Norway increases its NATO contribution – the president of the Storting visits Lithuania – VG
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Norway has increased its NATO contribution in Lithuania and Parliament President Masud Gharahkhani is now in the country to visit the Norwegian forces.
– Last week we received a reinforcement strap from the Telemark Battalion which will join the company we have in Lithuania. In total, there are now approx. 200 personnel from Norway in NATO’s reinforced military presence in Lithuania, says Eirik Østbye Andresen, force commander for the Norwegian contribution to VG.
Storting President Masud Gharahkhani (Ap) will participate in a meeting with the Nordic and Baltic parliament presidents (NB8) who will gather in the Lithuanian city of Kaunas on 22 and 23 August. They will discuss closer and broader cooperation now that Sweden and Finland are becoming members of NATO.
Before the NB8 meeting, the president of the Storting went to Rukla to visit the Norwegians the eFP forces. Since 2017, Norway has contributed forces to NATO’s presence, which now totals 1,600 forces in Lithuania. VG visited the Norwegian forces in the country in October 2021.
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Extended until 2023
The eFP was created at the request of NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg after Russia’s annexation of the Ukrainian Crimean peninsula in 2014. This was a clear signal to Russia and President Vladimir Putin that NATO’s Article Five is applicable: An attack on one nation is an attack on all.
i summer extended Norway’s force contribution in Lithuania until 2023, due to the war in Ukraine. And last week we sent down a reinforcement force from TMBN.
– I am looking forward to visiting the Norwegian forces in Lithuania. It is important for me to say that they play an important role in NATO’s presence in the country and that they do an incredibly important job there. They are there to strengthen European security and to preserve our democratic values, Gharahkhani told VG before departure.
During his visit to Rukla today, the President of the Storting got to ride in a Norwegian Leopard tank from the Armored Battalion in Brigade North.
– The Lithuanians are worried
He was also served waffles by the Norwegian soldiers.
– It is good to see that they have brought a piece of Norwegian culture down there with them, he says.
He has got a strong impression that Norwegian presence in the NATO contribution is seen as valuable and that training with the other NATO forces in Lithuania provides a lot of valuable experience.
– The Lithuanians are worried that if Russia wins the war, they will be the next to be attacked and therefore they are very grateful that we show solidarity and participate in NATO’s protection force, says Gharahkhani.
Gharahkhani will discuss security policy and NATO in a meeting with the Nordic and Baltic parliament presidents, but cannot say much about the details of the planned talks.
But Sweden’s and Finland’s NATO applications are definitely being discussed.
– There is no doubt that it is important for Finland and Sweden to have contact with Norway as a NATO country. We have been clear that they are welcome as NATO members and Sweden and Finland appreciate our support, he says.
– Very good reputation
Captain Eirik Østbye Andresen, force commander for the Norwegian eFP, says the Norwegian forces are broadly composed.
– This has now become a brigade effort and we provide personnel from 8 out of 9 departments in Brigade North in a cooperative system, he says.
They cooperate closely with the other NATO countries and have regular exercises, just a stone’s throw from the Belarusian border, with the other countries’ forces.
– Norwegian expertise is in demand and our force has a very good reputation down here, and in the alliance, says Østbye Andresen.