April 7-9, Chief of Defence of Lithuania Maj. Gen. Arvydas Pocius met with the Chief of Defence of Denmark Lt. Gen. Knud Bartels, Commander of the Danish Division Agnus Rokos, staff officers of the Danish Division, Lithuanian soldiers serving in the Division during an official visit to Denmark.
In the bilateral format CHODs of Lithuania and Denmark discussed points of bilateral military cooperation realized via participation in the international operation in Afghanistan, the training Denmark provides for Lithuanian soldiers, duty of the trilateral Baltic Battalion affiliated to the Danish Division in the 14th rotation of the NATO Response Force. The meeting military leaders of defence also exchanged views on the ongoing NATO reform and the currently developed NATO's Strategic Concept.
Lithuanian and Danish Chief of Defence agreed to continue Denmark-assisted training of tactical air assault control parties of the Lithuanian Armed Forces commenced in 2006. Air assault control specialists (Lithuanian Armed Forces) successfully performed duty in Helmand province, Afghanistan, in composition of a Danish Combat Unit several years ago.
During the visit Maj. Gen. A.Pocius also toured Danish Division Headquarters in Skrydstrup, Signal Battalion and Electronic Warfare Company of the Danish Division, were he familiarized with capacities and tasks of the divisions.
„Denmark is strategic Lithuania's partner, we have learned a lot and received a lot of support from military forces of that country, and joint military operations led by Danish and Lithuanian officers alike reveal great interoperability results of both countries' armed forces," Maj. Gen. A.Pocius said.
Lithuanian CHOD also visited Embassy of Lithuania in Copenhagen and awarded state level decorations to two citizens of Denmark - the Cross of Officer of the Order of Merits to Lithuania to Peter Michael Nielsen, supporter of Lithuanian-Danish Relations in security and defence, and Ole Bierring, supporter of Lithuania's international recognition, for their merits to Lithuania and proclamation of the name of Lithuania in the world. The awards to the citizens of Denmark were presented by Decree of the President of Lithuania.
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Denmark and Lithuania have been developing military cooperation since signing a bilateral agreement between the Lithuanian and Danish Defence Ministries in 1994.
More than a thousand of members of the Lithuanian Armed Forces were trained since 1994 when Lithuania started contributing troops to peacekeeping operations with the help of the Danish Armed Forces for participation in the missions in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Iraq in composition of Danish contingents.
Denmark supports training of Lithuanian soldiers on a steady basis, troops of both countries constantly conduct joint exercises both in Denmark and Lithuania.
In 2006 Motorised Infantry Brigade „Iron Wolf" of the Lithuanian Armed Forces was affiliated to the Danish Division by a Memorandum of Understanding endorsed by Danish and Lithuanian Chiefs of Defence. The affiliation allows joint work of Lithuanian and Danish officers in international staffs, and joint exercises and training to ensure interoperability of Lithuania's and Denmark's military units - the ability to act jointly in a wide range of international operations. In its turn, Denmark is a partner of the Great Britain-led Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) which allows Lithuania to enter training events and exercise of the elite corps in composition of the Danish Division.
Danish Advisory and Training Staff hold consultations for staffs of Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian Land Forces on NATO procedures on a steady basis.
This year the Lithuanian Armed Forces concluded the process of procurement project by which it acquired three „Standarflex" 300 class patrol ships from Denmark.
PR Officer of the Chief of Defence of Lithuania Capt. Tomas Balkus, phone 00370 5 278 5091, cell phone 00370 682 25 359.
Pictures (Royal Danish Armed Forces and Embassy of Lithuania in Denmark):
(from left to right) Chief of Defence of Denmark Lt. Gen. Knud Bartels, Chief of Defence of Lithuania Maj. Gen. A. Pocius and Commander of the Danish Division Maj. Gen. Agnus Rokos.
Maj. Gen. A.Pocius visited Danish Division Headquarters in Skrydstrup, Signal Battalion and Electronic Warfare Company of the Danish Division, were he familiarized with capacities and tasks of the divisions.
Lithuanian CHOD awarded state level decorations to two citizens of Denmark - the Cross of Officer of the Order of Merits to Lithuania to Peter Michael Nielsen, supporter of Lithuanian-Danish Relations in security and defence, and Ole Bierring, supporter of Lithuania's international recognition, for their merits to Lithuania and proclamation of the name of Lithuania in the world.
