RIGA, June 30 — The 1st German-Netherlands Corps took over tactical command of the Estonian and Latvian land forces from NATO’s Multinational Corps Northeast on Tuesday, in a ceremony in the town of Valga-Valka.
The new command arrangement, which will take effect on Wednesday, is part of NATO’s new force model. According to the Latvian Defense Ministry, the new move aims to improve the reaction speed of allied forces and increase the combat readiness of the alliance’s eastern flank.
The focus of the previous command, the NATO Multinational Corps Northeast, will now shift to Poland and Lithuania, including securing the Suwalki Gap. With this decision, NATO is strengthening its command-and-control and deterrence capabilities, and its allied presence in the Baltic region.
The changes aim to maintain more allied forces at a higher level of readiness and ensure a faster response to potential threats, the ministry said.
The ceremony was attended by Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur, Latvian Defense Minister Raivis Melnis, Dutch Defense Minister Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius, and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
