Next Defence Attaché to Lithuania Captain (Navy) Jouni Heikki Sakari Lamminen was accredited at a ceremony at the Ministry of National Defence Tuesday. It was brought to his attention that Lithuania looked forward to a stronger cooperation with Finland as a new member of NATO and every success wished on his appointment.
“We are beyond pleased to be able to call Finland a NATO Ally. We have always viewed the Finns as family since we collaborate in numerous different formats and share values as well as threats. However, as of now our expectation is to deepen the cooperation even further, specifically, in the area of acquisitions,” says Minister of National Defence Arvydas Anušauskas.
The incoming Finnish Defence Attaché formerly served across different units of the Finnish Defence Forces. His most recent previous appointment as Commander of the Finnish Defence Forces Logistic Command started in 2020.
The outgoing Defence Attaché of Finland Commander Ulla Tuulikki Murtomäki was decorated with the National Defence System-level Medal of Merit for her service and input in strengthening the bilateral cooperation.
Lithuanian and Finnish military personnel have been cooperating in various military exercises since the beginning of formation of the Lithuanian Armed Forces. Both countries are partners in the United Kingdom-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF). Finland is also a members of the NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence in Vilnius, it also joined the Lithuania-coordinated PESCO Cyber Rapid Response Teams project in 2019.
The Lithuanian and the Finnish Ministries of Defence updated the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in acquisitions last year setting out guidelines for strengthening and expanding the bilateral cooperation on weaponry and defence technology and facilitation of information exchange between the countries, as well as scientific research and joint procurement.
