Defence minister Yuriko Backes marked the occasion with a speech in which she referred to international events, such as the ongoing war in Ukraine, ahead of her trip to the Hague next week. Backes will be joined by Prime Minister Luc Frieden and foreign minister Xavier Bettel at the NATO summit, where all 31 members of the military alliance are likely to commit to investing 5% of their GDP in defence.
Backes said Luxembourg supported this goal, albeit with some nuance:
“The 5% contribution is no longer openly questioned. But for the majority of allies, and for us, this means hefty efforts are needed. We are not defending with percentage points, these are men and women, our forces and our capacity to achieve this. Luxembourg will not block any consensus but it is important to have the necessary flexibility in planning.”
After the ceremony, the armed forces marched through the centre of Diekirch. For the first time, they were accompanied by four so-called CLRV vehicles, which are set to gradually replace the Dingo as the army’s official vehicle.
