VILNIUS, October 28 (RIA Novosti) – The first group of the 140 Hungarian servicemen sent to Lithuania to take part in military exercises as part of NATO reinforcement measures, have arrived in the country, the Lithuanian defense ministry said in a statement published on its website Tuesday.
"There are numerous historical links between Lithuania and Hungary and I appreciate Hungary's initiative to be the first European ally to respond to the changes in the geopolitical situation and the NATO Wales decisions and to contribute to NATO reinforcement measures on ground," Lithuanian Minister of National Defence, Juozas Olekas, was quoted as saying by the ministry.
The rest of the Hungarian troops are due to come to Lithuania on October 30, according to the ministry. The unit will take part in combined training along with Lithuanian and US servicemen and will be deployed in Lithuania till the end of this year.
NATO started boosting its military presence close to Russia's border, specifically in Poland and the former Soviet Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, following Crimea's reunification with Russia in March 2014. The alliance explained the measures with the need to ensure the security of its allies.
Moscow has repeatedly expressed concern over NATO's increased military presence in Russia's neighboring states.
In late September, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said NATO expansion in Eastern Europe was a "mistake" and a "provocation" that undermines the entire European security system.
