Up to 12,000 officers and soldiers will be responsible for security during the NATO summit in Vilnius next week, according to Paulius Nemira, the first deputy director of the Dignitary Protection Service.
Lithuania has never hosted an event of this scale, he pointed out on Monday, adding that ensuring security is a major challenge for the country’s institutions.
Forty-eight foreign delegations with 2,400 members, including 40 heads of state and up to 150 other high-ranking politicians, will arrive in Lithuania and need protection, Nemira said.
In his words, some 800 vehicles will be needed for the delegations.
Also attending the press conference, Lieutenant Colonel Liutauras Bagočiūnas, commander of the military defence force during the NATO summit, said 3,000 troops are being deployed to provide security during the event. Moreover, up to 1,000 allied troops are coming to help.
The Patriot long-range air defence system, the NASAMS medium-range air defence system and the CBRN (Combined Joint Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) Defence task Force are already being deployed in Lithuania, the commander said.
“Allies will also support us with anti-drone capabilities that will operate within a joint architecture that will include other state institutions and the Lithuanian military,” Bagočiūnas told the press conference, adding that troops and officers from 16 countries will contribute to security during the summit.
Troops will be deployed to protect critical facilities, important infrastructure such as bridges and viaducts, as well as to search for explosives.
“Troops will also drive delegation vehicles and carry out other important specific tasks, such as rapid response to back Lithuanian institutions’ specific capabilities,” the lieutenant colonel said, adding that such troops will be armed and wear appropriate equipment.
Moreover, up to 1,500 police officers from all over Lithuania will be deployed during the NATO summit and officers from Latvia and Poland will also assist with public order tasks, Mindaugas Akelaitis, commander of the Public Police Board at the Police Department, told reporters.
In his words, officers from the Lithuanian Police Anti-Terrorist Operations Unit ARAS and the Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau will also be working during the event.
“We do understand that people living in the Old Town or in the city centre will be curious and will take the opportunity to peek through the window and see what is going on. Do not use things like binoculars to prevent officers from thinking that they are people with malicious intent,” he told the press conference.
People heading to central Vilnius during the summit days are advised to carry as few items as possible to avoid long checks.
Antanas Montvydas, deputy head of the State Border Guard Service, also reminded of the fact that Lithuanian would resume checks on internal EU borders, as well as at airports and seaports, from 08:00 on July 7 until 08:00 on July 13. EU citizens will have to present an ID card or passport, while third-country nationals will have to present a passport or visa.
Meanwhile, Spain is deploying a NASAMS air defence unit to Lithuania to help ensure security during the NATO summit.
“We can confirm that Spain is contributing to the security of Vilnius NATO Summit with a NASAMS air defence unit,” the country’s embassy told BNS.
“The Spanish unit has been temporarily deployed to Lithuania for the summit, from Latvia, where it was previously stationed as part of NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence,” it said.
The NATO summit in Vilnius will take place on July 11–12.
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