France will send 300 troops to Lithuania in late June, Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius told BNS after meeting his French counterpart in Paris on Monday.
"France will in late June send a large contingent of about 300 troops to join the German-led NATO forward presence," said Linkevičius.
This will mark the second deployment to the battalion since 2018.
"Our troops participate in missions that are important to France. We have about 40 troops in Mali, and [the French] appreciate our contribution. This is our mutual interest. We try to help each other in [our] priorities," he added.
Read more: Lithuanian troops depart for UN-led operation in Mali
Linkevičius made the announcement after a meeting with Franch Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.
NATO's enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group in Lithuania consists of over 1,200 troops from six countries, including more than 600 from Germany, the lead nation.
In Paris on Monday, Linkevičius also met with Pierre Vimont, the French president's special envoy for the development of relations between the EU and Russia, and Minister of State for European Affairs Amélie de Montchalin.
Read more: Macron wrong to appoint Russia-envoy, says Lithuanian presidential aide
The officials discussed bilateral relations, EU issues, as well as the situation in Russia and Ukraine.
Linkevičius is visiting Paris at the French foreign minister's invitation.
Read more: Macron would bolster Baltic trust if he didn’t go to Moscow – expert
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