The flag of Ukraine was solemnly hoisted at the NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence (NATO ENSEC COE) in Vilnius Wednesday: Ukraine has officially become the 12th NATO ENSEC COE member.
Welcome addresses at the ceremony were given by Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anušauskas and Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Haluschenko. The flag was hoisted by the Lithuanian Armed Forces Honour Guard Company in the presence of ambassadors and defence attachés of the NATO ENSEC COE members and other NATO allies.
“Ukraine’s membership brings more than just a flag. Our Centre wants personnel and expertise. We will now have an expert from Ukraine and the added value of it will be immeasurable. The experience Ukraine has acquired managing past cyberattacks on its energy infrastructure will be very handy to the NATO ENSEC COE,” Director Col Romualdas Petkevičius expressed his delight on the occasion.
The NATO ENSEC COE in Vilnius was established on July 12 to carry out analysis of military energy efficiency and security of critical energy infrastructure. NATO ENSEC COE staff provide recommendations and proposals on operational energy security, on bringing in alternative energy sources into the military and development of environmentally-friendly efficient military capabilities, as well as organize exercises and train in them.
The NATO ENSEC COE was manned by experts from 11 countries – Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Turkey, UK, USA, Poland, and Finland, until the present expansion. Ukraine’s intent to join the NATO ENSEC COE was approved in March earlier this year at the Lithuania-Ukrainian Presidential Council in Kyiv.
The Lithuanian-based NATO ENSEC COE has already been waiting for Ukraine to join, in the next semester of this year an exercise will be held by the ENSEC COE in Odesa, Ukraine, on NATO funding. A scenario is currently developed for training maritime, coastal critical infrastructure and energy infrastructure protection.
“We are glad that the Ukrainians have joined in but it will not be easy for them with us: we are giving it 110% here – the Centre is not only acclaimed as an accredited NATO institution but also a think-tank that encompasses the military aspect and geopolitical challenges to energy security,” Director NATO ENSEC COE Col R. Petkevičius says.
NATO ENSEC COE staff includes roughly 30 people, Lithuania, the initiator and founder of the Centre, provides not only premises: all the maintenance personnel responsible for legal, human resources, logistical and other affairs, is Lithuanian. Also, Lithuania fills in six expert positions, the rest of the members delegate one per each, expect for Germany which contributes two.
