"We have agreed that is very important, concerning not only allies but also neighbours, to strengthen military cooperation and interaction in the present security situation," Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lieutenant General Jonas Vytautas Žukas stressed after a formal meeting with his Polish counterpart General Leszek Surawski at the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces in Warsaw on June 21. Lt Gen J.V.Žukas also met with Operational Commander of the Polish Armed Forces Lieutenant General Sławomir Wojciechowski and representatives from departments of the General Staff.
The meetings addressed regional security and bilateral and multilateral military cooperation. Other topics of conversation were the implementation of the NATO deterrence measures in the region, development of the trilateral Lithuanian, Polish and Ukrainian brigade, provision of security in the region, deployments to multinational operations and joint military exercises, especially concerning defence of the Suwalki Corridor.
Lithuanian and Polish Chiefs of Defence recognised mutual practical benefit and agreed to further develop cooperation between n the Lithuanian Armed Forces Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf and the 15th Mechanised Brigade of the Polish Armed Forces based in Giżycko.
During the visit Lt Gen J. V. Žukas honoured fallen Polish soldiers by laying a flower tribute at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Memorial in Jozef Pilsudski Square in Warsaw.
Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lieutenant General Jonas Vytautas Žukas was conducting a formal visit to Poland on June 20-21 at the invitation of Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces General Leszek Surawski.
Lithuania and Poland have been cooperating actively since 1993. The countries cooperate by deploying soldiers to NATO operations and international exercises in each other's territories, developing a joint trilateral Brigade LITPOLUKRBRIG with Ukraine, there is also continuously ongoing cooperation among headquarters of various levels, military education institutions, and military units. The countries also cooperate in military procurement. Poland also has deployed seven rotation of the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states so far.
Photo credit: Piotr Ziętka ir Sławomir Ratyński (Polish Armed Forces)
Spokesperson for the Chief of Defence of Lithuania Maj Mindaugas Neimontas
+370 5 278 5091, +370 682 25359, mindaugas.neimontas@mil.lt
