The chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff Admiral Michael G Mullen was in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, Wednesday at the end of a brief but highly symbolic visit, reported dpa. He had talks with President Valdas Adamkus less than a day after his eight-car motorcade cut a swathe through Riga's evening rush hour to drop him at Riga castle to see Latvian president Valdis Zatlers. Mullen's Baltic detour came immediately after the conclusion of talks in Helsinki where top military leaders from the United States and Russia met Tuesday for the first time since this summer's war between Russia and Georgia. That conflict caused unease in the Baltic states, which like Georgia used to be republics within the Soviet Union. The sight of a rampant Russian military rolling across the border into Georgia sparked fears that the Baltics might be next, despite their NATO membership. NATO secretary general Jaap de Hoop Scheffer paid a recent visit to the region during which he emphasised NATO's continued protection and Admiral Mullen's trip looks like it was designed to further bolster confidence. While in Vilnius Admiral Mullen also discussed the ongoing NATO Baltic air policing mission with Lithuanian armed forces commander Lieutenant General Valdas Tutkus. With no significant air forces of their own, the Baltic states rely on an arrangement whereby NATO members take it in turns sending planes to patrol the border with Russia and Belarus. Four US F-15s currently undertake the duty and are based at Zokniai in Lithuania. Tutkus emerged from the meeting to announce that Lithuania would next year increase the number of troops it has stationed in Afghanistan. Speaking after his meeting with Admiral Mullen, President Adamkus said: "Collective defence guarantees provided to each NATO member state are the backbone of our security. Being sure of the efficiency of collective defence, the Baltic countries can feel safe even in the face of a potential threat." Admiral Mullen described the US as a "reliable partner" of Lithuania.
