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Russian Armed Forces’ delegation to inspect Latvian military facilities

The visit is scheduled for November 20-23

Soldiers seen during multinational military exercise in Adazi military base, Latvia EPA-EFE/Valda Kalnina

Soldiers seen during multinational military exercise in Adazi military base, Latvia

© EPA-EFE/Valda Kalnina

RIGA, November 20. /TASS/. A group of four Russian military officers will visit Latvia on November 20-23 to monitor the country’s military activities, the Latvian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

According to the ministry, the mission will be carried out within the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in accordance with the Vienna Document on Confidence-and Security-Building Measures.

"The group will visit Riga, Adazi and central Latvia to make sure that those areas host no military drills that other OSCW member states should be informed about and that the annually provided general military information is consistent with the previously declared data," the Latvian Defense Ministry noted.

Latvia’s National Armed Forces have a large shooting range in Adazi, while there is an air base near the town of Lielvarde, located in central Latvia.

The ministry also pointed out that according to the OSCE rules, Latvia has to receive one delegation of monitors and three inspection missions a year. In 2018, Belarus has already conducted an inspection mission in Latvia. Riga, in turn, carries out such missions in other OSCE countries.

The organization adopted that Vienna Document on Confidence-and Security-Building Measures in 2011. The document says that "each participating state has the right to conduct inspections on the territory of any other participating State within the zone of application for CSBMs [Confidence and Security Building Measures].".

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