On June 13–14 Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anušauskas will be conducting a visit to Paris to meet with the newly appointed Minister of Defence of France Sébastien Lecornu.
Ministers are planned to discuss the security situation, French contribution to the security of the Baltic region, assistance to Ukraine, agenda points of the upcoming NATO Summit in Madrid. Lithuania hopes for strong backing from France in the NATO decisions concerning strengthening deterrence and defence of the eastern flank of the Alliance to forward brigades based on the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Groups.
Ministers will also address strengthening of Lithuania’s acquisitions and capabilities and the prospective acquisition of French weaponry. Ministers will then sign a Declaration of Intent on the Ministry of National Defence joining the CAESAR MARK II new generation artillery system development program of the General Directorate for Armament of France and acquisition of self-propelled 155mm howitzers for the Artillery Battalion.
Minister will also visit the Eurosatory international exhibition of defence and security in Paris.
France is an important Lithuania’s ally in security and defence. The French Air Force is actively involved in providing rotations to the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states, French troops rotate to serve in the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Groups in Lithuania and Estonia and train in military exercises in Lithuania.
Minister’s schedule in Brussels
On June 15–17 A. Anušauskas will attend the North Atlantic Council (NAC) meeting at the level of Defence Ministers in Brussels. According to Minister, it will be an opportunity to discuss the documents setting out direction for strengthening NATO’s military presence in the eastern flank, including in Lithuania.
On the margins of the NATO Defence Ministerial A. Anušauskas and Minister of Defence of Finland Antti Kaikkonen will sign a Letter of Intent on acquisition of two patrol ships. Separate meetings with German Minister of Defence Christine Lambrecht and U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III are planned as well. There are also meetings with counterparts of the Netherlands, Croatia, Türkiye, and other NATO Allies are planned on the margins too.
The Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting in Raimstein-3 will be held in Brussels over the same period of time.
