The meeting also saw the presence of German Federal President Joachim Gauck, whose term in office is approaching an end. The German President is on his last foreign visit favoring the Baltic states.
The Presidents of the Baltic states and Germany discussed geopolitical situation, security challenges and strengthening regional defense.
Dalia Grybauskaitė underscored that conventional and unconventional threats posed by Russia required not only enhancing NATO’s defense and deterrence, but also made Europe assume greater responsibility for its own security. We need to increase defense funding, upgrade military forces and strengthen the response to hybrid threats, the President said.
Dalia Grybauskaitė described Germany’s decision to take the lead in the formation of NATO’s forward presence battalion in Lithuania as a model of strong and responsible leadership. According to the President, with geopolitical tensions continuing to run high, the fact that the largest political and economic power in Europe takes responsibility for strengthening NATO’s eastern flank is a very serious signal. Dalia Grybauskaitė expressed gratitude to President Gauck for his personal contribution to the deployment of German Bundeswehr troops and munition in Lithuania.
The Presidents also underscored the importance of strong transatlantic relations for ensuring international peace and stability. According to Dalia Grybauskaitė, the U.S. has always been the guarantor of the Baltic states’ security; therefore, the further strengthening of relations with the new U.S. Presidential Administration as well as closer military cooperation ties are in the common interest of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. Next week, the Presidents of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia will meet with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence in the framework of the Munich Security Conference.
The United States, too, actively contributes to ensuring security in the region. In March, a U.S. led NATO battalion will be deployed in Poland near the Suwalki Corridor. The U.S. also deployed troops and tanks to Poland under a bilateral agreement. An American military unit is already stationed in Lithuania.
During the meeting, Dalia Grybauskaitė, who is the only president from the Baltic states representing Lithuania at EU summits, presented the outcomes of the informal EU summit in Malta. The Presidents discussed preparations for the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome commemoration during which an agreement is expected on a new vision for the EU, and measures for handling the migration crisis. The meeting also focused on the issues of regional significance: synchronization of power grids, implementation of the project Rail Baltica, nuclear safety in the EU neighborhood, and prospects for the Eastern Partnership.
