On September 28-29 Chief of Defence of Italy General Claudio Graziano is conducting a formal visit in Lithuania at the invitation of Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lieutenant General Jonas Vytautas Žukas. The formal welcome ceremony and official meetings will take place on 29 September.
General C. Graziano will meet with Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas, Chief of Defence Lieutenant General Jonas Vytautas Žukas, and representatives from the Ministry of National Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Joint Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
During the meetings Chief of Defence of Italy will be briefed on the security situation in our region, information threats, capabilities and readiness of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, contributions to multinational operations and exercises, and perspectives of defence capability development.
Particular attention will be paid to bilateral military cooperation and implementation of the NATO Readiness Action Plan: NATO exercises taking place in Lithuania, rotational ground forces of NATO allies deployed in Lithuania, activities of the NATO Force Integration Unit in Vilnius and contributions to the NATO Very High Readiness Joint Task Force.
Even though a considerable spatial distance separates Lithuania from Italy in geographical terms, armed forces of both countries differ greatly in sizes and equipment operated, and the countries face different security challenges, armed forces of both nations have already been developing cooperation of various types for over 15 years.
The greatest achievement of cooperation between Lithuania and Italy so far was the procurement of three C-27J Spartan aircraft from Italy's Alenia Aeronautica S.p.A for the Lithuanian Air Force in 2006-2009. The Italian Armed Forces is still contributing to improvement of qualification of the personnel ensuring maintenance of the aircraft and deepening their knowledge, and is helping the Lithuanian armed OFRces with training fighter operators.
An Italian Air Force Detachment with four Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets has been guarding the Baltic airspace for even 8 consecutive months this year (two consecutive rotations). Italy also contributes actively to the activities of the NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence in Vilnius. The country posted an officer to serve with the Energy Security Centre of Excellence and one more - to the NATO Force Integration Unit in Vilnius.
Lithuania assigned one officer to the operational headquarters in of EUNAVFOR MED, the new European Union-led operation in the Mediterranean, in Rome (Italy) as of this May 28. The main goal of the operation is to prevent human smuggling and trafficking in the Mediterranean and to limit down illegal immigration to Europe.
Italian Special Operations Forces Command deployed an element to take part in the Command Post Exercise Steadfast Jazz 2013 in Lithuania, and in 1999-2001 bilateral Italian-Lithuanian exercises were held with roughly 600-800 alpine riflemen taking part on Italy's behalf.
For the Media:
The welcome ceremony will take place in front of the Ministry of National Defence (Totorių str. 25) on 29 September at 9.00 a.m. (no interview opportunity).
Biography of the Chief of Defence of Italy (English) http://www.difesa.it/EN/SMD/CaSMD/Pagine/biografia.aspx
Spokesperson for the Chief of Defence of Lithuania Captain Mindaugas Neimontas
Office phone: 00370 5 278 5091, mobile phone: 00370 682 25359, email: mindaugas.neimontas@mil.lt
