" We have come a long way," said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

Before the meeting, Federal Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen explained that discussions would focus on how to implement the resolutions of the Warsaw Summit, in particular the enhanced forward presence of NATO in the Baltic states and in Poland.

In July the NATO member states resolved at the Warsaw Summit to step up NATO’s presence in the east. In future, four battalions are to be stationed in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland.

The aim of the Warsaw resolutions was and is to maintain the defence capacities of the alliance in face of new challenges, in particular in view of the legitimate concerns of the eastern European allies.

Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary General of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, was satisfied with the implementation of the summit resolutions. He declared in Brussels that he was happy to be able to say " We have come a long way."

German troops to be stationed in Lithuania

Four nations have declared themselves willing to shoulder responsibility as framework nations. Germany will assume responsibility in Lithuania. "We will be stationing an effective multinational force in Lithuania," stated the Federal Defence Minister in Brussels. A force of this sort generally comprises about 1,000 soldiers. Germany will provide the largest contingent, reported Ursula von der Leyen. Planning should be finalised by next spring.

Refugee numbers declining in the Aegean

Another topic on the agenda was NATO activities in the Aegean. Since March 2016 NATO has operated in the waters between Turkey and Greece. The Federal Defence Minister declared that this is a highly successful mission. This can be seen from the drop in refugee numbers. "We are of the opinion that this mission should be continued," said Ursula von der Leyen.

In the Aegean, NATO vessels are providing surveillance support and producing an accurate picture of the situation. This is part of the effort to address the problem of illegal migration and criminal gangs of human traffickers.

Anti-IS mandate extended

In future German soldiers will continue to be part of the fight against the so-called Islamic State. The German government has decided to extend the mandate of the Bundeswehr. German troops will perform surveillance duties over Syria, as part of the international crews of NATO’s AWACS aircraft (Airborne Early Warning and Control System). The real-time data gathered will provide an ever better picture of the situation on the ground.

The German government’s decision must still be approved by the German Bundestag. Until then the surveillance flights will continue without German crews. In the run-up to the meeting in Brussels, Jens Stoltenberg announced that NATO had flown its first AWACS missions on 20 October.

At the Warsaw Summit the heads of state and government of NATO member states decided to deploy AWACS surveillance aircraft.