VILNIUS. April 14 (Interfax-AVN) - NATO does not so far plan to deploy its forces in Lithuania, General Jack Deverell, Commander in Chief Allied Forces North Europe, said after a Monday meeting with Lithuanian Defense Minister Linas Linkevicius.
However, this does not mean there will be no officers or soldiers from NATO in Lithuania, the general remarked.
The Lithuanian Defense Ministry told Interfax that Deverell came to Vilnius to discuss Lithuania's contribution to the armed forces of the Alliance. Lithuania, as well as Latvia and Estonia, will be in the sphere of the NATO Allied Forces North Europe.
Deverell stressed that Lithuania should give priority consideration to setting up mobile and well-trained units, and pointed to the necessity to balance resources and national security demands, as well as to use defense allocations in a rational way.
The NATO official will visit a motorized infantry brigade of the Lithuanian parliament, meet with leaders of the national parliament and Foreign Ministry, and then leave for Latvia and Estonia.
Lithuania will become a full-fledged NATO member in May 2004 after the ratification of documents on its admission to the alliance is completed.