Roundup: Lithuania, Poland pledge indivisible security cooperation

Lithuanian and Polish defense ministers met here on Wednesday to address security issues in the region and discuss renewed defense cooperation.

After the meeting in the Lithuanian capital, both ministers summarized Lithuanian-Polish defense cooperation being closer than at any other time in history.

"Lithuanian and Polish security is indivisible. We are more than neighbors tied together by a long mutual history, we are parts of the same security space that is indivisible," said Juozas Olekas, the Minister of National Defense of Lithuania, at a press conference after the meeting.

Tomasz Siemoniak, Olekas' Polish counterpart, promised Poland would stick to its commitment to participate in NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission.

"Lithuania is the closest NATO ally in terms of defense cooperation," said Siemoniak.

According to the statement from the Lithuanian Defense Ministry, both ministers found common ground in their evaluation of the security situation in the region and on the measures taken by NATO to prevent security threats in the region, including the presence of NATO forces, especially the United States.

"We are living near the same neighbors and we see the threat the same way," said Olekas.

STRENGTHENING COOPERATION

The Lithuanian defense minister praised Poland's efforts in contributing to security in the region by settling down NATO corps-level headquarters in Szczecin, Western Poland, and thus strengthening NATO presence in Eastern Europe.

According to the statement from the Lithuanian Defense Ministry, Olekas informed Siemoniak of Lithuania's decision to increase its input in Szczecin by up to 10 soldiers.

Lithuanian-Polish defense cooperation will be visible in lower divisions as well. Last week, defense ministers from NATO member countries agreed on the establishment of the six command centers in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Lithuania and Poland are also developing trilateral military cooperation with Ukraine. Last September, Lithuanian, Polish and Ukrainian defense ministers signed an intergovernmental treaty to establish the joint military brigade, LITPOLUKRBRIG. The soldiers of the brigade are to attend joint military exercises and trainings and provide assistance to Ukraine.

According to Siemoniak, the brigade's first joint military exercises could be held in the fall.

"We confirmed the plans to establish the Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian brigade as soon as possible. We hope that not only the command centers will be established, but also the first exercises will be held in the fall," Polish defense minister was quoted as saying by BNS news agency.

Lithuanian-Polish cooperation is reflected in recent projects to strengthen Lithuania's defense capabilities as well.

At the end of last year, Lithuania received its first Polish-made short distance air-defense system GROM. The anti-aircraft system is one of the main priorities in arming Lithuanian defense forces, and will strengthen the protection of Lithuania from air strikes. The total value of the GROM purchase project amounts to 34 million euros (around 38.4 million U.S. dollars). Endit