Rose Gottemoeller paid a visit to Poland on the occasion of the 1st anniversary of the deployment of NATO battlegroups.

During the meeting in Warsaw, the head of the Ministry of National Defense and the deputy secretary general of NATO summarized the course of the current operations of the battlegroup in Poland and pointed out the importance of its presence for security in Europe. The goals of reforming NATO command structure, including its adaptation to current international threats, were also discussed. The new command structure of the Alliance will be one of the main subjects of the July NATO Summit in Brussels.

Earlier, Rose Gottemoeller deputy secretary general of NATO together with Tomasz Szatkowski deputy minister - undersecretary of state in the Ministry of National Defense and representatives of the United States, Great Britain, Romania and Montenegro at NATO, visited the Training Center of Land Forces Orzysz in Bemowo Piskie. They met with soldiers of the NATO battlegroup, which for 12 months is part of the Alliance enhanced presence on the eastern flank. The battlegroup includes more than 1,100 soldiers from the USA, Great Britain, Romania, Croatia and Poland. It is an expression of allied solidarity.

- I met with American, Croatian, British and Romanian soldiers. This presence is a great contribution to the values that NATO represents, meaning he common defense. The values that NATO represents are included in the words "one for all, all for one" - said Rose Gottemoeller.

The presence of NATO forces in Poland is the result of the decision of the NATO Summit in Warsaw in 2016. Poland is not only a beneficiary of the NATO enhanced forward presence. Together with several other countries, we participate in a battlegroup in Latvia.

The command of the Multinational Division North-East is established in Elbląg. Its task is to enable effective coordination of the functioning of all four Alliance battlegroups, from Estonia to Poland, and to improve their cooperation with the incoming, if necessary, strengthening forces, the so-called "NATO spearhead". Officers from 14 countries of the Alliance serve in the command.

Battalion battlegroups are to strengthen NATO's potential to deter potential enemies, and, if necessary, to successfully defend any attacked ally.