Lithuanian president asks parliament to ratify defense cooperation agreement with US

 Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite proposed on Monday that the country's parliament ratify the defense cooperation agreement with the United States under the special urgency procedure, the president's office said.

Three weeks ago, Lithuanian and U.S. representatives signed the agreement defining conditions for the construction of military objects and movement of U.S. aircraft, ships, and other military vehicles in Lithuania.

"According to the president, this document, which defines the legal status of U.S. troops and jurisdiction of equipment in Lithuania, is very important," the president's office announced in a statement.

Grybauskaite said the agreement would help allied troops "implement deterrence measures and strengthen the defense of NATO eastern flank."

Latvia and Estonia, Lithuania's neighboring countries, have also signed parallel cooperation agreements with the United States, according to the president's office.

The agreement on the status of U.S. forces in Lithuania comes more than two years since the first U.S. forces arrived to Lithuania. Since early 2014, rotational U.S. forces have been attending joint military trainings in Lithuania.

source: Xinhua