The Suwałki corridor is safe thanks to the service of soldiers
07.07.2022
"The Polish-Lithuanian border connects our states, unites our nations, but due to the location of the neighbours of the Kaliningrad Oblast, which is de facto one large Russian military base, and Belarus, which is de facto part of the Russian military district, it poses specific threats. Our response to these threats is the activity of the Polish Army, the Lithuanian army and allied forces within the North Atlantic Alliance" - said Mariusz Błaszczak, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defence during a meeting with the soldiers of the Multinational Division North-East.
On Thursday, July the 7th , Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defence accompanied President Andrzej Duda to a meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and the head of the Lithuanian Ministry of Defence, Arvydas Anušauskas. The delegations visited the Mobile Command Post of the Multinational Division North-East on the Suwałki Corridor.
"Our response to the threats directed against our countries by the Kremlin rulers is close cooperation within the North Atlantic Alliance. As part of the NATO doctrine of defence and deterrence"
- emphasized Deputy Prime Minister Błaszczak.
"We also regularly meet in the format of the defence ministers of both our countries. Our soldiers also exercise so as to build interoperability between the Polish and Lithuanian armed forces and between the allied forces. In Poland, the framework nation of the North Atlantic Alliance is the United States, in Lithuania is Germany, so we want the allied forces to be jointly ready to defend our countries"
- said the Polish head of the Ministry of Defence.
The NATO Command of the Multinational Division - Northeast in Elbląg coordinates the activities of the battle groups of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence. These tasks consist in coordinating training and increasing situational awareness in the region. The command also stands ready to conduct collective defence activities in accordance with Article 5 of the Washington Treaty.
The units affiliated to the command in Elbląg include the 15th Mechanized Brigade and the Lithuanian Iron Wolf brigade, which exercise together and build allied interoperability.
"Both our countries were attacked by the Belarusian regime last year. It was a hybrid attack using migrants invited by the Lukashenka regime in Belarus and then illegal crossing the borders of our countries. We are aware of the dangers, and we have no doubts that Moscow was behind this attack"
- said M. Błaszczak.
"We accept the decision of the North Atlantic Summit with satisfaction, which took place last week in Madrid. From the point of view of the Baltic states and the states of the Baltic Sea region, it is undoubtedly very important that Sweden and Finland have decided to join the North Atlantic Alliance"
- emphasized the deputy prime minister.
"We are developing our armed forces - Polish and Lithuanian. We cooperate with each other, we create interoperability. All this serves the security of our Homeland. We can say directly that thanks to our efforts, thanks to our very good cooperation with allied forces, the Suwałki corridor is safe"
- said Deputy Prime Minister Mariusz Błaszczak.
The President of the Republic of Poland noted that many people, both in Poland and in Lithuania, ask themselves whether this sensitive place is safe.
"There it is. We decided to come here to show that it is safe here - he assured. - I have no doubt that everyone who comes to these regions on vacation today and sees the multinational military feel that this place is safe and well protected"
- underlined the president. As he added, an additional hundred officers will arrive soon.
"These battalion battle groups, stationed here today, in the Polish part and in the Lithuanian part abroad, are an allied guarantee of the security of this region, which will be strengthened – from readiness in the form so far of 40 thousand soldiers to readiness in the form of 300 thousand soldiers"
- said the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
The Suwałki Corridor is the area around Suwałki, Augustów and Sejny. It connects Poland with Lithuania and the other Baltic countries, and at the same time separates Russia's Kaliningrad Oblast from Belarus. It is a strategically important corridor that directly connects NATO allies in our region.
The Suwałki Corridor is mainly the area of responsibility of the 16th Mechanized Division, especially the 15th Mechanized Brigade, and a multinational battle group under the eFP (enhanced Forward Presence) initiative with the USA as a framework nation. In addition, allies from Romania, Great Britain and Croatia serve there. On a daily basis, the group cooperates with the 15th Mechanized Brigade. Poland plays a special role in the eFP initiative - it is one of the host countries, but also a delegating country.
