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Roundup: NATO pays more attention to Baltic security: Lithuanian President

Xinhua, August 7, 2015 Adjust font size:

Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaite said on Thursday the downsizing of the NATO air policing mission in Baltic skies is taking into account other security measures taken by allies in the region.

In an interview to national radio LRT Grybauskaite confirmed NATO's air policing mission is to be slashed by half as of September, leaving eight fighter jets to take care of the Baltic skies.

Though, Grybauskaite noted that after the downsizing, the mission will have the capacities twice as large as needed before.

"Therefore, we will have twice as many jets than it was decided before the crisis in Ukraine. So, we retain the doubled air policing mission," Graybauskaite told LRT.

The president highlighted that the mission is being downsized in light of increased attention from NATO to security situation in the Baltic States.

"We have significantly larger number of rapid response forces, more than 40,000 troops, compared to 5,000 agreed in Wales," noted Grybauskaite.

"The scope and intensity of NATO's military exercise in the region is unprecedented as well," Grybauskaite told LRT.

She also reminded of NATO commanding staffs to be opened in Lithuanian and other Eastern European countries as of September and U.S. military hardware to be deployed in the region at the end of the year.

"These are very important elements which add to our security," said the president.

At the summit in Wales September 2014, NATO allies agreed to strengthen NATO's collective defense, particularly in the Eastern Europe, by enhancing military presence and increasing military exercises there.

Lithuania, a small Baltic country, has strengthened its military trainings jointly with NATO allied forces and hosted increased NATO force presence since security threats in the Eastern Europe emerged with Russia-Ukraine conflict a year ago.

Earlier this week the ministers of national defense and foreign affairs expressed their assurance that the capacity of air policing mission remains sufficient to ensure security of the Baltic air space.

Since joining NATO in 2004, the Baltic States which don't have their own air policing assets have been assisted by rotating allied air forces.

Previous rotations usually included four fighter jets deployed in Lithuania's Air base in Zokniai. With Ukraine conflict emerging a year ago NATO increased the number of jets in the Baltics to 16. Endit