Poland, Lithuania ink defense cooperation agreements

By Jo Harper

WARSAW (AA) – Poland and Lithuania have signed agreements on cooperation in the fields of cybersecurity and the defense industry.

The agreement took place in the presence of the two countries’ presidents at the Polish-Lithuanian Defense Sector Business Forum, which opened in the Polish capital Warsaw on Thursday.

Polish President Andrzej Duda talked about the need for close cooperation at the forum, the National Security Bureau of Poland said on X.

“Without the support of the arms industry, without the capability of mass production of arms and ammunition, even the strongest army cannot achieve long-term success,” Poland’s public television TVP quoted Duda as saying.

Duda said they must be able to produce artillery ammunition, rockets, anti-aircraft missiles, and drones.

"These are the key elements of modern warfare. We see in Ukraine how quickly these reserves are run down in conditions of intense conflict,” he added.

Duda and his Lithuanian counterpart Gitanas Nausedaalso discussed the strengthening of economic ties and cross-border transport projects.

The Poland and Lithuania border, known as the Suwalki Gap, is an area of 100 km (60 miles) bordering the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. It is often seen as a potential trigger for an extension of war in Eastern Europe.