The President met with the German Chancellor at the Munich Security Conference

President Gitanas Nausėda met with German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. The Prime Ministers of Estonia and Latvia also participated in the meeting.

The Lithuanian leader emphasized that he greatly appreciates Germany's leadership and its continued commitment to strengthening regional security, stressing that Lithuania's main priority is to prepare for hosting the German brigade in 2027.

"We welcome Germany's commitment to strengthening security in our region by stationing Germany's 45th Armored Brigade in Lithuania. We value Germany's active participation in the NATO air policing mission and its leadership in advancing EU defense industry development initiatives," the President said.

Speaking about transatlantic relations, the Lithuanian leader underscored the importance of maintaining strong relations with the United States and the need to enhance Europe's role in ensuring defense, including through fair burden-sharing. This, he noted, is essential for further strengthening NATO's deterrence and defense. The President expressed his conviction that the United States recognizes that NATO also serves its own security interests.

"Let us not deceive ourselves into thinking that Europe can replace NATO. However, EU Member States have to invest more in defense in any case. We appreciate Germany's leadership in this process and encourage other allies to step up their efforts. Lithuania, for its part, is already allocating more than 5 percent of its GDP to defense this year," Gitanas Nausėda underlined.