German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who is visiting Vilnius, addressed Lithuanians, urging them to rely on his country's support in ensuring security. According to him, Germany and its allies are firmly determined to defend the Baltic states from any aggression.
"I want to address the people of Lithuania. Dear Lithuanians, dear Lithuanians, you can rely on us, you can rely on Germany. The greatest contribution is made by our soldiers, therefore I am very pleased that the President of the Republic of Lithuania and I will soon participate in the inauguration of the German brigade in Lithuania," said F. Merz at a press conference held at the Presidential Palace.
"Together with our partners, we are firmly determined to defend the territory of the Alliance from any aggression. The security of our allies in the Baltic countries is also our security. We firmly support our Baltic partners," he emphasized.
Warns of the threat posed by Russian revisionism
The German Chancellor, who is visiting Lithuania, emphasized that Russian revisionism poses a threat to the security of all of Europe.
"The security situation here in the Baltic States, NATO "The eastern flank is still very tense. Russia's aggressive revisionism poses a threat not only to the territorial integrity of Ukraine, but also to the common security of Europe and the Euro-Atlantic space," F. Merz emphasized.
According to him, it is for this reason that Germany decided to contribute to strengthening NATO's Eastern Flank.
"For this purpose, we are deploying an entire brigade in Lithuania. Together with Lithuania, we have created all the necessary conditions for this at a record pace. (…) I would like to sincerely thank our people, the people of Lithuania, the Government of Lithuania, as well as our soldiers, who have also done a great job," the German Chancellor emphasized, urging other allies to invest more in their security.
"In order to ensure the security and protection of all of NATO, Germany is investing massively in the Bundeswehr, in our military forces. In this way, we want to send a signal to our allies - let us all resolutely invest in our security. And we will continue to firmly walk this path together," he emphasized.
ELTA reminds that Vilnius airport The plane of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his delegation landed. This is F. Merz's first official visit to the Baltic States.
The German Chancellor met with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda. During the bilateral meeting, he and the president discussed Lithuanian-German relations, defense, support for Ukraine, and the European Union agenda.
After the meeting, they will also participate in the inauguration of the German 45th Armored Brigade "Lietuva".
A solemn military ritual will mark the official beginning of the new military unit in Lithuania. During the ceremonies On the Cathedral Square Almost a thousand German and Lithuanian soldiers will line up. A ribbon marking the military unit's mission in Lithuania will be ceremoniously attached to the flag of the German brigade.
Before the ceremony, an exhibition of military equipment will also take place near the square, and the day of celebrations will end with a concert by German and Lithuanian military orchestras. concert.
Defence Minister Boris Pistorius also arrived with F. Merz.
As previously announced, F. Merz, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), became the tenth Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany last week. However, he had to be confirmed by the Bundestag twice, as he lacked the necessary support during the first vote.
