German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is to visit Lithuania on Sunday to take part in national day celebrations in the capital Vilnius.
Steinmeier’s office said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has invited him as a guest of honour, an invitation seen in Berlin as a special distinction and proof of the close relations between the two countries.
The celebrations will include a military ceremony, a church service and a reception in the presidential palace.
Between these events, Steinmeier intends to visit the staff of the German armoured brigade stationed in Lithuania.
From 2027, around 5,000 soldiers are to be permanently stationed in Lithuania to protect the Baltic country against threats from Russia and strengthen NATO’s eastern flank.
The Baltic states fear that they could become the next victims of Russian President Vladimir Putin after the invasion of Ukraine.
The brigade was officially put into service in May. However, the barracks and housing for the soldiers and their families still have to be built.
Only then can the full German brigade be deployed to Lithuania.
Source: dpa.com