USA, Lithuania sign defense cooperation plan.

On April 2, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Kathryn Wheelbarger met with Lithuanian Policy Director Robertas Šapronas today at the Pentagon to sign the U.S.-Lithuania Defense Cooperation Strategic Roadmap.

U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Katherine Wheelbarger and Lithuanian Policy Director Robertas Šapronas sign the U.S.-Lithuania Defense Cooperation Strategic Roadmap, at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., April 2, 2019 (Picture source: DoD / Lisa Ferdinando)

The roadmap identifies specific security cooperation priorities the United States and Lithuania agreed to focus on from 2019 to 2024. These areas include:
• Strengthening existing defense cooperation in training, exercises, and exchanges;
• Cooperating on deterrence and the security of the Baltic Sea region, including providing support to improve maritime domain awareness in the Baltic Sea;
• Improving intelligence-sharing, surveillance, and early-warning capabilities in the Baltic region;
• Cooperating in multinational operations;
• Focusing cybersecurity efforts toward building capabilities to deter and defend against malicious cyber intrusions and attacks.

During the U.S.-Baltic Strategic Dialogue in November 2018, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania each agreed to bilaterally develop Defense Cooperation Strategic Roadmaps with the United States. The Lithuania Roadmap is the first of these agreements to be signed. Activities to support the implementation of these roadmaps will be decided during upcoming military staff talks.

Since 2014, the United States has invested nearly $80 million for defense security cooperation in Lithuania, and Lithuania has committed more than $200 million in national funds to purchase U.S. defense articles.