On November 27 two-day meeting of the Baltic Chiefs of Defence concluded in General Adolfas Ramanauskas Warfare Training Centre (Nemenčinė). It was attended by Lithuanian Chief of Defence Maj. Gen. Arvydas Pocius, Commander of the Latvian Armed Forces Maj. Gen. Juris Maklakovs and Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces Lt. Gen. Ants Laaneots.
The main attention during the meeting was dedicated for the matters of the Baltic defence cooperation. The Baltic CHODs addressed readiness of the BALTBAT for standby in NRF in the first half of 2010 as well as other possible modes of the unit's employment in the future. Top-ranking defence officers also discussed NATO's Baltic Air-policing mission, development and officer education at the Baltic Defence College, shared ideas about participation in international operations.
„We cooperate with the Baltic colleagues to implement many joint projects. One of them was the Baltic Battalion that could set great example for implementation of future trilateral projects. I am sure that defence cooperation in the Baltics will remain just as active the following year," said the Chief of Defence of Lithuania Maj. Gen. A. Pocius.
The CHODs also discussed the course of planning of the joint Baltic States', US Army Europe Headquarters', and NATO Response Force's host country support exercise „Baltic Host 2010" to be held in Lithuania in the beginning of summer 2009, and offered recommendations about arrangements of the exercise. The first time the exercise to step up interoperability and cooperation of the Baltic logistic support capabilities in completion of the host country support operations was held in spring of 2009 in Tartu, Estonia.
„There are many challenges waiting for us in the future. Present financial and economic situation demands for enhanced efficiency of our joint efforts because next year budget limitations will be sensed especially acutely. Our trilateral projects should continue receiving a share of the budget befitting for defence matters," said Maj. Gen.. A. Pocius.
Commenting on the transformation of armed forces Chief of Defence of Lithuania highlighted that Lithuanian national armed forces have advanced significantly and stressed the need to continue with the transformation and develop armed capabilities to properly prepare to counter possible threats to security in the future.
Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian CHODs concluded the meeting by signing a joint trilateral defence cooperation agreement.
The following meeting of the Baltic Chiefs of Defence will be hosted by Estonia after six months. Commander of the Estonian Defence Forces Maj. Gen. A. Laaneots will chair the rendezvous to whom the Lithuanian Chief of Defence Maj. Gen. A.Pocius handed over regalia of the Chair of the Baltic Defence Committee after the meeting in Nemenčinė.
Spokesperson for the Chief of Defence of Lithuania Capt. Tomas Balkus, phone (8 5) 278 5091, cell phone 8 682 25 359.
Picture by T. Balkus.
