Thursday Belgium’s new Defence Attaché Colonel Pierre-Jean Pira was accredited to Lithuania at a ceremony at the Ministry of National Defence. Wishing him luck in service, Belgium was named as one of Lithuania’s most reliable Allies contributing constantly to the security of our country and the region.
“Belgian military were among the first to join the German-led NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group when it was established in Lithuania in 2017. Belgium’s contribution to the multinational unit in Rukla is especially important. We look forward to further uninterrupted active Belgium’s involvement in strengthening NATO deterrence and defence in our region further,” says Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anušauskas.
The Belgians were the first to deploy fighter aircraft for the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states in 2004 when Lithuania joined NATO. The Belgian Air Force will return to Lithuania this December with a new NATO Air Policing rotation.
The country also commissions warships to Lithuania on a regular basis and conducts cooperation in the area of cyber security.
The new Defence Attaché served in different units of the Belgian Armed Forces. Prior to the present appointment he was the Military Attaché to Germany from 2019.
