Defence cooperation at a higher level: Polish-Lithuanian bilateral meeting
On November 14th, an important bilateral meeting was held at the MESKO Company HQ in Skarżysko Kamienna between Deputy Minister of National Defence Paweł Bejda and Lithuanian Deputy Minister of Defence Monika Koroliovienė. The main topic of the meeting was cooperation in strengthening the defence of both countries, as well as joint actions undertaken within the framework of European Union projects, such as EDIRPA.
Among the issues discussed, the key topic was joint purchases of defence systems, including mobile short-range missile systems "PIORUN". Both countries see the significant importance of joint purchases of arms, which contribute, among other things, to the integration of EU countries and the unification of armaments, contributing to budget savings and strengthening the defence potential. The purchases of "PIORUN" MANPADS would be financed within the framework of the EU EDIRPA project.
After the bilateral meeting, Minister Bejda signed a letter of intent, which is the first step towards establishing a consortium of countries, required by the EDIRPA project. The consortium consists of 4 countries: Poland, Lithuania, Norway and Estonia. The signed letter of intent is a milestone in defense cooperation between its signatories, indicating the need to harmonize activities in the area of armaments and a common approach to the purchase of military equipment. This type of cooperation is not only to strengthen the defense power of countries, but also to increase financial efficiency, enabling the purchase of a larger number of modern defense systems with EU support.
The signing of the letter of intent is an important step, but its implementation will depend on further actions - especially on the granting of subsidy by the EU for the aforementioned consortium of countries.
The meeting and the signed document symbolize the growing importance of cooperation between the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and the Nordic countries in the face of changing geopolitical challenges. The common defense goals of Poland, Lithuania, Norway and Estonia contribute to strengthening the security of the region. Thanks to such initiatives, the defence capability and security of not only the countries themselves, but also the entire eastern flank of NATO is strengthened.