- Title: German troops get ready for deployment in Lithuania
- Date: 19th January 2017
- Summary: VARIOUS OF GERMAN BATTALION DURING FAREWELL CEREMONY VARIOUS OF MUSIC CORPS ARRIVING
- Embargoed: 2nd February 2017 19:36
- Keywords: NATO German troops Baltics Russia
- Location: OBERVIECHTACH, GERMANY
- City: OBERVIECHTACH, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,International/National Security
- Reuters ID: LVA0025ZQXX6V
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: German forces took part in a farewell ceremony in the Bavarian city of Oberviechtach on Thursday (January 19) as they prepare for deployment to Lithuania as part of a wider NATO mission in order to strengthen deterrence and defence in the Baltics.
"In the coming days and weeks the German parts of the enhanced forward presence battle group Lithuania will be deployed to Lithuania and I am very confident that we are likely going to have all German forces and equipment at the location in Rukla, Lithuania by the end of February," said Lieutenant-Colonel Christoph Huber, commander of the battalion, which is going to be deployed in the Baltic country.
NATO will enhance its presence with four multinational battalions in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland on a rotational basis, which are led by the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and the United States.
"I have got a very clear task, which is to - in the framework of enhanced forward presence - set up a multinational combat unit in Lithuania in the coming months within the closed NATO operation, the agreement of the NATO summit last year in Warsaw," Huber said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday (January 17) that the deployment of NATO troops in Baltic countries was a bad idea.
Russia has long complained that the United States and its allies have encroached into Eastern Europe and threatened Russia's national security. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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