Latvia says ready to send more officers to assist Greece in migrant returns

Latvia is ready to send more officers to participate in European Union (EU) operations to help Greece return migrants in line with the EU-Turkey deal, Latvian President Raimonds Vejonis said on Tuesday.

He made the remarks while speaking with Greece's new Ambassador to Latvia Alexandros Rallis on Tuesday.

"Latvia appreciates Greece's efforts to deal with the migration crisis and urges to continue work on the implementation of the recently achieved EU-Turkey agreement," Vejonis said.

Vejonis reiterated Latvia's position that reinforcing the EU's external borders and preserving the Schengen Area remain priorities, according to presidential press service representatives.

"Latvia backs a faster creation of Europe's border and coast guard service, so that it is operational by August at the latest," Vejonis said, noting the necessity to pay proper attention to the potential emergence of any new migration routes.

Both the Latvian president and the Greek ambassador agreed that it is essential to coordinate countries' efforts to stem the migration wave.

The first 12 Latvian border guards and 20 officers of Latvia's special operations police battalion left for the Greek island of Lesbos earlier this week to help Greece with the return of migrants under the EU-Turkey deal. Endit