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On November 23 the 95th anniversary of the re-established Lithuanian Armed Forces was marked in Vilnius by a military parade of personnel and equipment in the Cathedral Square and a march down the Gediminas Avenue in Vilnius. Celebration in Vilnius was the culmination of a spectrum of commemorative events across Lithuania.
The celebratory formation and parade in Vilnius included over 500 military representing all the services - land, air, naval and special operations, and also a flag group of the Pennsylvania National Guard (PNG) celebrating its 20th anniversary of cooperation with the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
A minute of silence was observed in the Cathedral Square to honour the victims of the recent tragedy in Latvia as well as the members of the re-established Lithuanian Armed Forces who died in tragic circumstances.
During the ceremony President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė presented the Cross of Commander of the Order for Merits to Lithuania to Chief of Defence of Latvia Lieutenant General Raimonds Graube.
The President of Lithuania, Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas and Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lieutenant General Arvydas Pocius congratulated Lithuanian military in the event attended by top-ranking officials of Lithuania, foreign ambassadors, defence attaches, leadership of the PNG, Lithuania's Ministry of National Defence and the Lithuanian Armed Forces, and the general audience.
To date the Lithuanian Armed Forces are approximately 15,000-strong.
Photo by Alfredas Pliadis
