On November 28-29 Chief of Defence of Hungary General Tibor Benkő will be conducting an official visit in Lithuania. The guests will meet with Vice Minister of National Defence Antanas Valys, Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lieutenant General Arvydas Pocius, other representatives of the Ministry of National Defence and the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
Lithuanian representatives and the Hungarian Chief of Defence will discuss perspectives of bilateral cooperation and points of relevance of NATO Baltic Air Policing mission which Hungary is considering joining in 2015.
Representatives of the Lithuanian Armed Forces will also brief the visiting General on the security situation in the region, major NATO's exercises in the Baltic Region, and the progress of transformation of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
General Benkő is also expected to stop by at the NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence and units of the Lithuanian Armed Forces while conducting the visit.
Defence cooperation of Lithuania and Hungary is developed on the basis of an agreement on bilateral contacts and defence cooperation signed in 1997.
Hungary had provided opportunities for Lithuanian troops to study languages as well as to attend military observers and other courses. Until 2004 Hungary was sharing experience with Lithuania in the areas of NATO negotiations, documentation, and reorganization of armed forces in line with NATO standards. In 2005 the Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytenis General Support Logistics Battalion Water Purification Unit conducted standby with the 4th NATO Response Force rotation along with a Hungarian logistic unit. This January Hungary's Minister of Defence Dr. Csaba Hende paid a visit to Lithuania.
POC - Spokesperson to the Chief of Defence of Lithuania Capt Skomantas Povilionis, phone no. 00370 682 25 359.
Photo: courtesy of nato.int
