Dr. Celeste Wallander, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, hosted a triple signing ceremony on December 15 for the bilateral defense cooperation roadmaps with the defense policy directors from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania at the Pentagon.
All bilateral cooperation roadmaps prioritize actions to help the countries achieve NATO capability targets as well as support NATO’s ability to build credible deterrence to counter threats to the region
Allies were represented by Tuuli Duneton, the Undersecretary for Defence Policy for the Republic of Estonia; Rolands Heniņš, the Undersecretary of State for Defence Policy for the Republic of Latvia; and Dr. Vaidotas Urbelis, the Defence Policy Director for the Republic of Lithuania.
The foundation for strong allied relations between the Baltic States and the United States has been long-term and multifaceted cooperation. The defense cooperation roadmaps are intended to guide the collaborative relationships for defense and national security through 2028 as the nation’s work toward enhancing capability and interoperability between the U.S. and the Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian armed forces.
All bilateral cooperation roadmaps prioritize actions to help the countries achieve NATO capability targets as well as support NATO’s ability to build credible deterrence to counter threats to the region. Additionally, the agreements convey the Secretary of Defense’s intention to provide heel-to-toe persistent rotational presence of U.S. forces in each Baltic State.
The roadmaps promote defense cooperation in integrated air and missile defense, maritime domain awareness, cyber, irregular warfare, participation in international military operations and exercises, infrastructure development, and training.