During his official visit to Luxembourg, Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas met with his Luxembourg counterpart, Yuriko Backes, as well as members of the relevant parliamentary committees. The programme included a visit to the SES headquarters in Betzdorf, highlighting the countries’ shared interests in military satellite communications. A key outcome of the visit was the signing of a letter of intent to reinforce bilateral cooperation, particularly in defending NATO’s eastern flank. Luxembourg, through its expertise and assets in satellite communications, will continue to provide critical capacity to Lithuania, a contribution Defence Minister Yuriko Backes described as a “real added value” during a joint press conference with Minister Kaunas.
Minister Backes emphasised Luxembourg’s achievements in this domain, noting the full capacity of the GovSat 1 satellite and the upcoming GovSat 2, which is currently under construction following approval by the Chamber of Deputies. She also highlighted LUXEOSys, a system designed for satellite observation, which has generated considerable interest from Lithuania.
Since 2018, the Luxembourg Army has maintained a presence in Lithuania as part of NATO’s collective defence efforts, currently with seven soldiers deployed. Their work primarily focuses on satellite communications and logistics. Unlike in Romania, there are currently no plans to increase Luxembourg’s military presence at NATO’s Rukla base, Minister Backes clarified in response to questions. Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, both Luxembourg and Lithuania agree on the need for continued investment in defence.
“Ukraine is not just defending itself but all of Europe, especially the eastern flank of Europe and NATO”, Kaunas stated. He underscored Lithuania’s strong commitment, including an annual contribution of 0.25% of its GDP to Ukraine, amounting to over €1 billion since the beginning of the war.
Minister Kaunas further explained that Lithuania is prioritising the strengthening of counter-drone and air defence systems, for which satellite communications play a crucial role. He added that he sees no willingness on the part of the Russian President to negotiate, insisting that only a robustly armed force will be taken seriously by Moscow.
