Memorial plaque with Merz quote unveiled in Vilnius

Words spoken by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz about the common security interests of Germany and its NATO partners have been immortalized on the wall of the historic city hall in Lithuania's capital Vilnius.

During a festive ceremony on Monday, a commemorative plaque was unveiled with the inscription "The security of Lithuania is our security. The protection of Vilnius is the protection of Berlin."

The quote comes from a speech Merz gave at the roll call of the German Armed Forces brigade stationed in Lithuania in May.

"These words are so important to the residents of Vilnius that we decided to place them on the wall of the town hall," Mayor Valdas Benkunskas said at the unveiling of the plaque on the west side of the city hall facing a street the name of which translates as German Street.

German Ambassador Cornelius Zimmermann and the commander of the 45th Panzer Brigade, General Christoph Huber, also attended the ceremony.

"The plaque stands for something very serious and for why we are here. Ultimately, it is to defend our shared freedom," Huber told dpa.

This shows great appreciation of Germany, he said, but also that expectations are high of Germany as one of the leading nations in Europe and NATO. The German government has agreed to permanently station a combat-ready unit in Lithuania as a deterrent on NATO's eastern flank and because of the threat posed by Russia. The total strength is expected to eventually comprise around 4,800 soldiers and around 200 civilian employees of the Bundeswehr.

Lithuania borders Russia's Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad and Russia's ally Belarus. "The area of freedom, human rights and democracy ends just 35 kilometres from here," said Mayor Benkunskas.