On November 28 Chief of the Defence Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Lieutenant General Remigijus Baltrėnas visited the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command and met with Chief of Staff Major General Maciej Klisz. Lt Gen R. Baltrėnas and his colleague discussed the security situation in the region, Lithuanian-Polish defence cooperation, exercises and defence planning. They also addressed security in the Baltic Sea region and reviewed different aspects of the war in Ukraine.
Defence cooperation with Poland is critical for the security of Lithuania and the region, the two countries closely cooperate in the area of defence since 1993. Since 2003 Lithuania contributes to the activities of the Multinational Corps Northeast (MNC NE) which was deployed to Afghanistan twice. Poland is also one of the most active participants of the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states, its fighter aircraft first landed in the Šiauliai Airbase in 2005. Lithuania and Poland work side by side on NATO defence plans, development of Article 5 capabilities and scheduling of NATO exercises in the region.
Lt Gen R. Baltrėnas also met with Ambassador of Lithuania to the Republic of Poland Valdemaras Sarapinas and laid flowers in the Praga district of Warsaw in commemoration of the Battle of Praga, the last battle of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania against the army of the Russian Empire let by Lieutenant General Jakub Jasiński 230 years ago.
Photo credits: Defence Staff
