August 3, the Commander of JFC Gen. Egon Ramms paid a visit to the Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Lithuania.
During the visit, the dinstiguished guest met with the interim minister Vice-Minister of National Defence Rimas Jonaitis, Chief of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Arvydas Pocius, and other representatives of the Ministry and the Armed Forces. During the visits with the MoND authorities, Gen. Ramms discussed the issues on Alliance transformation, provisions for new NATO Strategic Concept and operation in Afganistan as well as NATO Baltic-air policing mission.
General Ramms agreed that the principle of collective defence shall remain the main component of the new NATO strategy. He also expressed his gratitude for Lithuania's contribution to the operation in Afganistan and supported Lithuania's plans to focus more on training of the Afgan Nacional Security Forces.
Gen. Ramms also visited the aviation base of the Lithuanian Air Force in Šiauliai where he met with Polish troops currently implementing NATO Baltic-air policing mission.
NATO Allied Joint Force Command is located in Brunssum (the Netherlands). It is one of the three NATO commands of operational level and is subordinate to NATO SHAPE in Mons (Belgium). The other two commands are situated in Naples (Italy) and Lisbon (Portugal). The Allied Joint Force Command in Brunssum is responsible for NATO ISAF operation in Afganistan.
Gen. E. Ramms has been in command since 2007.
For more information on gen. E. Ramms visit http://www.aco.nato.int/page18187830.aspx.
PR Officer to the Chief of Defence of Lithuania Capt. Tomas Balkus, phone no (00370 5) 278 5091, cell phone 00370 682 25 359
Photographs made by Giedrė Maksimovicz.
