German Foreign Minister Johann Waddeful is visiting Latvia and Sweden today, with the main focus of the talks being security in the Baltic Sea region, a German Foreign Ministry spokesman said, quoted by DPA, BTA reports.
Berlin, Riga and Stockholm share growing concerns about hybrid actions believed to originate from Russia, as well as the so-called "shadow fleet" of oil tankers, used by Moscow to circumvent international sanctions on oil exports.
Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russia has been frequently accused of cyberattacks and sabotage, including disruptions of undersea communication cables in the region.
During his stay in Riga, Vaddeful will hold meetings with Latvian President Edgars Rinkėvičs and Foreign Minister Baiba Braže, as well as participate in the Latvian Conference of Ambassadors.
Later in the day, the German Foreign Minister will travel to Stockholm, where he will hold talks with his Swedish counterpart Maria Stenergård, with the focus on coordinating security and resilience efforts in the Baltic region.