On October 9 through 11 Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lieutenant General Arvydas Pocius is conducting a formal visit in Norway and a meeting with Chief of Defence of Norway General Harald Sunde in Oslo. At the meeting Lt Gen A. Pocius discussed with his Norwegian counterpart the initiatives and priorities of Nordic-Baltic cooperation, bilateral Lithuanian-Norwegian defence cooperation, and opportunities of cooperation in military training and education.
In the meetings with representatives of the Norwegian Armed Forces Lithuanian Chief of Defence will take interest in the protection of objects of Norway's critical infrastructure at peacetime and in case of a crisis. They are also expected to discuss opportunities of acquiring military equipment and weaponry and training Lithuania's naval personnel in military training institutions in Norway.
Lithuania and Norway are connected by close bilateral military ties in the areas of defence policy planning and joint projects. Lithuania seeks to retain and intensify cooperation with Norway in military and security-related areas as both countries have a shared understanding of transatlantic relations, political and security issues. Both states are also bound by NATO partnership, participation in common international forums, as well as geographical proximity. Over the last decade several tens of Lithuanian land, air, naval, air and special operations forces personnel and logistics specialists participate annually in military training events and exercises in Norway.
In 1994 Norway handed over to Lithuania on non-reimbursable basis AD-STORM coastal protection vessel Dzūkas P31, the donation was followed by a 40 mm anti-aircraft gun in 1998. In 2001 the Lithuanian Armed Forces procured two more vessels of AD-STORM class on instalment basis. In 2004 an agreement was signed regarding handover of Norway's short range air defence systems RBS-70 to Lithuania. In April 2006 Lithuania bought a Vidar class mine countermeasures vessel from Norway and provided training for the crew. In January 2012 Lithuania acquired from Norway heavy machine guns Browning M2 QCB.
Photo by Giedrė Maksimovicz (MOD archive)
