On June 3 Chief of Defence of the Republic of Moldova General Vitalie Micov was formally received on his first visit to Lithuania. At a bilateral meeting with Chief of Defence of Lithuania General Raimundas Vaikšnoras he discussed the security situation in both regions, progress made on modernization of the Moldovan Armed Forces in line with NATO standards, and support of the Lithuanian Armed Forces in education and training of civilian and military personnel through arrangement of expert meetings and experience in agreed formats of cooperation.
“Moldova is our strategic partner in preserving peace in Eastern Europe. A shared understating of threat, the mounting need to respond to the threats and military cooperation – these are the bonds that connect the Lithuanian and the Moldovan Armed Forces. I am certain that our partnership has already become the friendship of nations and will enable us to join forces to ensure security in the region,” General R. Vaikšnoras said after the meeting.
Senior Enlisted Leaders Sergeant Major Darius Masiulis and Sergeant Major Andrei Cojocaru also addressed together their areas of responsibility.
The Lithuanian Armed Forces is conducting training in approved training programs for own and foreign military personnel, which are also attended by troops of Moldova. Officers of Moldova are receiving education at the Baltic Defence College and the quota of Moldovan students is planned to be further increased in support of Moldova’s career military personnel education reform.
This year, Commanders of the Lithuanian Great Hetman Jonas Karolis Chodkevičius Infantry Brigade Griffin and the Lithuanian Grand Duke Kęstutis Infantry Battalion visited Moldova in April. Constructive cooperation is prepared for and discussed by conducting planning and execution of joint military exercise of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Kęstutis Infantry Battalion and the 31st Brigade of the National Army of Moldova. The Strategic Communication Department of the Lithuanian Armed Forces is also sharing experience with the Moldovan colleagues in the area of identifying and recording disinformation and spreading their message in Russian-speaking communities.
Through the course of the visit Chief of Defence General V. Micov will also visit the Military Police and meet with Chief of Military Police Lieutenant Colonel Raimondas Ivanauskas, pay a visit to the Brigadier General Kazys Veverskis Training Area to meet with the Moldovan military personnel training in different programmes taught at the Lithuanian Armed Forces and attend an introduction of a First Person View (FPV) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operator Course. The Lithuanian Armed Forces has a scheduled transfer of UAVs for the Armed Forces of Moldova to be completed by the end of the year and will dedicated instructors to run a training for future equipment operators.
Photo credits: Lithuanian Armed Forces
