Tuesday Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anušauskas met with Minister of National Defence of Portugal Joao Gomes Cravinho on a visit in Lithuania to discuss the recently particularly intense security and defence cooperation between the countries. According A. Anušauskas, Lithuania and Portugal had a number of shared and important subjects that needed debate and solutions.
“We are grateful to Portugal for the lasting support and significant contribution to the enhancement of security in the Baltic region. We value greatly the active presence of the Portuguese troops in Lithuania, in particular, your contribution to the NATO Air Policing Mission and its enhancement. The Portuguese participation in the NATO assurance measures sends a clear signal of deterrence and showcases our unity,” said A. Anušauskas.
J. G. Cravinho is visiting Lithuania to meet with the Portuguese Air Force detachment deployed to carry out the current Baltic NATO Air Policing rotation alongside the Danish. The guests has also met with Vice Minister of National Defence Žilvinas Tomkus and took interest in the irregular migration crisis caused by the hybrid aggression of Belarus.
Portugal is currently conducting its 5th rotation of the NATO Air Policing mission in the Baltic states. The country has also been deploying rotational marine forces to Lithuania since 2015 and were contributing to the NATO Force Integration Unit activities with personnel until this autumn.
Photo credits: MoD/A.Pliadis.
