NATO Secretary General NATO Jens Stoltenberg confirmed at the meeting that other NATO allies to contribute to the German-led battalion in Lithuania are Belgium, Croatia, Luxembourg, France, the Netherlands and Norway.
“Lithuania appreciates the efforts of Germany and other allies to enhance deterrence and collective defence, their decisions to to form a battalion and to deploy soldiers and military equipment in Lithuania. Lithuania is working hard to make sure the battalion is accepted properly in 2017,” Minister J.Olekas said.
According to the Minister, documents are being processed to render Host Nation Support, infrastructure to provide accommodation for the deployed forces, store equipment and ammunition, and to conduct field training is being prepared.
“”The soldiers deployed next year will be based in Rukla, but when a garrison town of the Lithuanian Armed Forces in Rokantiškės is built the NATO battalion will be able to move there,” Minister J.Olekas said.
In the discussion over the threats emanating from the South Minister J.Olekas notified that Lithuania is going to deploy its first team of 6 military instructor early next year in contribution to Inherent Resolve, the US-led operation in Iraq. Lithuanian soldiers will be assigned to the Danish Contingent to train Iraqi forces to fight Daesh.
“Our contribution to the fight against Daesh is our contribution to multinational efforts to solve security issues,” Minister J.Olekas said.
Lithuanian troops will be deployed to the multinational operation in Iraq on the basis of the resolution approved by the Parliament of the Republic of Lithuania on June 29 on sending up to 30 military personnel and public servants to the UK-led operation Inherent Resolve.
