IN BRUSSELS, LITHUANIAN FOREIGN AND DEFENCE MINISTERS DISCUSS NATO’S COLLECTIVE DEFENCE, MISSION IN AFGHANISTAN
On 18 April, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Audronius Ažubalis and Minister of National Defence Rasa Juknevičienė attended a joint meeting of NATO Foreign and Defence Ministers in Brussels and stressed the importance of the role of the Alliance in Afghanistan after 2014, discussed issues of collective defence and preparations for the forthcoming NATO Summit in Chicago.
“NATO must continue to support Afghanistan. We have to transform the mission focusing on further training of the country’s security forces. Lithuania understands that support should be provided to the Afghan National Security Forces until Afghanistan’s economy strengthens and the country itself will be able to support them,” Ažubalis said.At the meeting, Lithuanian Minister of National Defence noted that NATO’s missile defence system was “not directed against Russia”. According to Juknevičienė, the Alliance is constantly reiterating the fact. Moreover, this is also reflected in the Defense and Deterrence Posture Review.
“While Russia, on the contrary, has announced about military planning directed against the elements of NATO’s missile defence and is deploying modern offensive weapon systems in the Kaliningrad region,” the Defence Minister said.
Ažubalis drew attention to the fact that the acquisition of military technology and transfer to third countries remained to be a very important issue.
“The effects of the acquisition of weapons by third countries on the Alliance’s strategic environment must be continually assessed,” Ažubalis stressed.
According to him, the fact that this issue is reflected in the Alliance’s Defense and Deterrence Posture Review shows that NATO countries increasingly understand that Allied policy toward military industry technology and arms trade should be based not only on commercial interests, but must also ensure the Alliance’s defensibility.
The joint meeting of NATO Foreign and Defence Ministers is the main forum that aims to prepare for the forthcoming Alliance’s Summit in Chicago and to adjust all the relevant agenda items.
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