NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence in focus at OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation meeting under United States Chairpersonship

VIENNA, 27 January 2021 — NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) and its role in European security was the focus of the OSCE’s Forum for Security Co-operation (FSC) meeting held online today under the Forum’s United States Chairpersonship.

The discussion on eFP was the first Security Dialogue organized by the US FSC Chairpersonship. eFP refers to NATO’s enhanced forward presence in Central Europe, which is composed of four multinational battlegroups in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.

“The United States scheduled this Security Dialogue to help address questions and concerns regarding the goals and character of eFP,” said Michael Murphy, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State of the United States for European and Eurasian Affairs, who spoke on behalf of the US FSC Chairpersonship. “I hope all participating States will leave this meeting with a better understanding of what eFP is and what it isn’t.” He stressed that these forces “threaten no nation, militarily or otherwise.”

During the discussion, five senior-level speakers addressed the representatives of the OSCE’s 57 participating States and explored the history, evolution, current status, and future plans for eFP. They also shared their views on eFP’s contributions to European security and its relationship to the Vienna Document. The aim of the discussion was to foster dialogue around eFP and to strengthen military transparency.

Providing an in-depth look at eFP from NATO’s perspective, Burcu San, Director for Operations in NATO’s Operations Division, opened the session by stressing that eFP demonstrates unity and solidarity among NATO countries and explained the history behind the presence. She also highlighted the defensive nature of eFP, noting that NATO fully respects its international commitments and supports efforts to build confidence and transparency on military activities.

Murphy elaborated on eFP and its broader contributions to security in Europe. He highlighted the US’s perspective on eFP and its purpose, as well as the country’s role, including as a leader of the eFP battlegroup in Poland. He also spoke about the broader US posture in Europe, which he said was designed to “enhance deterrence, reassure Allies, and improve US strategic and operational flexibility,” and the US’s perspectives on the importance of military transparency, including through the Vienna Document modernization. 

Turning to the presence on the ground, Colonel Guillaume Trohel from the French Ministry of Defense, presented France’s role in the eFP battlegroup in Estonia, which comprises Estonian forces and troops contributed by France, along with Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, and the United Kingdom. He outlined the battlegroup’s mission and how it functions, including its operating environment, as well as its approach to cooperation, co-ordination and training. He also emphasized open communication, which supports NATOs transparency.

Offering a host country viewpoint, Anna Tyszkiewicz, Deputy Director of the Security Policy Department in Poland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs, shared Poland’s experience hosting an eFP battlegroup and the country’s views on eFP more broadly. She said that Poland places importance on military transparency, and spoke about international verification activities related to eFP.

Lithuania’s perspective as an eFP battlegroup host country was also provided by Karolis Aleksa, Director for International Relations and Operations in Lithuania’s Ministry of Defense. He emphasized the battlegroup’s multinational composition and how Lithuanian forces work closely with the troops contributed by Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Norway. He also noted how the defense, public support and transparency aspects of eFP relate to security throughout Europe.