The Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Force will sign the annual cooperation agreement with corresponding defence structures of the other Baltic States on its 25th anniversary on January 17. This year the agreement provides for an intensified combat training of Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian volunteer forces and for "partnering" territorial defence units.
The Baltic volunteer forces cooperation agreement lays out cooperation of the Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian volunteer forces in 2016 in the areas of combat training, sports and cultural activities.
The cooperation agreement 2016 is signed by Commander Lithuanian NDVF Colonel Arturas Jasinskas, Commander of the Estonian Defence League (Kaitseliit) Brigadier General Meelis Kiili, and Commander of the Latvian National Guard (Zemessardze) Brigadier General Leonids Kalninš.
According to the agreement, Territorial Units of the NDVF and corresponding units of Latvian and Estonian territorial defence forces are planned to swap platoon-sized infantry units for field training and command post exercises. Such plan is by tradition signed annually on the 17th of January, the anniversary of the establishment of the National Defence Volunteer Force.
The Baltic Volunteer Forces Cooperation Plan was signed on January 17 at 3 p.m. at the Stained Glass Gallery of the Parliament amongst other events of the 25th anniversary of the NDVF after the commemoration in the Independence Square.
On a rotational basis, each September one of the Baltic States hosts staff consultations where chiefs of staffs of the Baltic States' volunteer forces discuss combat training, sports and cultural cooperation for the following year.
During the meeting in Riga in 2015, NDVF Chief of Staff Lieutenant Colonel Darius Vaicikauskas proposed increasing the number of joint events and "partnering" NDVF Territorial Units with corresponding units of Estonia's Kaitseliit and Latvia's Zemessardze for joint combat training exercises. The proposal was approved and the Viru Territorial Units of the Estonian Defence League partnered with the 1st Territorial Unit of the NDVF while the Military District of Tallinn partnered with the 8th Territorial Unit of the NDVF as of the beginning of 2016.
The 55th Battalion of the 2nd Military District of Latvia's Zemessardze was partnered with the 2nd Territorial Unit of the National Defence Volunteer Force, and correspondingly: the 25th Battalion of the same Latvian unit - with the 5th NDVF Territorial Unit, the 44th Battalion of the 3rd Military District - with the 3rd Territorial Unit, and the 51st Battalion of the 3rd Military District - with the 6th Territorial Unit.
Commanders of the partnered units established contacts, paid visits to each other, familiarised with organisations, tasks, logistical provision and other activities of the units, and discussed opportunities for cooperation. Infantry squads from the 2nd and the 6th NDVF Territorial Units took part in the exercise of the 51st and the 55th Battalions in Latvia while Latvia's infantry squads attended similar exercise in Lithuania.
Credit:Julija Martinaitienė.
