News

On 11 January, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius met with the retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, former NATO supreme allied commander for Europe, and discussed the implementation of decisions of the NATO Summit in Warsaw on 8-9 July 2016. Lithuania’s Foreign Minister thanked the General for his contribution to strengthening Lithuania’s security.

“In response to new security threats, the Allies have adopted important decisions, including the Readiness Action Plan and enhanced forward presence in the Baltic states and Poland. The General’s support was very important for the implementation of these decisions,” said Linkevičius.

Lithuania’s Foreign Minister noted that the enhanced forward presence in the Baltic states and Poland should be prepared in a military sense and ensure that they had appropriate capabilities and weapons.

“It is important for the allied forces to take into account the specific security and defence challenges facing the region, to set clear rules for the use of force and communication of decisions to the NATO command post in case of crisis,” said Linkevičius.

Lithuania’s Foreign Minister pointed out that NATO should continue to adapt if it wished to deal with the new security challenges effectively.

In the meeting, the interlocutors also exchanged their views on the U.S. role in Europe and the U.S. military presence in the region.

The General Breedlove was one of the most active supporters of the U.S. military presence in the Baltic region and sanctioned the plans to strengthen the U.S. role in ensuring deterrence in the region.

The interlocutors agreed that the U.S. role in Europe and robust transatlantic ties were critical factors in the international security environment.

The General Breedlove arrived to participate in the 10th Snow Meeting, during which Lithuanian and foreign security policy experts will discuss the main challenges facing the transatlantic community today and responses to them.

The President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė awarded the General Breedlove the Cross of Commander of the Order for Merits to Lithuania for his special personal contribution and efforts to strengthen our national security.

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