September 18, Vice Minister of National Defence Eimutis Misiūnas accredited Royal Air Force Squadron Leader Steve Gleisinger as next Defence Attaché of the United Kingdom to Lithuania at a ceremony at the Ministry of National Defence.
“The Lithuanian-British defence cooperation has intensified in the recent years and that needs to continue and to keep ensuring security of the Baltic region. We have a particular appreciation of the firm UK Government’s decision to contribute significantly to the maritime security in the Baltic Sea region – the country’s part in the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states, NATO enhanced Forward Presence in Estonia and Poland exemplified it excellently,” Vice Minister E. Misiūnas said. He pointed out the fact that the United Kingdom is the framework nation of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a force that Lithuania also contributes to, as another important means of regional security and deterrence.
The incoming Defence Attaché Sqn Ldr S. Gleisinger served at the Allied NATO Joint Force Command Naples, Italy, had assignments in Germany, Falkland Islands, Sierra Leone, Iraq, trained in different exercises in Europe, Middle East, U.S. He has also been deployed to Lithuania before, with one of the RAF rotations of the NATO Air Policing Mission in Šiauliai.
The United Kingdom is one of Lithuania’s most important strategic partners in security and defence. The countries develop close cooperation in bilateral and multilateral (NATO, Northern Group) formats. The Joint Expeditionary Force is also one of such formats, it is a UK-led force formed by 9 European countries that is capable of deploying over 10 thousand soldiers to respond to modern threats. The format also increases security of Lithuania and the entire region and the strength of European military capability.
The United kingdom played an important role in developing the Lithuanian military training system, Lithuanian military representatives study in such education institutions as the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Joint Services Command and Staff College, Cranfield University, London King’s College.
Lithuanian and British soldiers serve side by side in international missions and operations – ¬NATO operation in Afghanistan, NATO Mission Iraq, train in international exercises abroad, Lithuanians are deployed to exercises in the UK, the British come to train in Lithuania, etc.
Royal Air Force detachments have already been deployed six times, including this summer, to carry out the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states to contribute to the security in the region. The UK also leads the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group in Estonia and contributes military personnel to the U-S.-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group in Poland.
The United Kingdom delegates its representatives to support the NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence and the NATO Force Integration Unit in Vilnius.
Photo credit: Giedrė Maksimovicz-Alkema / MoD
