On April 19 Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anušauskas is conducting a formal visit to Estonia to meet with Minister of Defence Kalle Laanet. The two counterparts will discuss the Baltic cooperation in security and defence, security section in the region, cooperation with the U.S., and troops withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“Estonia is a particularly important partner to Lithuania in the area of security and defence. The Baltic cooperation remains among top our country’s priorities. If we want to enhance regional defence, the Baltic countries need to coordinate their positions in all multilateral formats, such as NATO, the EU, and cooperation with the U.S.,” Minister A. Anušauskas said before leaving for Estonia.
The visit programme includes familiarization with conditions and infrastructure available for major exercises of the Estonian Defence Forces at the largest Estonia’s military training area in Tapa.
Lithuania presides over the Baltic Defence Cooperation this year. The areas of most intense cooperation are the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission, service-level cooperation, and joint training events. Trilateral and bilateral projects, such as the Baltic Naval Squadron, Baltic Defence College, development of the regional maritime situation awareness capability, have been ongoing for years. The Baltic countries are also synchronizing capabilities, coordinating joint procurements, and organizing joint exercises and training.
Photo credit: Vilija Arlauskaitė
