Baltic and Eastern European heads: NATO troop presence must be long-term
The heads of the three Baltic nations and six Central and Eastern European states said in a joint statement at a summit meeting in Bucharest that they are deeply worried about the continued aggression of Russia.
The heads of state demanded that Russia again begins to respect international laws and fulfills obligations which it has accepted. These would be the basic principles in order to restore credible relations between NATO and Russia, Reuters reported.
The statement also highlighted Russia's increased military presence from the borders of the Baltic nations down to Syria.
The nine leaders said they would join efforts in securing a credible and sustainable NATO presence in the region, and increase cooperation between NATO and the European Union.
President Toomas Hendrik Ilves was the Estonian representative at the meeting. The heads of Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Poland were also at the meeting, as well as the head of the Czech Republic Parliament's chamber of deputies.
Editor: J.M. Laats