"At the upcoming Madrid summit, we expect major decisions that will bolster the defenses of NATO's eastern flank," Anusauskas told reporters. "I believe this is our common interest, and we should pursue common goals together."
"The eFP force should be increased to brigade size, and we expect support from Norway," he said.
At the Madrid summit in June, Lithuania expects NATO to review its eastern flank defense plans and commit to transforming the enhanced forward presence battalions in the Baltic countries and Poland into brigades.
Anusauskas thanked Norway for its contribution to Lithuania's security and for the additional military personnel sent to the country in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in late February.
Around 200 Norwegian troops are currently stationed in Rukla, in central Lithuania, as part of NATO's multinational battalion.
Gram, who took office as Norway's defense minister last month, said that Lithuania is a good host country.
"Norway and Lithuania have a good long-standing relationship, [...] and it's even more important in these circumstances that we are experiencing in Europe now," he told reporters in Vilnius.
According to Gram, the contribution to the multinational NATO battalion is very important for Norway as well. as it helps ensure regional stability and predictability.
"It's currently our largest deployment abroad," he said.