1st LD Writethru: Multinational battalion to begin deploying in Lithuania next week

Around 1,200 soldiers from NATO multinational battalion will be deployed in Lithuania by mid-summer with first personnel to arrive in Lithuania next week, according to the Lithuanian army on Wednesday.

The first combat group from NATO enhanced forward presence battalion will arrive in Lithuania in February, and the first military and logistics personnel is expected next week.

The mission of the multinational battalion is defensive, the Lithuanian army claimed.

"Allied troops come to Lithuania to attend joint exercises and in the case of aggression they would join the defense of Lithuania," said Major General Vitalijus Vaiksnoras, the Chief of the Joint Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.

Roughly 1,200 troops will be deployed in Lithuania. The German-led battalion is to reach its full operational capacity by mid-June, according to the Lithuanian army.

The deployed battalion will rotate every half a year and is to stay at Lithuania "for unlimited time".

The deployment of NATO multinational battalion in Lithuania is the result of agreement made by NATO allies at the NATO Summit in Warsaw last year.

According to the agreement, multinational battalions are to be deployed in Baltic states and Poland.

Also on Wednesday, Lithuanian president Dalia Grybauskaite said the implementation of NATO decisions in the Baltic region is very important, given the challenges to the Baltic States and Europe.

Grybauskaite made the remarks during a meeting with foreign ambassadors, according to a statement released by the presidency.

"We must enhance NATO's defense and deterrence measures; keep the transatlantic bond strong; consistently increase defense spending and continue modernizing military forces," she said.

Ambassadors from 57 countries attended the annual meeting which focused on internal and external political issues, global tendencies and challenges. Endit