Latvian parliament approves recruitment of foreigners in armed forces

Riga, Oct 10 (IANS) The Latvian parliament passed legislative amendments on Thursday, enabling the recruitment of foreigners in the Baltic country’s armed forces.
According to the parliamentary press service, the new regulations permit military recruitment in cases of total or partial mobilisation, extending eligibility to citizens of European Union (EU) member states, the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), NATO countries, as well as Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, and Ukraine.
The current Latvian law prohibits the recruitment of motivated foreign volunteers. However, the Defense Ministry noted that Ukraine’s experience has demonstrated the effectiveness of foreign recruits in times of military crisis, Xinhua news agency reported.
Under the new law, employees or agents of foreign security, intelligence, or counterintelligence services are not eligible to join the Latvian military. Additionally, service contracts may be terminated early if a soldier holds dual citizenship with a country not included in the list of approved states.
The amendments will come into force after they are promulgated by the president.
–IANS
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