Nato Experts Consider Latvian Membership Application

A Nato commission, chaired by Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs Guenter Altenburg, has begun work in Latvia to assess the country's readiness to become an alliance member. The Latvian ministry of defence has reported that the Nato experts are considering how Latvia is fulfilling its plan of action to join Nato. This plan includes all areas: the political, juridical, military ones and also from the point of view of information security and resource usage. The results of the assessment will be discussed at the end of January at Nato HQ in Brussels. Latvian Prime Minister Andris Berzins will meet the alliance leadership in the Belgian capital to affirm the final version of the results in March. According to under secretary of the Latvian defence ministry for defence planning issues Janis Sarts, the heads of Nato member-nations will take the decision on admitting Latvia into the alliance on the basis of this document.