On January 30 Chief of Defence o Lithuania Lieutenant General Arvydas Pocius met with Ambassador of the Order of Malta, Baron Christian von Bechtolsheim, on a visit in Lithuania. The guests presented to Lt Gen A.Pocius a letter of commendation for the Lithuanian Armed Forces for the collaboration and assistance during the annual charitable campaign which aims at bringing to public attention the most vulnerable and impoverished in the society or disadvantaged elderly people in need of help.
"The Lithuanian Armed Forces is a part of the society sensitive to the issues of the needy, therefore we seek to contribute as much as possible to the efforts of arranging these crucial public events each year," Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lt Gen A. Pocius said.
Lithuanian military personnel contribute annually to the fundraising campaign "Maltese Soup" organised by the Order of Malta's Lithuanian volunteers corps "Maltos Ordino Pagalbos Tarnyba" in villages and towns across Lithuania. They put out tents for charity organisers across Lithuanian towns, provide thermos vessels, and often help not only preparing but also distributing the soup.
The Order of Malta is the oldest humanitarian assistance organisation in the world established in Jerusalem over 900 years ago. Currently the Order is operating in 120 countries to deliver assistance. More than 80 thousand volunteers worldwide are supporting 5 m of the needy and the sick, victims of war or natural disasters. The "Maltos Ordino Pagalbos Tarnyba" has been operating in Lithuania since October 1991.
Photo by Alfredas Pliadis
