Brussels, Feb 10 (CTK) – The deployment of a rotating company in the Baltics to train along with local troops is being spoken about within the Visegrad Four (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia), Czech Defence Minister Martin Stropnicky (ANO) told journalists on Wednesday.
Due to the tension with Russia, the Baltic countries have been demanding the deployment of NATO units in them.
During the ongoing Brussels talks, Stropnicky met the U.S. Secretary of Defence, Ashton Carter.
They discussed the rising in the Czech military budget, Czech participations in foreign missions and the struggle with Islamic State, Stropnicky said.
Stropnicky said the details of the German-Turkish efforts to help NATO in the resolution to the migrant crisis were not yet known.
“We know that an enhancement of the monitoring capacity is being spoken about,” Stropnicky said.
He said he could imagine the deployment of special reconnaissance aircraft with the AWACS radar system.
The Czech Republic is ready to contribute, but at first it has to know the details of the planned action, he added.
Stropnicky and Carter also spoke about the situation in the Baltics.
Stropnicky said it was important that the USA was rising its contribution to European security, which would be seen in the number of the troops.
He stressed that the Baltic countries were demanding the presence of allied troops there.
Stropnicky said the affair had been discussed within the Visegrad Four.
“The alternative of a rotating company is being very seriously considered. It would be present gradually in all the three Baltic countries, having a joint training with the Baltic troops,” he added.
Stropnicky said he had spoken about it with his opposite number from Lithuania, who had “welcomed” the proposal.
