Armin Laschet is member of the International Charlemagne Prize Board of Directors and heads the planning committee of Germany’s Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
The meeting focused on bilateral relations and economic ties between Lithuania and Germany, the management of the migration crisis, urgent issues on the EU agenda, cooperation in the field of defense, and preparations for the upcoming NATO summit in Warsaw.
Lithuania seeks NATO’s enhanced forward presence in the region – the deployment of a battalion of allied troops and military equipment in each of the Baltic states. Following the President’s state visit to Berlin, Germany voiced its intention to contribute and take a leading role in forming and deploying a multinational battalion in Lithuania. The final decision will be taken at the NATO summit in Warsaw.
Germany actively contributes to strengthening the security of Lithuania and the other Baltic countries. German fighter jets regularly rotate in NATO’s Baltic air policing mission. Around 600 German rotational troops and military equipment have already arrived in Lithuania. Our country purchases the most advanced infantry fighting vehicles Boxer from German producers.
Lithuanian cities and regions maintain dynamic cooperation ties with cities in North Rhine-Westphalia, with as many as eleven urban partnership programs already in place. Lithuanian exports to this state are increasingly growing.
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous and economically strongest region in Germany, which generates 22 percent of Germany’s GDP. If North Rhine-Westphalia were a separate state, it would be among the 20 richest countries in the world. It is home to the largest German business concerns and companies.
