On Thursday, 19 December, Minister for Defence Andris Sprūds met the Chairman of the Latvian Hunters' Association, Jānis Baumanis, to sign a joint action plan for 2025. The plan, which is renewed each year, serves as an addendum to the cooperation agreement concluded in 2017 between the Ministry of Defence and the Latvian Hunters' Association.
Under the plan, the Ministry of Defence and the Latvian Hunters' Association have undertaken to encourage hunters to become involved on a voluntary basis in comprehensive national defence activities. To achieve this, regional seminars are to be held for hunters on the opportunities to take part in national defence and on current developments in the defence sector.
“The defence sector's cooperation with the Latvian Hunters' Association has been positive so far, particularly with regard to joint projects with the National Guard and participation in the “Namejs” exercise. It is essential that hunters are able to apply their skills in a variety of crisis situations and to complement the country's defence capabilities with their knowledge and experience. The defence sector, in turn, can draw valuable insights from hunters,” Minister for Defence A. Sprūds emphasised.