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 On 4 December 2002 the first NATO-Latvia round of negotiations on Latvia's accession to NATO was held in NATO headquarters in Brussels. The Latvian delegation, approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, was headed by the State Secretary of the Foreign Ministry Maris Riekstins. State Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Edgars Rinkevics lead the discussions on defence issues. NATO Assistant Secretary General for political affairs Günther Altenburg chaired NATO delegation at the talks. The aim of the first round of talks was to ascertain Latvia's readiness to undertake the commitments set by the North Atlantic Treaty and support NATO policy in the promotion of the basic democracy principles, strengthening of peace and security in the Euro-Atlantic space, cooperation with partner countries and pursuance of the Alliance's open door policy.  At the beginning of the talks, State Secretary Maris Riekstins confirmed that the foreign policy priorities of the Latvian government in relation to the accession to NATO and the European Union remain consistent. Riekstins also stated the short-term and long-term objectives of the Latvian government.
Referring to political issues, the Latvian delegation voiced readiness to join the collective defence system and contribute to NATO efforts in strengthening peace and security. Latvia is determined to involve constructively in the work of NATO structures and to secure to this end the necessary representation and resources. In the field of defence, Latvia undertakes to participate in the NATO collective defence and peacekeeping operations, and in the missions for crisis management. Upon joining the Alliance, Latvia must be ready to participate in defence and other planning processes as well as send qualified representatives to work in NATO military structures. The second round of talks will be held on 11 December 2002 in Brussels.
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