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Some 400 German troops to take part in military exercises in Latvia

Xinhua, April 15, 2015 Adjust font size:

Some 400 German soldiers will be taking part in military training exercises in Latvia over the course of three to five months, Latvian defense minister Raimonds Vejonis and his German counterpart Ursula von der Leyen told journalists here on Tuesday.

The German minister underlined the importance of increased NATO presence in the Baltics and voiced satisfaction that such a high number of German troops would be involved in the drills scheduled in Latvia this summer.

"Increased NATO presence in this region is vital...I am glad that we are taking part in the exercises with our soldiers," von der Leyen said.

During their meeting, the Latvian and German defense officials agreed that in addition to beefing up NATO presence in the region, it was also necessary to enhance the alliance's response capabilities and that the deployment of more troops to the region was one of the points of this plan.

It is the Baltic states' common position that a permanent NATO presence in the Baltic region must be reinforced, Vejonis said, adding that this could be ensured both by rotating NATO forces and involving more soldiers in manoeuvres.

Vejonis said the planned joint military exercises with Germany and the Baltic states were "so that in an emergency situation this cooperation could be very fast."

The German defense minister arrived in Latvia on Tuesday to discuss bilateral cooperation and new regional challenges. She also met with Latvian Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma and Col. Aivar Jaeski, deputy director of the Riga-based NATO Strategic Communications Center of Excellence. Endit