On January 22 Chief of the Defence Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Major General Vitalijus Vaikšnoras left for Belgium and the Kingdom of the Netherlands on a visit to NATO Headquarters in the countries. He will discuss defence with the strategic and the operational headquarters' leadership and meet with Lithuanian officers serving there.
General will with Chief of Staff General Markus Kneip at the Supreme Allied Command Powers Europe (SHAPE) and Commander General Riccardo Marchio at the NATO Joint force Command Brunssum (JFC BS).
The Supreme Allied Command Powers Europe based in Mons (Belgium) is in charge of planning and execution of allied military operations while seeking political aims of the Alliance. The strategic command leads two operational commands - in Brunssum and in Naples, and four tactical commands - in Ramstein (Air), Izmir (Land), Northwood (Sea), and Stuttgart (Special Operations).
The NATO Joint force Command Brunssum (Kingdom of the Netherlands) is an operational NATO HQ ensuring operational command and control for the NATO Response Force within its area of responsibility. The Joint Task Force Headquarters, generated on the basis of demand, rotates annually between the commands in Brunssum and Naples. Additionally, the NATO Joint force Command Brunssum is responsible for leading the NATO mission in Afghanistan, the Resolute Support Mission.
Supreme Allied Command Powers Europe: https://shape.nato.int/
NATO Joint force Command Brunssum: https://jfcbs.nato.int/
PAO, Defence Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Maj Tomas Balkus
+370 5 219 6401, +370 686 28035, tomas.balkus@mil.lt
