L-R: François Bausch, Luxembourg's Deputy PM, Minister of Defence; Artis Pabriks, Latvia's Deputy PM, Minister for Defence;
Credit: MAEE / Directorate of Defence
Luxembourg has pledged to invest €6.9 million in the remediation of former military sites in Latvia.
On the sidelines of the Meeting of NATO Ministers of Defence on Thursday, Luxembourg's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, François Bausch, and his Latvian counterpart Artis Pabriks signed a declaration of intent relating to the co-financing of the remediation of Latvia's former military sites.
After a fruitful cooperation in 2017, within the framework of the construction of a barracks for the reception of troops of NATO's enhanced forward presence, Luxembourg's Directorate of Defence decided in 2020 to support Latvia in its efforts to protect the environment and clean up former military sites. According to the Defence Directorate, these projects demonstrate the shared understanding and the importance that Luxembourg and Latvia attach to environmental protection in the area of defence. The memorandum of understanding will run until 2024 and provides for a total contribution of €6.9 million.
“Reducing the footprint of defence on the environment is one of the priorities of Luxembourg's defence", explained Minister Bausch during the signing. "The implementation of this memorandum of understanding will allow nature to reclaim land previously contaminated and will contribute to reducing the impact of the defence sector on the environment".
