On Friday, May the 13th , the head of the Ministry of National Defence met with the Lithuanian Minister of Defence, Arvydas Anušauskas, at the third Lithuanian-Polish Defence Council .The heads of the ministries of defence signed a joint position on the development of further military cooperation for security.

“The freedom of our two countries is guaranteed when we are active, when we strive to strengthen our armed forces. We agree that Russia should be subject to sanctions. These sanctions should be as severe as possible so as not to allow the Kremlin regime to rebuild its potential. Making Western Europe dependent on energy supplies gives the money Putin spends on armaments. Russia must be hit with as severe sanctions as possible to prevent Moscow's aggressive policy"

- argued Minister M. Błaszczak in Vilnius.

"The main challenge facing the states of the free world is deterrence. For deterrence to be effective, the presence of North Atlantic Alliance forces on NATO's Eastern Flank must be greater and this presence must be permanent"

- said the head of the Polish Ministry of National Defence.

He also added that the Russians committed war crimes in the areas occupied by Russia.

“We must strengthen the forces of the North Atlantic Alliance on the Eastern Flank, this is the only effective method of deterrence, so that such crimes do not repeat  elsewhere and that Russia cannot occupy other countries and destroy the international order”

- Minister M. Blaszczak emphasized.

Minister recalled that countries such as Poland and Lithuania are not only recipients of security, but also have a large contribution to ensuring security for the entire alliance.

"The most important argument in this area is the increase in expenditure on safety"

- he pointed out.

Also, in the opinion of the head of the Lithuanian Ministry of Defence, both in the bilateral format and at the NATO level, a response to the threats flowing from Russia should be prepared.

“We also discussed issues related to the Alliance summit in Madrid and issues related to the forces deployed on NATO's Eastern Flank. We hope that during the above-mentioned, important decisions will be taken to strengthen defence and security"

- said Arvydas Anušauskas.

The heads of the defence ministries discussed the current security situation in the region in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine and defined the directions of development of military cooperation between Poland and Lithuania for the coming years. Support for Ukraine by both countries was also discussed.

“We use European Union programs together, such as the Military Mobility program. As part of the work of four teams, we coordinate our activities related to defence planning and monitoring of the situation in the Baltic Sea. We also coordinate our activities related to the weapons that go to the equipment of our troops. We decided to strengthen our cooperation in the field of cyber security. Here we share our experiences and acquired information"

- noted the head of the Polish Ministry of National Defence.

When asked about the accession of Finland and Sweden to the North Atlantic Alliance, the minister emphasized that Poland was in favour of the fastest possible accession of these countries to NATO.

“We are enthusiastic that the North Atlantic Alliance will be strengthened with the accession of Finland and Sweden. We cooperate with both of these countries in the European Union format, but also in bilateral relations. The accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO strengthens the position of Poland and Lithuania and limits Russia's aggressive possibilities. Together we are stronger and we will cooperate. The Polish side is ready to immediately ratify the treaty on the accession of both Finland and Sweden to NATO"

- emphasized M. Blaszczak.

In the afternoon, Minister Mariusz Błaszczak laid flowers at the Mausoleum of Mother and the Son’s Heart and at the monument to the leaders and participants of the January Uprising resting in Rasos Cemetery in Vilnius. 

GALLERY - >> The head of the Ministry of National Defence met with the Lithuanian Minister of Defence, Arvydas Anušauskas