LITHUANIA'S ESDP CONTRIBUTION NO THREAT TO NATO

UNCLAS VILNIUS 000560

SIPDIS

STATE PASS TO EUR/NB AND EUR/RPM
NSC FOR DAMON WILSON

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV MOPS MARR LH
SUBJECT: LITHUANIA'S ESDP CONTRIBUTION NO THREAT TO NATO
COMMITMENTS



1. GOL Defense Minister Gediminas Kirkilas and
representatives of Germany, Latvia, Poland, and Slovakia on
May 23 signed a declaration in Brussels to create a joint
battle group to serve in the EU Rapid Reaction Force.
Kirkilas announced that the joint force will assume its first
rotation in 2010. This commitment will bring to 13 the
number of battle groups participating in European Security
and Defense Policy (ESDP). Gediminas Varvuolis, head of the
MFA's NATO Division, confirmed that this contribution to ESDP
will not hinder or reduce Lithuania's participation in the
NATO Reaction Force (NRF). Varvuolis said that the GOL
strongly supports the NATO position that nations not allocate
the same assets to ESDP and the NRF at the same time.


2. Comment: Lithuania firmly considers NATO the cornerstone
of Euro-Atlantic security and has no intention of robbing
from NATO to pay ESDP. While the GOL recognizes it needs to
be active in the emerging European security identity, we do
not anticipate that its participation will lead to a reduced
commitment to NATO, in general, or the NRF, in particular.
Mull