On February 26 Commander of the Lithuanian Navy Rear Admiral Kęstutis Macijauskas took part in a meeting of the commanders of Baltic States' navies held in Estonia, Tallinn.
At the meeting the Lithuanian Commander and his counterparts - acting Commander of the Latvian Navy Commander Kaspars Zelcs and Captain (N) Sten Sepper of the Estonian Navy addressed cooperation of the Baltic navies, took stock of the activities of the Baltic Naval Squadron (BALTRON) and related international projects in 2013 and discussed plans for these projects in 2014-2015.
Work meetings of the Baltic countries' Naval Forces are arranged biannually.
In 1998 as a result of defence cooperation Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia established BALTRON- a trilateral rapid response naval unit for completing the key missions of contributing to the regional security of the Baltic Sea, reducing naval mine threat in the territorial waters and the exclusive economic zones of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, building mutual understanding and interoperability, and cooperation with military units of NATO member states. Experience from participation in BALTRON tasks is useful for getting ready for standby for the NATO Response Force (NRF) or the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group (SNMCMG).
The Baltic States cooperate though combined international projects other than BALTRON too: Baltic Naval Communications Training Centre in Estonia, Diving Training Centre, Mine Countermeasures Training and Equipment Repair Centre, International Baltic Naval Intermediate Command and Staff Course, and Deck Equipment and the Baltic Naval Gunnery and Deck Equipment Centre in Lithuania.
CIMIC Officer for the Lithuanian Navy Lieutenant (Navy) Antanas Brencius, office phone no. 00370 46 391 207, mobile phone no. 8 698 18 196.
Photo from the archive of the Lithuanian Navy - meeting of the Baltic navies' commanders, September 2013.
