On October 20 Deputy Secretary of State and Policy Director of the Ministry of Defence of Latvia Janis Karlsbergs was decorated at the Ministry of National Defence. Vice Minister of National Defence Margiris Abukevičius bestowed on him the Medal For Meritorious Civilian Service and pointed out the Latvian official’s merits in strengthening the cooperation between the Baltic states.
J. Karlsbergs has been the Deputy Secretary of State at the Ministry of Defence of Latvia since 2003. He has been in charge for defence planning and capability development for nearly two decades already as well, and he has been in the position of Policy Director since 2015. The defence expert has been awarded the National Defence System Medal for his special merits, leadership and personal input in the development of the Baltic cooperation on security and defence.
“J. Karlsbergs has been actively contributing to the efforts for strengthening the Baltic security cooperation over all of this period of time, as well as proposing initiatives which were a direct contribution to a stronger regional security and deterrence. He has unmistakable merits in such areas as development of regional capabilities, defence planning, and active work in NATO format in support of deterrence and enforcement measures which are of a particular importance to the Baltic states,” said Vice Minister M. Abukevičius.
J. Karlsbergs is on a visit to Lithuania to attend a meeting with his Baltic counterparts. This is his last visit in the capacity.
Lithuania chairs the Baltic Defence Cooperation in 2021. Areas of the most intense Baltic defence cooperation are officer training at the Baltic Defence College, NATO Air Policing, navies, and joint exercises in the recent years. The countries also synchronise capability planning, coordinate joint procurement, organise joint training events, exercises, seminars, and carry out cooperation of individual armed services.
Photo credits: MoD/G. Maksimovicz-Alkema
