On January 26 Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lieutenant General Jonas Vytautas Žukas attended annual Nordic-Baltic Chiefs of Defence meeting in Helsinki (Finland). Estonian, Danish, Finnish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, and Swedish Chiefs of Defence and military representatives discussed topical points of regional security, mutual military cooperation projects, participation in NATO and EU military operations and preparedness for defence.
The meeting also addressed plans of Nordic Defence Cooperation (NORDEFCO) in 2016 and 2017, security situation and threats in the region, and readiness to host the NATO enhanced forward presence and readiness of the Nordic countries for defence of the Arctic region.
"The good news for us is that in order to contribute to a stronger security Finland and Sweden will consider training alongside NATO forward presence troops deployed here," Chief of Defence of Lithuania said after the meeting.
The Chiefs of Defence of Nordic and Baltic countries meet annually in one of the countries of the Nordic-Baltic format. The previous meeting last January was held in Estonia.
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Constructive defence cooperation between Nordic and Baltic countries has been developed since the foundation of the Baltic Security Assistance Forum (BALTSEA) in 1997. When the Lithuanian Armed Forces was re-established, the Scandinavian countries would provide support in upgrading equipment and training personnel. Quite a number of Lithuanian soldiers graduated from various qualification improvement courses in the Scandinavian countries. The Iron Wolf Brigade has been training as part of the Danish Division since its affiliation to the Danish unit in 2006. The Nordic countries are also supporting various trilateral Baltic defence cooperation projects.
Norway and Denmark deployed air personnel to the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic States; Lithuanian soldiers have been performing standbys for European Union Battle Groups together with troops from some of the Nordic and Baltic countries since 2010. In the second semester of this year a company of Birutė Uhlan Battalion will be on standby for the UK-led EU Battle Group together with troops from Finland, Ireland, Latvia and Sweden.
Spokesperson for the Chief of Defence Captain Mindaugas Neimontas, office phone no.:00370 5 278 5091, cell: 00370 682 25359, email: mindaugas.neimontas@mil.lt
Credit: Maj Toni Horila (Finnish Armed Forces)
