On November 28 Vice Minister of National Defence Antanas Valys and Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lieutenant General Arvydas Pocius met with Chief of Defence of Hungary General Tibor Benkő who arrived on a two-day formal visit in Lithuania.
"We wish to extend our gratitude to Hungary for the decision to deploy on NATO's Air Policing mission in the Baltic States, a demonstration of the Alliance's solidarity and readiness to deliver a collective response," Vice Minister A.Valys said. The Vice Minister underlined that the Baltic States were continuously investing into the mission to enhance service conditions for Alliance personnel deployed to Šiauliai Air Base.
The Vice Minister of National Defence, the Chief of Defence and Gen T. Benkő also discussed NATO Response Force (NRF) exercise Steadfast Jazz 2013, the importance of regional NATO exercises in the context of the gradual withdrawal from Afghanistan, and other multinational operations.
Chief of Defence of Lithuania Lt Gen A.Pocius thanked his Hungarian counterpart for the support n preparing for the NATO Military Committee's visit that Lithuania will host next year.
Representatives of the Lithuanian Armed Forces also briefed the visiting General on the security situation in the region, major NATO's exercises in the Baltic Region, and the progress of transformation of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
General Benkő is also expected to stop by at the NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence and units of the Lithuanian Armed Forces while conducting the visit.
Defence cooperation of Lithuania and Hungary is developed on the basis of an agreement on bilateral contacts and defence cooperation signed in 1997.
Hungary had provided opportunities for Lithuanian troops to study languages as well as to attend military observers and other courses. Until 2004 Hungary was sharing experience with Lithuania in the areas of NATO negotiations, documentation, and reorganization of armed forces in line with NATO standards. In 2005 the Lithuanian Grand Duke Vytenis General Support Logistics Battalion Water Purification Unit conducted standby with the 4th NATO Response Force rotation along with a Hungarian logistic unit. This January Hungary's Minister of Defence Dr. Csaba Hende paid a visit to Lithuania.
POC - Spokesperson to the Chief of Defence of Lithuania Capt Skomantas Povilionis, phone no. 00370 682 25 359.
