On June 19 Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lieutenant General Jonas Vytautas Žukas was on a formal visit in Germany, he met with Chief of Staff of the Bundeswehr General Volker Wieker and members of the German Military Association.
Lithuanian and German Chiefs of Defence discussed aspects of service in the NATO enhanced forward Presence Battalion Battle Group in Lithuania and of using it in case of a military conflict.
"General V. Wieker assured me that Germany will continue assigning capabilities to this unit and will keep leading it. He also informed me of Germany's plans to contribute to the development of infrastructure the battle group needed in Rukla," Lithuanian Chief of Defence said after the meeting. According to him, Germany highly appreciated the efforts of the Lithuanian Armed Forces to render host nation support to its soldiers deployed in Lithuania, providing conditions for military training and goodwill in solving the challenges of their service in Lithuania.
Among other topics addressed were the joint procurement projects with the Federal Ministry of Defence by which infantry fighting vehicles and self-propelled artillery systems are acquired to modernise the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
Generals also talked about the prospects of developing cooperation between the two countries' armies and navies, reviewed joint participation in the European Union Naval Force - Operation SOPHIA in the Mediterranean and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali - Operation MINUSMA.
Spokesperson for the Chief of Defence of Lithuania Major Mindaugas Neimontas
Tel. (00370 5) 278 5091, mob. 00370 682 25359, e-mail: mindaugas.neimontas@mil.lt
Photos courtesy of the Bundeswehr
