to receive them".

"Wherever there is a Spanish soldier, we are closer to peace," the minister stressed.

For his part, the lieutenant colonel in charge of the contingent, Pablo Domingo, also expressed his pride in the work carried out: "All of the soldiers have delivered, they have proven their reliability in exercises, competitions and maintenance of equipment". The lieutenant colonel concluded that "all countries want to count on Spain".

Next relay

Due to the mission's extension through 2024, the contingent personnel are scheduled to be relieved between 11 and 17 December. The current force is composed of 622 troops, mainly from the XII "Guadarrama" Brigade and the Logistics Brigade, supplemented by personnel from the Engineer Command, the Transmissions Command and the Field Artillery Command.

In addition, eight troops from the 94th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Regiment are operating a medium-range NASAMS battery in the north of the country. The 'Aragón' I Brigade and the Anti-aircraft Artillery Command will take over.

The Spanish troops' tasks include interoperating with the Latvian Armed Forces, complementing their capabilities, and actively taking part in the mission's exercises and activities, in which the Spaniards have achieved notable successes.

During a tour of a static exhibition, Robles spoke with soldiers from the engineer and sapper units who told her about their sporting triumphs, as well as with another team that had won a tank competition between the member countries of the Battle Group.

Robles was able to see the main assets that Spain is contributing to the Battle Group: infantry fighting vehicles, tanks, an artillery piece and radar and an engineer machine, among others.

Before setting off on her return trip to Spain, the minister signed the Casa España's book of honour: "There are no words to express my excitement and, above all, pride in visiting this exceptional contingent. Men and women who represent the best of our Armed Forces and who fly the Spanish flag high every day in their work for security, defence and peace. You are the best!

This is the minister's fourth trip since 2021 to the Latvian mission, in which Spain has been taking part since June 2017. The start of the war in Ukraine led to this mission's reinforcement which, in the case of Spanish troops, resulted in an increase in the number of troops, making Spain the second largest contributor of personnel and the first in terms of combat power.

Non official translation