"Portugal intends contributing to the security of its Lithuanian ally further: with consent of the Government a warship will be assigned for duty in the Baltic Sea, several soldiers will be assigned to the Lithuanian-based NATO Force Integration Unit as soon as this year, and we have plans to deploy to the NATO Air Policing Mission next year again," Chief of General Staff of the Portuguese Armed Forces General Artur Neves Pina Monteiro said during his formal visit in Lithuania of June 29-30.
On the first day of the visit the guest met with Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas and Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lieutenant General Jonas Vytautas Žukas, and other representatives of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. General Monteiro was briefed on the regional security situation, information warfare threats, capabilities and readiness of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, and its plans of capacity building. Substantial attention at the meeting was paid to the implementation of the NATO Readiness Action Plan.
On June 30 General Monteiro met with leadership of the Lithuanian Land Force and the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf at the Brigade's HQ (in Rukla), and also met with members of a the reconnaissance company of the Portuguese Armed Forces deployed for joint training in Lithuania. The Lithuanian and Portuguese Chiefs of Defence also toured the Gaižiūnai Training Area, viewed a joint Lithuanian-Portuguese field training event and a live-fire event conducted by soldiers of King Mindaugas Hussar Battalion.
"General Monteiro was satisfied with what he found in Rukla and the Gaižiūnai Training Area. He referred to the Host Nation Support the Lithuanian Armed Forces are rendering for Portuguese soldiers enabling them to train and exchange experience as excellent. I think this is the way ahead for us if we mean to see allied forces training on our soil on a persistent basis," Lieutenant General J.V.Žukas said.
The Chief of General Staff of the Portuguese Armed Forces wrapped up his stay in Lithuania by visit the exhibit of Vytautas the Great War Museum and paid tribute to Lithuanian soldiers fallen in the fights for freedom at the Tomb for the Unknown Soldier.
Lithuanian-Portuguese defence cooperation focuses on military training. In 2007 and 2014 the Portuguese Air Force sent air personnel and assets to the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission, last year one Portugal's maritime patrol aircraft was sent to carry out surveillance of the Baltic Sea surface from the air, while this April-June Portugal's Reconnaissance Company of the 6th Cavalry Regiment, Intervention Brigade, is taking part in the combined training in Lithuania as part of NATO assurance measures in the region.
Spokesperson for the Chief of Defence Captain Mindaugas Neimontas
Office phone no. 00370 5 278 5091, mobile phone no. 00370 682 25359, email: mindaugas.neimontas@mil.lt
Photo credits: Giedrė Maksimovicz, Captain Skirmantas Vikonis and Artūras Užgalis
