According to the President, the tense security environment and the enhanced presence of high-readiness military forces in the neighborhood of the Baltic countries make it necessary to deploy NATO’s adequate deterrence measures on the Eastern border of the Alliance. Therefore, at the upcoming NATO summit due to take place in Warsaw in July, allies must finally agree on a significant increase in NATO’s presence in the Baltic countries.
“Lithuania highly values Germany’s contribution to ensuring regional security and its decision to take on leadership in the formation of NATO’s multinational battalion in our country,” the President emphasized.
Lithuania and Germany already maintain intensive cooperation ties in the field of defense. Germany has sent its troops to Lithuania for exercises. This year a total of 600 German troops are to arrive in our country in several stages. Lithuania purchases the world’s most advanced infantry fighting vehicles Boxer from German producers. Of all NATO allies, Germany has been rotating its troops in the Baltic air policing mission most frequently.
The meeting also focused on the situation in Ukraine, ongoing military actions in Donetsk and Luhansk and the annexation of Crimea. This year Germany is presiding over the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) whose representatives mediate in the trilateral contact group, which aims to end aggression against Ukraine, while the OSCE special monitoring mission to Ukraine monitors whether ceasefire is observed in Eastern Ukraine.
The President and the German Foreign Minister discussed measures to manage the migration crisis and the EU’s visa-free regime with Georgia and Ukraine.
