"The world is so unstable lately: the illegal migration, the bloody acts of terrorism in Paris, the incident which led to the downing of the Russian Air Force aircraft. We have to react promptly to all of this," Minister J. Olekas said about the recent events in Paris and Turkey.
At the same time the Lithuanian Minister underscored the necessity to continue enhancing security and strengthen stability in the Baltic region, and the need to continue adapting to act amidst the ever-changing security situation.
Minister J. Olekas particularly welcomed the initiative by Secretary of Defence of the United Kingdom Michael Fallon to deploy forces for training to the Baltic States.
"There is no need to instruct you on the kind and size of threats we might be facing in the Baltic region. Thus we are ready to do whatever it takes to ensure security and deterrence. It is our belief that the Allied presence is of key importance for ensuring deterrence, and in our turn, we are ready to provide all necessary infrastructure for the deployed troops and their equipment," Minister J.Olekas said.
When talking about bilateral cooperation with UK's Secretary of Defence, Minister J. Olekas thanked the UK Government for the understanding and support, British participation in the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic States, and appointment of officers to the NATO Force Integration Units in Vilnius, Riga and Tallinn.
When addressing other joint initiatives with the UK, i.e. the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) and the EU Battle Groups (BGs), the Minister said Lithuania was looking forward to starting preparations for the UK-led VJTF in 2017 and the EU BG-2 in 2016.
On 30 November the Lithuanian Minister of Defence J. Olekas also signed a Memorandum of Understanding of the UK –led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a framework of seven like-minded countries to tackle any threats. The JEF will be a pool of high readiness forces that can respond quickly to a range of issues, including combat power, conventional deterrence or human assistance. Lithaunai plans to contribute a company sized unit.
Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas conducting a visit in the United Kingdom from November 30-December 1 on 30 November met with Chair of the Defence Committee Dr. Julian Lewis. The visit programme also includes the meeting with Foreign Policy Director at the National Security Secretariat, Government of the United Kingdom, Mr. R. Chatterton Dickson. The Minister will also deliver an announcement on the security situation in the Baltic region at the Atlantic Council UK.
