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Czech Republic to deploy rotational forces in Lithuania

Xinhua, June 4, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Czech Republic plans to deploy rotational forces for training in Lithuania, announced Lithuania's defense minister on Friday.

According to Lithuania's defense minister Juozas Olekas, he received confirmation about the plans from visiting Czech Republic's defense minister Martin Stropnicky.

The Czech Republic plans to send a rotational company-size unit to train in the Baltic States in 2017, according to a press release from Lithuanian defense ministry.

Olekas said the Czech Republic's support is vital for Lithuania.

"It demonstrates Czech solidarity and resolve to stand together in finding solutions against the security threats in our region," Olekas was quoted as saying.

He highlighted military cooperation between the two countries, such as the Czech participation in the NATO air-policing mission in the Baltic skies and the Czech officers assigned to the NATO force integration unit in Lithuania.

On Friday, Lithuanian and Czech Republic defense ministers met in Vilnius to discuss cooperation between the two countries, security situation in the region and the upcoming NATO summit in Warsaw later in July.

Before the summit, Lithuania tries to secure more military assistance and security guarantees from the allies.

During the discussions with his Czech counterpart, Olekas pointed out the need to have multinational rotating battalion group in each of the three Baltic States and "quick NATO response and reinforcement in the event of a crisis," according to the press release.

Lithuania has stepped up its defense capabilities and asked for an increased military presence from the allies amid geopolitical tensions in Eastern Europe since the conflicts in Eastern Ukraine in 2014.

The Czech Republic's plans to send rotational unit follow the moves from the other allies to increase military presence in the small Baltic State. In March, Lithuanian defense ministry announced that more than 600 rotational troops and several hundred military vehicles of German forces are to be deployed in Lithuania throughout this year.

Lithuania already has the U.S. rotating forces since 2014. Endit