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Consultations taking place with leading NATO nations on setting-up battalions in the Baltics

BC, Riga, 19.05.2016.Print version

At the moment, consultations are taking place with leading NATO nations on setting-up battalions in the Baltics and Poland, informs LETA.

 

Yesterday in Brussels, Latvian National Armed Forces Commander Raimonds Graube participated in a NATO Military Committee meeting, during which the proposal to set-up battalion-sized battle units in Poland and the Baltics was confirmed.

 

''During the committee meeting, various important matters were discussed, so that recommendations could be made to ministers from NATO member states in preparation for the next meeting of NATO defense ministers. During the meeting, commanders from NATO member states were all in agreement that four battalion-sized battle groups are necessary to be set-up in Poland and the Baltics as a measure of deterrence,'' Graube explained.

 

''This is an important step on the path towards the NATO Summit in Warsaw in July, where the leaders of NATO member states will decide on a long-term allied presence in our region,'' the NAF commander emphasized, explaining that consultations with leading NATO member states are currently taking place on the involvement of specific countries in the creation of these battalions.

 

''At the same time, I would like to remind about our own responsibilities, as NATO decisions will not in any way annul our own commitments. In order to make sure our allies support our security in the future, we must continue work on increasing our defense budget, as well as strengthening the capabilities of the National Armed Forces. We also intend to continue improving our infrastructure, including military training infrastructure, so that we can better accommodate our allies,'' Graube emphasized.

 

As reported, this past February, NATO defense ministers decided to strengthen the allies presence in Europe's east, including Latvia. The NATO Military Committee and strategic NATO commands were then given the task of preparing proposals on how this presence would be increased in the region.





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