Latvia denies that it is planning to build NATO military base in coastal city of Liepaja
Latvia has no plans to create a NATO military base in the coastal city of Liepāja, as stated by the Ambassador of Latvia in Moscow, Astra Kurme, Postimees reports.
"There are no plans to create a NATO military base in Liepāja as such. The long-term national plans are being developed for the technical preparation of the port to service warships, as well as the creation of a number of other defense facilities of the Latvian Armed Forces," she said, adding that she does not see how this could be a threat to Russia.
"Latvia, as well as any other state, has a right and even an obligation to take care of its defense," Kurme said.
Earlier, information was circulated in the press about Latvia’s alleged plan to set up a military base at the location of a former Soviet base in Liepāja, including the construction of docks for the reception of NATO ships. The base was allegedly planned to be created in about 10 years.
"NATO military bases as such do not exist. It is the same our infrastructure, which can be used for NATO purposes. The ships are at sea; they are not stationary weapons but they need infrastructure to receive supplies," the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Defense of Latvia, Jānis Garisons, said.
The military port in Liepāja was built by order of the Russian Emperor Alexander III. This territory was a completely autonomous populated area with its own infrastructure, electricity power plant and sewage system, church and schools. In Soviet times, Karosta was a closed territory. In recent years, that area of the city has been used as a tourist attraction.