On November 24 through 26 Chairman of the European Union Military Committee General Claudio Graziano is conducting a visit to Lithuania at the invitation of Chief of Defence Lieutenant General Valdemaras Rupšys. Aside from the other scheduled events, leader of the top military EU body will visit the border area to get a personal impression of the situation on the border with Belarus.
The guests is also planned to have meetings with Speaker of the Parliament, members of the Committee on National Security and Defence, Minister of National Defence, Chief of Defence Lithuania. Gen Claudio Graziano and his delegation will visit the border area with Belarus to assess the situation and discuss the stance and potential assistance of the EU military wing.
At the meetings the topics of the EU-NATO partnership, protection of the external EU border with Belarus, progress on the German Strategic Compass initiative will be discussed at different levels. The discussion on EU training and advisory mission will cover the necessity and possibility for a EU training and mentoring mission in Ukraine.
This is the first visit of such kind the EUMC Chairman is conducting since his appointment to the duties in November 2018.
The EU Military Committee (French: Comité militaire) is the highest structure of military command in the EU. Composed of EU Chiefs of Defence, it leads EU military activity, primarily, the Common Security and Defence Policy military missions and operations planning and execution and development of military capacity. The EU Military Committee also forms military advice and recommendations to the EU Political and Security Committee which shapes the Common Security and Defence Policy. Chiefs of Defence of EU member states meet twice a year in Brussels.
Spokesperson for the Chief of Defence Capt Rūta Montvilė
+370 (5) 278 5091, +370 682 25359, ruta.montvile@mil.lt
