Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said on January 16 he agreed with Poland to cooperate on plans to build a new military training ground near Kapciamiestis, close to the strategically important Suwalki Gap.
Kaunas made the comments after meeting in Warsaw with Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz.
“The training area planned in the Suwalki Gap will expand opportunities for our troops to train together and strengthen deterrence. Its activities will serve the defence of both countries and the entire NATO alliance,” Kaunas said in a statement.
He said Lithuania was still in the early stages of establishing the training ground but welcomed Poland’s positive view of future cooperation.
“At this stage, we are at the beginning of the process of setting up the training area, so I am pleased that Poland’s defence minister takes a favourable view of cooperation opportunities going forward,” Kaunas said.
The minister added that Lithuania would regularly share all relevant information with Poland’s Defence Ministry so it could keep Polish citizens informed about developments.
Lithuania plans to establish the new military training area covering about 14,600 hectares in the Lazdijai district near Kapciamiestis in the coming years. The area currently includes nearly 2,000 privately owned land plots, most of them forest land.
The planned site lies near the Suwalki Gap, a narrow stretch of territory linking the Baltic states with the rest of NATO through Poland and widely viewed as a key strategic corridor for the alliance’s eastern defence.
Some local residents have opposed the project, raising concerns about land use, property rights and the potential impact on the environment and daily life. The Defence Ministry has said it is seeking dialogue with local communities as planning continues. (LRT)