On July 10-11 Chief of Defence of Georgia Colonel Irakli Dzneladze is conducting a visit in Lithuania. The guest has met with Vice Minister of National Defence Marijus Velička and Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lieutenant General Arvydas Pocius with whom further cooperation in multinational operations has been discussed.
At the meeting Lithuanian and Georgian Chiefs of Defence exchanged their experience of the reform of the national armed forces. The Lithuanian Chief of Defence presented organisation of the active reserve of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, the activities of the NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence (NATO ENSEC COE) in Vilnius, participation of Lithuanian and Georgian military in the operation in Afghanistan and the possibilities of continuing the contribution after 2014 when the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) operation in Afghanistan is over.
The Lithuanian Chief of Defence extended gratitude for the service of Georgia's military medical personnel at the base of the Lithuanian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team of Ghor province, Afghanistan, and pointed out the professional and immediate response the Georgian military medics had provided in saving the health of the Lithuanian soldiers injured in action this spring.
"Over a decade of close defence cooperation between Lithuania and Georgia covers numerous areas - from military training and joint exercises to contributions to multinational operations. The cooperation between our countries is beneficial to our national armed forces, therefore we are interested to continue it in the future", Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lt Gen A.Pocius.
Lithuania and Georgia have been developing defence cooperation since approving the first agreement on cooperation in defence area in 2001. Lithuania extends political and practical support to Georgia's European integration aspirations, i.e. Lithuania renders assistance for Georgia's reform of the national armed forces and defence system and the enhancement of administrative capability of the country's defence sector.
Since 2010 Lithuania and Latvia have been running the Public Relations Team of NATO-Georgia Professional Development Programme (PDP). The Ministry of National Defence delegates specialists for training the Team on a regular basis.
Representatives of the Georgian Armed Forces are invited to attend international courses for officers and study the English language at the Lithuanian Military Academy, to study at international NCO instructors' courses at the Lithuanian Armed Forces School, to attend medical staff courses at the Military Medical Service, etc., Lithuania also provides financing for the studies of the Georgian officers at the Baltic Defence College in Tartu, Estonia.
From 2007 Georgia has been delegating military medics to serve in the Lithuanian-led Provincial Reconstruction Team of Ghor province, Afghanistan, a part of the NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
POC: Spokesperson to the Chief of Defence of Lithuania Capt Skomantas Povilionis, mobile phone 00370 682 25359
Photos by Alfredas Pliadis
