On March 7 Vice Minister of National Defence Vytautas Umbrasas and Minister of Finance Vilius Šapoka of Lithuania set down to a breakfast in Rukla with Minister of Defence Ank Bijleveld and Minister of Finance Wopke Hoekstra of the Kingdom of the Netherlands who have come to Lithuania to visit soldiers of the Netherlands deployed in Rukla as part of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group (eFP BG).
The officials discussed regional security, bilateral cooperation in defence area, and service conditions Dutch soldiers have in Lithuania over the breakfast.
Vice Minister of National Defence V. Umbrasas thanked the Dutch guests for contributing soldiers to the NATO eFP BG which means to the security and deterrence in the Baltic region, and praised the intensification of bilateral defence cooperation between Lithuania and the Netherlands.
Minister of Defence of the Netherlands A. Bijleveld pointed out the intent of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to continue being a part of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group as well as of other joint projects with Lithuania, such as the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force.
Minister of Defence of the Netherlands expressed appreciation of the particularly fluent cooperation with Lithuania on the projects in the European Union Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) framework – both, for military mobility and formation of the EU cyber response teams.
Immediately after arriving in Lithuania on March 6 the Dutch Ministers met with Commander of the Mechanised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf Col Mindaugas Steponavičius, the Lithuanian Armed Forces’ unit into which the NATO eFP BG is integrated, leadership of the NATO eFP BG, and the Dutch troops.
The Netherlands have deployed approx. 250 soldiers with the German-led NATO eFP BG based in Rukla. The Dutch troops have brought different types of military weaponry and equipment to Lithuania along with them: CV 90 Infantry Fighting Vehicles, Fennek reconnaissance vehicles, Boxer personnel carriers, armoured recovery vehicles, etc.
The Dutch troops have established warm relations with the municipality and community of Švenčionys region, organise different social campaigns and meetings.
The Kingdom of the Netherlands also has soldiers serving with the NATO Force Integration Unit in Vilnius which is responsible for organising exercises for allied forces deployed in Lithuania and for ensuring communication between them and NATO operational headquarters. Soldiers of the Netherlands are also taking part in the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states.
Lithuania and the Netherlands also cooperate in the framework of the European Union Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). Lithuania joined the Dutch-led military mobility project and the Netherlands – the Lithuanian-led EU cyber response teams and mutual assistance in cyber security area project. The Netherlands is the country that provides the first year-long rotation (until 2020) of a EU Cyber Response Team.
Bilateral cooperation between the two countries is also developed in procurement area. The Lithuanian Armed Forces bought and continue buying used military vehicles from the Netherland Armed Forces on a bilateral basis. Since 2012, Lithuania has already acquired over 1000 units of different second-hand equipment that continues being successfully used by the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
Photo credits: MSgt Virginijus Stonys and Sgt Spc Lukas Tamošiūnas (1,2)
