A team of arms control inspectors of Lithuania are conducting an evaluation visit to a specified military unit in Belarus on November 13 on the basis of the Vienna Document 2011 of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The Lithuanian inspectors are visiting the 19th Guards Mechanised Brigade of the Armed Forces of Belarus also on the basis of the bilateral Agreement on Additional Confidence and Security-Building Measures between the Republic of Lithuania and the Republic of Belarus.
The Lithuanian inspectors will be able to get information about the unit’s organisational structure, number of serving personnel, types and numbers of major weaponry and equipment systems, as well as to see examples of them. The inspectors will be given the opportunity to get first-hand view of daily activities of the unit while visiting and meeting soldiers serving there.
According to regulations of the Vienna Document 2011, the arms control experts of Lithuania will report to the members of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe on Belarus’ compliance with provisions of the Vienna Document 2011 witnessed during the inspection.
The Vienna Document 2011 of the Organisation of Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) 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 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.
According to the bilateral Agreement on Additional Confidence and Security-Building Measures between Lithuania and Belarus, the countries exchange additional military information in a set format and have a right to carry out an evaluation visit to a chosen military area of the neighbouring country.
Arms control inspectors of Belarus conducted one visit on the basis of the Agreement on Additional Confidence and Security-Building Measures to the Motorised Infantry Brigade Griffin of the Lithuanian Armed Forces in early August this year.
