A team of arms control inspectors of Russia are conducting inspection of a selected military unit in Lithuania on August 27-28 on the basis of provisions of the Vienna Document 2011 of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
During the inspection in the selected area of up to 20,000 km², Russian arms control inspectors will have the opportunity to visit the units of the Lithuanian Armed Forces in the inspection area, get acquainted with their activities, meet with personnel, listen to presentations of National Defence Volunteer Forces and Motorized Infantry Brigade “Iron Wolf” commanders. Following the provisions of Vienna Document 2011, arms control inspectors will be provided an opportunity to fly over selected area in the helicopter of the Lithuanian Air Force and ascertain that there is no undeclared military activity.
The Vienna Document 2011 commits the signatory countries to conduct annual information exchange on their manpower, planned capability development and defence budgets on an annual basis, and to notify other Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) countries in advance of scheduled military activities of significant scope. The states also commit to accept a designated number of inspections and evaluation visits by other member states’ military inspectors in military units in their territories. On the basis of provisions of the Vienna Document 2011, each OSCE member country has the right to verify if the other OSCE member country is not engaged in large-scale military activities that require prior notification and has no undeclared military capabilities.
According to regulations of the Vienna Document 2011, the arms control experts of Russia will report to the members of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe on Lithuania’s compliance with provisions of the Vienna Document 2011 witnessed during the inspection.
This is the second visit of Russian arms control inspectors to Lithuania on the basis of the Vienna Document 2011 this year — arms control inspectors of the Russian Federation paid an evaluation visit in April. Lithuania has carried inspections in Russia twice this year: evaluation visit in January and inspection in February.
