On January 21 Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lieutenant General Jonas Vytautas Žukas took part in a NATO Chiefs of Defence meeting in Brussels (Belgium) where the NATO Chiefs of Defence and the NATO strategic commanders agreed on future guidance for the Alliance with the ultimate goal of defining NATO adaptation to the changed global and European security and responding to security challenges.
"It is rejoicing that we can already appreciate the success of implemented decisions of the NATO Summit in Wales: NATO rapid response capabilities have been enhanced, Force Integration Units have been established in Lithuania and neighbouring countries, and constant NATO military presence in our country has been ensured. However, the present security situation calls for this work to be continued, our partnership to be deepened and assurance to be strengthened," the Chief of Defence said.
NATO is implementing its assurance and deterrence measures in Lithuania and other Eastern allies, including the NATO Air Policing Mission, maritime patrolling, rotating land presence, for some time past. According to Lt Gen J. V. Žukas, establishment of forward storage sites for allies' equipment and weaponry and activity of the NATO Force Integration Unit in Lithuania facilitates provision of host nation support to allied forces, improves conditions for combat training and arrangement daily activities.
The NATO Chiefs of Defence also centred on the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. According to General Petr Pavel, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Afghan National Security Forces demonstrated their resilience and ability to restore security and courage in countering insurgents throughout the country as they were facing numerous challenges in 2015. The Chiefs of Defence recommended to pursue the ongoing efforts in support of enhancing the performance of the Afghan security forces and underscored the importance of cooperation with partners.
A discussion with NATO's Mediterranean Dialogue Partners, Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia, dealt with the security situation in the region, assessment of the cooperation and Defence Capacity Building.
The Chiefs of Defence addressed matters of strategic importance ahead of the NATO Summit in Warsaw and also met with Chief of Defence Staff of Ukraine General of the Army Viktor Muzhenko for a discussion on Ukraine's prospective reforms and possible assistance from NATO allies.
***
The NATO Military Committee is the highest NATO structure of military command which reports to the North Atlantic Council, the Defence Planning Committee, and the Nuclear Planning Group. It adopts strategic military decisions and develops military advice to the North Atlantic Council in charge of taking decisions at political level.
The top level meetings of the NATO Military Committee are attended by the NATO Chiefs of Defence while day-to-day work is done my military representatives delegated by NATO allies. Brigadier General Gintautas Zenkevičius is Lithuania's Military Representative to NATO and the European Union.
The Military Committee meets at the level of Chiefs of Defence three times per year. Two of the sessions are held in Brussels and the third one is hosted by one of the NATO member states on a rotating basis.
PAO for the Joint Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Captain Donatas Suchockis, 00370 686 28035, email: donatas.suchockis@mil.lt
Photo: nato.int
