NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană began an official visit to Lithuania on Tuesday (8 February 2022) to mark the fifth anniversary of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence in the eastern part of the Alliance.
In Vilnius, the Deputy Secretary General met with President Gitana Nausėda for talks on Russia’s military build-up in and around Ukraine. Mr. Geoană reaffirmed NATO’s commitment to the security of the Baltic region and thanked Lithuania for its contributions to the Alliance, including by hosting a multinational battlegroup. He also met with Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas, the Minister of Economy and Innovation Aušriné Armonaitė and the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Mantas Adomėnas.
The Deputy Secretary General participated in a public panel discussion on NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence, alongside Latvian Defence Minister Artis Pabriks, Lithuanian Vice Defence Minister Margitis Abukevičius and the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defence Laurynas Kasčiūnas. Mr. Geoană noted that Russia’s renewed aggression against Ukraine underlines the importance of this presence and NATO’s ongoing adaptation.
On Wednesday, the Deputy Secretary General will visit NATO’s multinational battlegroup in Rukla and participate in a ceremony to mark the fifth anniversary of NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence. He will also meet with Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė in Vilnius.