Sending an entire brigade to Russia's western flank neighbor, Chancellor Scholz is set to visit India

Germany is showing that it is ready to become the "central pillar" of European defense.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius speaks at the Lithuanian Parliament in the capital Vilnius on September 26. (Source: BNS)

According to Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) , on September 26, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius gave a speech to parliamentarians in the Baltic country's capital Vilnius: "The German armed forces are ready to become the 'central pillar' of conventional deterrence and defense in Europe."

The announcement comes as Berlin prepares to deploy a brigade of soldiers to Russia's western neighbor Lithuania, a region that has been tense since Moscow launched a military operation in Ukraine in early 2022.

Germany has previously committed to permanently deploying 5,000 troops in Lithuania by the end of 2027, a decision that Berlin sees as pivotal to its defense policy.

According to Minister Pistorius, the deployment of the German brigade is not only aimed at deterrence and emphasizing Berlin's commitment to ensuring the security of its NATO allies, but also to enhance trust and cooperation between countries.

The head of the German Defense Ministry also pledged to respect this deadline, stating: “This is in our common interest. And we have a common responsibility to make this key project a success.”

The project is also "a strong message that for Berlin, defense is collective defense. Lithuania's security is Germany's security," he stressed.

Currently, there are hundreds of German soldiers stationed in Lithuania and it is expected that next year, this number will reach around 500 troops.

Lithuania has pledged to build infrastructure for the brigade and is ratifying a bilateral agreement that would clarify the rights of German troops to be stationed in the country.

* On the same day, September 26, German Ambassador to India Philipp Ackermann announced that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will visit New Delhi at the end of October to attend the Intergovernmental Consultation (IGC) between the two countries.

"Germany and India are committed to holding consultations every two years. At the last consultation, Prime Minister Modi came to Berlin, and we are looking forward to a visit by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and his cabinet ministers," Ackermann added.

According to the agenda, the ministers will hold bilateral meetings with their counterparts, while the prime ministers will have discussions to make decisions for the two countries' roadmap in the coming time.

Ahead of the visit, both India and Germany stressed the importance of speedy implementation of commitments between the two countries. Chancellor Scholz affirmed his readiness to continue and expand close cooperation with New Delhi on global issues.

Diplomatic relations between Germany and India date back more than seven decades, and one of the main pillars of the bilateral relationship is the shared interest in strengthening multilateral cooperation and promoting a sustainable digital economy.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/duc-dua-ca-mot-lu-doan-den-nuoc-lang-gieng-o-suon-tay-cua-nga-thu-tuong-scholz-sap-tham-an-do-287914.html