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Eight EU countries agree to create zone for rapid troop deployment across borders

According to the statement, Belgium, Germany, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic are participating in the project

THE HAGUE, November 19. /TASS/. Eight EU countries signed a declaration of intent in Brussels, officially establishing the Central Northern European Military Mobility Area (CNE MMA), a regional association designed to simplify and speed up the movement of troops and military equipment across borders within the EU, the Dutch Defense Ministry said in a statement.

According to it, Belgium, Germany, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic are participating in the project. The initiative was launched on the basis of the so-called "military mobility corridor" created in January 2024 by the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland.

The ministry noted within the framework of the CNE MMA, the countries agreed to "simplify and harmonize" military transport procedures, improve infrastructure, and expand information exchange. "This is an important step forward, but the work is far from complete. Further harmonization should lead to the emergence of a kind of ‘military Schengen'," Lieutenant Colonel Harold Hummel, a Dutch military mobility staff officer, said.

According to the Defense Ministry, EU countries view the CNE MMA "as a model for future regional initiatives and a potential contribution to the creation of a pan-European military mobility area.".

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