Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland signed an agreement that provides for the free movement of military units and armaments among the three countries.

Called the “military Schengen Zone”, it has been a request of NATO for months and the first step was taken by the three countries.

The experience of full-scale war in Ukraine, the realization of how important it is to move allied troops quickly led to the signing of the agreement to facilitate the movement of troops from Poland, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

The three countries signed the Memorandum of Cooperation in Brussels on the sidelines of the European Defence Ministers’ Summit.

NATO’s goal is to expand the Schengen military zone across Europe.

We need a military Schengen to move military personnel and materiel more quickly and efficiently. This will make Europe stronger. We took an important step: Poland, Germany and the Netherlands signed a declaration to achieve a military corridor.

— Kajsa Ollongren (@DefensieMin) January 31, 2024

The aim is to reinforce the eastern wing with personnel and equipment from the North Sea ports.

The ambassador of the Netherlands in Poland, Daphne Bergsma, emphasized that this is the next step for integration, and with the growing geopolitical challenges, it has become even more important to have rapid military mobility and smooth transportation.

PStS’in Möller hat gemeinsam mit der 🇳🇱 @DefensieMin & dem 🇵🇱 @KosiniakKamysz eine Erklärung zur Einrichtung eines 1. militärischen Transitkorridors gezeichnet. Dies ist ein sichtbares Zeichen der Entschlossenheit der 3 Partnernationen & ein neues Level für #MilitaryMobility. pic.twitter.com/FB6PfmjTMc

— Verteidigungsministerium (@BMVg_Bundeswehr) January 30, 2024

According to her, this is called a “harmonized military corridor”. The agreement among the three countries provides for the creation of a military transport corridor, which will allow troops and equipment to move more easily.

It will be a mechanism that allows fast and efficient transfer of forces, material, equipment, and ammunition.

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