Baltic States to form a common operational area for their armed forces

RIGA - During a meeting of Baltic defense ministers in Kaunas on Tuesday, the ministers agreed on the establishment of a joint Baltic operational area in order to respond as effectively as possible to any security threats, LETA was informed by the Latvian Ministry of Defense.

It is now clear how serious the security challenges in the Baltic region have become, and how quickly we are able to respond to potential threats is critical. Every effort must now be made to ensure that, if necessary, there are no legal or practical operational restrictions on the provision of support between the Baltic States, said Latvian Minister of Defense Artis Pabriks (For Development).

"Therefore, we have agreed on the establishment of a joint Baltic operational area, which provides for a legal agreement on operational procedures, a commitment to provide mutual assistance in the event of a threat, as well as joint military planning," explains Pabriks.

At the same time, the ministers reaffirmed the commitment of the Baltic States to strengthen international security by continuing to participate in NATO and EU international missions and operations.