VILNIUS, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The German 45th Armored Brigade "Lietuva" was officially inaugurated on Thursday afternoon in Lithuania, marking the first permanent deployment of a full German military brigade outside national borders since World War II.

The ceremony was attended by high-ranking officials, including Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Lithuania's Minister of National Defence Dovile Sakaliene, and German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.

Nearly 1,000 troops participated in the event, including Germany's armored division and the tank battalion, NATO's enhanced Forward Presence battlegroup, and the Lithuanian Armed Forces.

According to a press release from the Lithuanian presidential office, this marks Merz's first visit to the Baltic region as chancellor.

At a joint press conference with President Nauseda, Merz emphasized Germany's commitment to NATO's eastern flank, saying that by deploying the brigade in Lithuania, his country was taking the defense of NATO's eastern flank into its own hands. "The security of our allies in the Baltic states is also our security, and we firmly support our partners in the Baltic states," he said.

This deployment follows Germany's 2023 decision to station a full combat brigade in Lithuania. Currently, 500 German troops are deployed in Lithuania. The full employment, comprising approximately 5,000 soldiers and civilian personnel, as well as necessary equipment and supplies, is expected to be completed by 2027.