On February 3-5 two arms control experts of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and counterparts from Hungary and Italy will be conducting area inspection in Georgia. The visit will be conducted under the Vienna Document 1999 signed among OSCE countries.
On the basis of the Vienna Document 1999 every member of OSCE has the right to arrange inspections in territory of any other OSCE member. Initiator of and inspection is required to indicate the area of the intended revision. Particular area refers to a location were military activities requiring advance notification are staged. The country that organises inspection may invite other OSCE members to join the activity.
The Vienna Document 1999 binds OSCE states to annually provide information about their armed forces, plans of developing defence capabilities, and defence budget, and notify in advance about planned military activity. Parties to the agreement also commit to accept a set number of inspections from other countries in their territory per year.
Lithuanian arms control inspectors conducted evaluation visit in Kazakhstan with Italian inspection group in the end of January 2010 under the Document.
