The meeting addressed the development of the Baltic military co-operation projects in detail in the course of which several unresolved problems between the Baltic states were resolved.
For over a year, the issue of the establishment of the jointly manned Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) had been unresolved.
The Estonian Minister of Defence, Mr Jürgen Ligi said, quote: “We have come to a joint decision to support the Regional Air Surveillance Coordination Centre in Lithuania. This decision will be in force until the end of the year 2008. However, it is important to state that both Estonia and Latvia are entitled to develop their own CRC capabilities.”
It was also decided that each Baltic state develops its own infrastructure. For Estonia, it will be the further development of the Ämari Airfield where NATO´s common funding mechanisms will be also used. Another decision taken concerned the intention to increase the scope of the activities of the Baltic Defence College in the framework of EU´s Security and Defence Policy. The Baltic Defence College will organise a module of European Security and Defence College´s High Level Course in 2007.
Mr Jürgen Ligi concluded his speech by uttering, quote, “I am pleased with the decisions made, which, however, are temporary in character. One of the issues of concern was the jointly manned Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) and the second was the further development of the Baltic States´ infrastructure.”
Participation in international operations and other defence related issues were also discussed. In the end of the meeting the Ministers of Defence signed the Joint Communiqué of the Ministerial Committee providing guidelines for the further development of the Baltic projects. The Plan of Co-operation between the Ministries of Defence and the Defence Forces of the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Lithuania for the Year 2006 was also concluded.
The last meeting of the Baltic Defence Ministers took place in Druskininkai, Lithuania in March 2005.
Pictures: