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B9 defence ministers to discuss regional security in Warsaw

26.04.2023 11:30
Defence ministers from nine countries on the eastern edge of NATO are set to gather in Warsaw on Wednesday to discuss security in the region amid Russia's war against Ukraine, officials have said.
Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak
Polish Defence Minister Mariusz BłaszczakPhoto: PAP/Paweł Supernak

The talks in the Polish capital by the Bucharest Nine (B9) group of NATO allies are expected to focus on efforts to strengthen the eastern flank of the Western military alliance in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Meeting participants will also discuss further military assistance to Ukraine and preparations for NATO's July summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.

Poland's Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak and his Romanian counterpart Angel Tîlvăr will co-chair the meeting, which is scheduled to begin at Warsaw's Royal Łazienki park at noon.

The Bucharest Nine (B9) is a Polish-Romanian initiative launched in 2015 that aims to help exchange views and coordinate positions on the security of NATO’s eastern-flank countries.

It brings together Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, and Slovakia.

In February, US President Joe Biden told a summit of B9 leaders in Warsaw that Article 5 of the alliance's collective defence treaty "is a sacred commitment” and that America "will defend literally every inch of NATO."

Biden was speaking in the Polish capital ahead of the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine.

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Source: IAR, PAP