Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Madam Minister, thank you for making time for us today; I imagine you have a busy schedule.
In our previous meetings we talked about NATO and about the world economic environment we find ourselves in, where countries across the board are reducing expenditures, certainly on defence. In the face of that challenge, I appreciated hearing from you your commitment to continue to support the mission in Afghanistan. Certainly, as Mr. Norlock said, that does not go unnoticed. You did expand a little on the role Lithuanian forces have played there, and that is appreciated.
You mentioned briefly the Chicago summit that you're on your way to. Many analysts see the Chicago summit as a defining moment for NATO, coming out of our successful missions in the last number of years. But as I said, many nations are undergoing significant budget cuts.
Going into the Chicago summit, what are Lithuania's objectives, and what do you hope to see accomplished and discussed at that conference?