French President Emmanuel Macron has agreed to open talks with Latvia on joining a French nuclear deterrence initiative, according to Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs.

Kulbergs says France has also committed to strengthening its military presence in Latvia, particularly in air defence, as the two countries deepen security and defence cooperation.

The move follows Latvia’s decision to abstain from an EU agreement to retain sanctions on about 3,000 Russian individuals and entities while removing two Russian billionaires from the bloc’s sanctions list.