On March 4-5 Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces General Mieczysław Gocuł arrived in Lithuania on a formal visit and discussed points of defence cooperation and security situation in the region with Chief of Defence of Lithuania Major General Jonas Vytautas Žukas and Vice Minister of National Defence Marijus Velička.
At the meeting the Polish and Lithuanian Chiefs of Defence discussed the Lithuanian Armed Forces and perspectives of its development, information security threats, the NATO Force Integration Units (NFIUs) to be established in their respective countries, the rotating allied units of ground forces training in Lithuania, the countries' contribution to the NATO Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) being formed, development of trilateral Brigade LITPOLUKRBRIG and further assistance to Ukraine, and military exercises scheduled in Lithuania and Poland in 2015.
During the visit General Gocuł also met with Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius and made a visit to the NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence in Vilnius.
Defence cooperation between Lithuania and Poland
Defence cooperation with Poland is vital for both, security of Lithuania and the region. Lithuania has been developing intense relations with Poland in defence area since 1993.
Poland is one of the most active participants of the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission in NATO. Currently Poland is conducting the mission for the sixth time - Polish soldiers are reinforcing the Italian air contingent with four MiG-29s from early January. Prior to that Poland was the lead nation of the May-August 2014 rotation of the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission.
Lithuania and Poland also cooperate actively through sending troops to train in international military exercises held in each other's' territories. Special operations forces of Lithuania and Poland collaborate particularly intensely.
The Lithuanian and the Polish Armed Forces are performing constant cooperation between staffs, military training institutions and military units of various levels.
The countries also work together in the area of acquisitions. Last year the Polish Armed Forces mediated for the Lithuanian Armed Forces in acquisition of the GROM from a Polish manufacturer.
Lithuania and Poland are continuing the process of establishing the joint Lithuanian, Polish and Ukrainian Brigade LITPOLUKRBRIG launched in 2009. It is planned that once the project is completed LITPOLUKRBRIG will become an important tool of regional defence cooperation. It will be worked to have the brigade training as one military unit as soon as possible.
Lithuania has been involved in the activities of the NATO Multinational Corps Northeast (MNCNE) based in Poland. The Lithuanian Armed Forces are planned to increase its participation in the MNCNE HQ in Lublin to 10 representatives.
Spokesperson to the Chief of Defence of Lithuania Captain Mindaugas Neimontas, office phone no. 00370 5 278 5091, mobile phone no. 00370 682 25359, email mindaugas.neimontas@mil.lt
Photo credits: Giedrė Maksimovicz
Video report (author: Lukas Kalvaitis) at MoD Youtube channel:
Official welcome ceremony in Vilnius: http://bit.ly/1BU7SsK
Press conference of Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces General Mieczysław Gocuł: http://bit.ly/1DPD875
