Working visit to Luxembourg by the Minister of Defense of Latvia, Andris Sprūds

On 24 April 2026, the Minister of Defence, Yuriko Backes, received the Minister of Defence of Latvia, Andris Sprūds, in Luxembourg for a working visit.
 

At Bourglinster Castle, following a welcome by a guard of honor from the Luxembourg Army, a bilateral working meeting took place. The ministers expressed their satisfaction with the excellent bilateral cooperation in the field of defense. For years, the Luxembourg Ministry of Defense has provided financial support for military infrastructure projects in Latvia, including the construction of barracks blocks at the Ădaži military base, which hosts the multinational brigade of NATO's Forward Land Forces.

Ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara in July 2026, the visit also provided an opportunity to discuss NATO's deterrence and defense, particularly on its eastern flank, and the Alliance's political priorities. "It is essential to strengthen the defense capabilities of EU member states and the European pillar within NATO—both through increased defense investment and by reinforcing our operational, industrial, and technological contributions," stated Minister Yuriko Backes in this context. The meeting also provided an opportunity to review the evolving geopolitical situation, marked by instability, particularly the security situation in the Middle East and the Russian aggression against Ukraine. The ministers discussed the military support provided by Luxembourg, the Allies, the EU and NATO to Ukraine and the progress of the capability coalitions established within the framework of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, including the "IT" coalition, led by Estonia and Luxembourg, and the "drones" coalition, led by Latvia, to which Luxembourg contributed EUR 3.4 million.

During a joint visit to Betzdorf to the European Satellite Company (SES) and LuxGovSat, a public-private partnership and equal joint venture between SES and the Luxembourgish government, Ministers Backes and Sprūds were able to further their discussions on cooperation in the space sector. Minister Backes highlighted the passage in January 2026 of the GovSat-2 law, authorising the government to finance the acquisition, launch, and operation of a satellite for government and defense communications, as well as the launch of Luxembourg's first Earth observation satellite, LUXEOSys, which will be operational in the coming months.

In the afternoon, Ministers Sprūds and Backes participated in the 208th solemn oath-taking of recruits at Walferdange Castle.

Statement from the Directorate of Defence