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Lithuania, Germany discuss troops deployment in Baltics

Xinhua, September 9, 2016 Adjust font size:

Germany's defense minister Ursula von der Leyen paid a visit to Lithuania on Thursday to discuss NATO's multinational battalion deployment to Lithuania next year.

Von der Leyen's meeting with Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite focused on bilateral cooperation and the implementation of NATO defense and deterrence measures, according to the president's office.

Germany is to lead a multinational battalion including around 450 German troops to be deployed to Lithuania as part of a NATO agreement made at the Warsaw summit. In July, alliance leaders agreed to deploy four battalions with a size of up to 1,000 each to the three Baltic states and Poland.

Lithuania is to be the first to receive the battalion. The German group is to take care of the air defense in the Baltic skies as well. Von der Leyen promised a comprehensive air defense package but declined to reveal whether German forces would deploy air-defense systems the Patriot.

She also highlighted the need for closer defense cooperation between EU countries, calling for a European defense union.

"I think it is time to move forward in Europe towards European defense union. People want this," said von der Leyen, noting that such efforts would not undermine NATO.

"It is added value to NATO, because NATO needs a strong European pillar within NATO," the German defense minister said.

After the meeting, Grybauskaite said Germany's leadership "in safeguarding the security of NATO's eastern flank, is of particular significance for Lithuania and other Baltic countries," according to the president's office.

Grybauskaite underlined that Germany had been a key partner in modernizing Lithuania's armed forces.

Last year, the Baltic state decided to acquire German 155 mm self-propelled howitzers PzH 2000. A few weeks ago, Lithuania agreed to purchase 88 infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) the Boxer from the German-Dutch manufacturer Artec in what is the country's largest military acquisition in history.

The German defense minister also met her Lithuanian counterpart Juozas Olekas to discuss practical issues of hosting multinational battalion.

Lithuania has strengthened its defense capabilities and asked for an increased military presence from allies since tensions in the Eastern Europe erupted following conflicts in Eastern Ukraine in 2014. Endit