Prime Minister Orpo to meet with Latvian Prime Minister in Riga

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo will meet with Prime Minister of Latvia Evika Silina in Riga on Friday 24 May. After their discussions, the prime ministers will attend the opening of the new Patria production facility in the city of Valmiera.

Items on the agenda for their meeting will include topical EU matters, Ukraine and Russia, and the security situation in the Baltic Sea region. They will also discuss bilateral affairs between Finland and Latvia, such as increasing cooperation in the defence industry.

After their meeting, the Prime Ministers will travel to Valmiera, where they will take part in the opening celebrations for the new Patria production facility. The new production line for Patria 6 x 6 vehicles will increase the production of armoured vehicles in Latvia. Patria 6 x 6 armoured vehicles play a key role in the Finland-led Common Armoured Vehicle Systems (CAVS) project, a joint project developing a common vehicle system to meet the needs of several European countries.

“These joint European defence industry projects are very important. We have to increase the efficiency of European defence materiel production quickly. We are not facing an immediate threat, but Russia’s war of aggression has also weakened the security situation in the Baltic Sea region. Improving comprehensive security in Europe is one of the Government’s key EU policy objectives,” says Prime Minister Orpo.

Inquiries: Marja Koskela, Diplomatic Adviser to the Prime Minister, tel. +358 295 160 978, Tuomas Tikkanen, Special Adviser (EU Affairs), tel. +358 40 523 5768 and Anne Sjöholm, Head of Communications for EU Affairs, tel. +358 40 537 0733, Prime Minister’s Office