By Jo Harper
WARSAW (AA) - Poland and the Baltic states will integrate their defense capabilities, Poland’s deputy defense minister said Thursday.
Cezary Tomczyk explained that Poland's Eastern Shield will be integrally connected to the Baltic Defense Line, a fortification for which Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are responsible.
"They will constitute one large barrier," he said alongside Lithuanian Deputy Defense Minister Tomas Godliauskas at the Impact 25 event in the Polish city of Poznan.
“I talked to the secretary of state about the necessity, and we will do it in the very near future. This regional cooperation will not only enable us to coordinate, cooperate and synchronize our defense plans, but will also help build industrial capabilities,” said Godliauskas.
“Poland is the only country in the world that borders Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. That is why we want to be ready for anything,” Tomczyk said.
The security plan has been created because society "wants to feel safe," he added.
- Eastern Shield defense initiative
Last year, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk unveiled the €2.35-billion ($2.6-billion) Eastern Shield defense initiative.
Aiming to fortify Poland’s borders with Belarus and Russia's Kaliningrad exclave on the Baltic Sea, it includes ditches, mines, and surveillance technology linking police, army, and border guards.
Tusk said Poland would receive a special loan from the European Investment Bank for the project.
In March, the European Parliament recognized the Polish Eastern Shield as a "flagship project for the common security of the European Union."