NATO – Jean-Yves Le Drian to attend foreign ministers meeting (Riga, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 - 2021)

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian will be in Riga on November 30 and December 1 for the NATO foreign ministers meeting.

The ministers will address the crises affecting the interests of the Allies and their partners. In particular, they will discuss NATO’s relationship with and posture toward Russia, at a time of significant tension over Ukraine. The Minister will bring up his recent conversations with his Russian counterpart and with French and Russian defense ministers on November 12 in Paris, and the position expressed by France on that occasion.

A few months ahead of the Madrid summit, the ministers will also address the updating of the Alliance’s Strategic Concept. The Minister will underscore France’s priorities in this regard in connection with shifts in NATO’s deterrence and defense posture, as well as the need to undertake a substantive effort with Russia on arms control parameters. He will also stress the importance for the Atlantic Alliance to strengthen European defense, complementarity between with NATO and EU initiatives, and cooperation between the two organizations.

On the sidelines of this ministerial meeting, the Minister will attend a meeting with the foreign ministers of the United States, Germany and the United Kingdom. He will speak jointly with his Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian counterparts. He will also meet with our allies and close partners involved with France in the Sahel.