NATO pledges closer cooperation in Baltic region
"We talked today about some areas of interest that are valid for all of us and we learned that we can really strengthen our effort with regard to training, training exercises, with regard to logistics but also with regard to infrastructure," German Major-General Harald Gante said at the Rubla base.
- Europe
- DPA
- Published Date: 08:33 | 25 May 2023
- Modified Date: 08:33 | 25 May 2023
The lead nations in NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence (EFP) aim to cooperate more closely with the militaries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the respective commanders of the battalions stationed said in Lithuania on Thursday.
Each of the battle groups consists of about 1,000 soldiers and is led by its assigned framework nation - the United States in Poland, Britain in Estonia, Canada in Latvia, and Germany in Lithuania.
"We talked today about some areas of interest that are valid for all of us and we learned that we can really strengthen our effort with regard to training, training exercises, with regard to logistics but also with regard to infrastructure," German Major-General Harald Gante said at the Rubla base.
The main topic was to learn from each other, he added.
"To defend the Baltic states for us as allies is not an option, it is an obligation. Our intention is deter and defend," Gante said ahead of a visit by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to the region.
Scholz is to meet the heads of government of the three republics in Estonia on Friday, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine a central point of discussion.