Edvard Lukas, reporter of the British magazine The Economist to the Central and Eastern Europe anticipates that next year NATO will most likely pay attention to the North, where two issues shall be addressed - to find a way for supporting the Baltic States, and to elaborate a plan of actions with regards to the rich territory in resources between Europe and the North Pole.

As reported by Delfi.lt, the British observer noted that irrespective of the fact that NATO was not intending to draft a specific plan for defending the Baltic States so far, current approach on the situation in the North is changing. Lukas predicts the expansion of relations between Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and the NorthStates, because in the face of crisis support to the Baltic States would be extended from the airspace of Sweden. However, Sweden as Finland follows the policy of nonalignment in international relations.

Nonetheless, political scientist Mindaugas Jurkinas is of the opinion that cooperation between the Baltic and the NorthStates may just supplement the security, which is provided for Lithuania by the Alliance. In as far as Lithuania keeps to the position that its security is guaranteed by the fifth article of the Washington Treaty, which stipulates for a collective defence - in the case of aggression towards one of the members to the NATO it shall be defended by the entire Alliance.

Material has been prepared by the Centre of Geopolitical Research with reference to the article from “DELFI.Lv“ of 17 December 2008.

For effective complex defence of Latvia, the establishment of a permanent division of the National Armed Forces has started in Latgale, reported the official website of the Ministry of Defence.

On 13 January a concert "Together to the victory" was held in Lithuania, where the audience decided to support Ukraine's defence and donated 110 thousand Euros.

Alexander Lukashenko on 9 January signed a decree № 8 "On the establishment of visa-free entry and exit of foreign nationals." The document establishes visa-free entry to Belarus for a period not exceeding 5 days at the entrance through the checkpoint "National Airport Minsk" for citizens of 80 countries, - reported the press service of the President of Belarus.