On August 27 a farewell ceremony with the United Kingdom Defence Attaché in Lithuania Maj Thomas O’Boy was held at the Ministry of National Defence, during which Vice Minister Eimutis Misiūnas awarded the Medal of Merit.
“The United Kingdom’s contribution to the security of the Baltic Sea region is of particular importance to us. We appreciate the active participation in the NATO Force Integration Unit in Vilnius, the significant contribution to the Baltic Air Policing Mission in Šiauliai, as well as leadership of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion (eFP) in Estonia. We especially appreciate the leadership of the United Kingdom in the Joint Expeditionary Force, which significantly strengthens the security of the region, ”said Vice Minister E. Misiūnas.
The new Defence Attaché of the United Kingdom to Lithuania will be accredited in September.
About military cooperation between Lithuania and the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is one of Lithuania’s main strategic partners in the fields of security and defence. Lithuania and the UK are in close cooperation in both bilateral and multilateral NATO, Joint Expeditionary Forces, Nordic Group formats.
The UK made a significant contribution to the establishment of the Great Lithuanian Hetman Jonušas Radvila Training Regiment, the reform of General Jonas Žemaitis Lithuanian Military Academy and Lithuanian Armed Forces School, provided methodological support in developing an English language training and testing system for Lithuanian national defence personnel.
Lithuanian military personnel and employees of the national defence system have studied and improved their skills in various educational institutions of the UK defence system. Our military personnel together with UK soldiers have participated in multinational operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the British are participating in multinational military exercises in Lithuania.
The contingent of the British Air Force has been carrying out missions in Lithuania since 2004, and this year it is carrying out its sixth mission from Šiauliai Aviation Base. The UK is leading a multinational NATO battalion in Estonia. About 900 British soldiers are currently deployed at Tapa, Emar base. The UK has also deployed about 150 troops in the U.S.-led enhanced Forward Presence Battalion in Poland.
The United Kingdom contributes to the NATO Energy Security Center of Excellence and the NATO Force Integration Unit in Vilnius.
Lithuania also participates in the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), able to deploy more than 10,000 troops to fight today’s threats and thus to contribute to the increase of security in Lithuania and the entire region and strengthening of European military capabilities.
Credits: Alfredas Pliadis
