The Lithuanian Minister informed the U.S. Defence Secretary about the decision of the Defence Resource Council of the ministry of National Defence to contact the U.S. Government regarding the possibility to procure armoured all-terrain vehicles. The U.S. Secretary of Defence welcomed the decision and underscored that it would further strengthen the bilateral defence relations. According to General, the U.S.-manufactured all-terrain vehicles are indeed reliable. “I know from my own experience that there are two things that boost soldiers’ morale: good food and reliable means of transportation – it makes them know that the Government is looking after them.”
R. Karoblis and J. Mattis also discussed joint participation of Lithuanian and U.S. forces in multinational operations in Afghanistan and Iraq. R. Karoblis pointed out Lithuania’s resole to strengthen its contribution to multinational operations, while J. Mattis stressed that the United States placed particular value on Lithuania’s engagement and efforts to fulfil international commitments despite the complex security situation in the Nordic-Baltic region where own troops are needed on the ground.
