Norway has extended the presence of its military forces in Lithuania until the end of 2024, the Norwegian government said on Monday
MURMANSK (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th July, 2023) Norway has extended the presence of its military forces in Lithuania until the end of 2024, the Norwegian government said on Monday.
"The Norwegian Government has now decided to extend the participation of Norwegian forces in NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) in Lithuania until the end of 2024," the government said in a statement.
According to the statement, Norway has been participating in the eFP in Lithuania since 2017 and provides a company of up to 150 military personnel.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said that he was proud of the work carried out by the Norwegian forces in Lithuania.
"The decision to extend the participation of Norwegian troops when there is an ongoing war in Europe is not a decision the Government takes lightly. But we know that this is an important operation and that our contribution is valuable. Sharing knowledge and experience serves to enhance both our own Armed Forces and NATO," Store said in the statement.
Together with Norwegian Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gram, Store visited the Norwegian armed forces in Lithuania ahead of the upcoming NATO summit.
"This is one of our most important military contributions to the international community at the present time, and it is also the largest number of personnel we are providing abroad. I am very pleased we can extend this deployment until the end of 2024," Gram said.
NATO has deployed about 1,600 personnel in Lithuania, according to the Norwegian government statement. The alliance's contingent was reinforced in 2022.
The NATO summit will take place from July 11-12 in Vilnius, with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg chairing the meeting. The summit agenda is expected to include Ukraine's prospects for NATO membership, the strengthening of the alliance's eastern flank and the issue of defense spending.
