On July 26 Vice Minister of National Defence Vilius Semeška met with Roderich Kiesewetter, Special Representative in the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU/CSU) Parliamentary Group at the German Bundestag. The officials discussed bilateral cooperation and security in the region, Germany’s military presence in Lithuania and implementation of the decisions taken at the NATO Summit in Madrid.
“We are delighted about the close cooperation between Lithuania and Germany on strengthening NATO presence in the region and ensuring our defence. We can see that the threat of Russia is not going anywhere, it simply is a direct and long-term threat, that is why reinforcement of the NATO military capabilities and allied presence in Lithuania is particularly critical,” said Vice Minister V. Semeška.
Vice Minister underscored that the decision taken at the NATO Summit in June on strengthening the Alliance’s forward defence will help to form a solid basis for the further strengthening of the Alliance and collective defence: “We are delighted to have achieved an agreement on the essential decisions to strengthen deterrence an defence in the eastern part of the Alliance – we will be able to upscale the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Groups in the Baltic states to the size of a brigade. We are doing everything possible to be able to host the planned NATO contingent in Lithuania sooner and in higher quality.”
Other topics discussed at the meeting with the representative of Germany were support to Ukraine. Vice Minister stressed that it was critical that Ukraine received a sustained military assistance from the Allies.
Germany is an extraordinary Lithuania’s Ally in security in defence. Germany contributes to Lithuania’s defensive capability-building, logistical support capacity development and modernization of the Armed Forces, weaponry and vehicles. Germany has been the framework nation of and largest contributor to the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group in Lithuania for five year already. It also invests alongside Lithuania in improvement of service conditions and military infrastructure necessary German and other Allies’ presence in Lithuania.
MoD / A. Pliadis
