Latvia: Defence Minister dismisses idea of “EU army”

Latvian Defence Minister Andris Spruds expressed scepticism about the idea of creating an “EU army,” LSM reported. Latvia’s position was that NATO was irreplaceable and constituted the cornerstone of European security, Spruds stated. He pointed out that NATO united most EU countries as well as non-EU countries, insisting that there was no need to duplicate or build additional structures. Spruds said that the EU should instead focus on the development of the European defence industry. Earlier, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani suggested that the European Union form a joint army for peacekeeping operations and conflict prevention.