VILNIUS, July 30. /TASS/. Riga and Kiev have signed a memorandum to expand defense cooperation and strengthen national security, Latvian Defense Minister Raivis Melnis said.

The memorandum will create "the basis for the development of a competitive ecosystem of unmanned systems, as well as for investment and innovation growth," the LSM broadcaster quoted him as saying.

The document covers Latvia's Defense Ministry, the Ministry of Economics, the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia, the Baltic Forces company, Riga Technical University, and the Military Technology, Drones and Robotics Association.

On June 29, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs announced plans to build a joint drone production facility with Ukraine. He initially said the plant would be located in a border area to create jobs and boost economic activity, but later added that a facility near the Russian and Belarusian borders would make it possible to rapidly deploy interceptor drones in the event of a threat.

Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev has described Ukrainian joint industrial facilities in Europe as "potential targets" for Russian strikes.