On February 2, Thursday, Lithuanian Minister of National Defence Rasa Juknevičienė while at the NATO Defence Ministers meeting in Brussels noted that a breakthrough had been achieved in the effort to have a prolonged Baltic Air policing mission in the Baltic States.

“A considerable attention was paid to the Air Policing mission in the today’s discussion on Smart Defence with the Ministers in the discussion with the Ministers. I am happy to know that the mission is considered as a perfect example of Smart Defence for NATO“, – the Lithuanian Minister said. According to R.Juknevičienė, it is very important that a long-term agreement had been achieved at the military level. “The Baltic States are committed to increase their contribution to the mission. It is very important to make appealing to our partners”, said the Minister.

According to the Minister, the following step before the Chicago Summit is to make an agreement regarding the future of the Air Policing mission at the political level.

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From February 7 to 9 the annual NATO Training Synchronization Conference will be organised in Vilnius by the NATO Supreme Allied Command Transformation (SACT). Over 200 representatives of NATO and partner countries are expected to take part in the conference.

The Training Synchronization Conference held in Lithuania will integrate four conferences on the allied exercise and warfare training: the NATO Training and Exercise Planning Conference, the NATO Individual Training and Education Conference, the meeting of the Steering Group NATO Training Group (SGNTG) and the NATO Education Forum.

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Third-year cadet of the Virginia Military Institute (US) Benjamin Travers begins studies at the Gen Jonas Žemaitis Lithuanian Military Academy.

According to the cooperation and exchange programme between the Lithuanian Military Academy (LMA) and the Virginia Military Institute the cadet will study the spring semester to July 2, 2012, at the Lithuanian Military Academy and Vilnius University.

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February 1, Minister of National Defence takes part in the Initial Conference on the Establishment of the Centre of Excellence for Energy Security (ENSEC COE) in Vilnius.

“I had the idea of establishing a NATO centre of excellence a couple of years ago at the General Assembly of NATO. I am very glad that the Alliance welcomed the idea just like the majority of our allies. It encouraged Lithuania to continue developing the idea and put it into practice”, said the Minister when given the opening remarks. She asserted a belief that the centre established and supported by the NATO allies could generate a unique added value for NATO and national capabilities in energy security sector.

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On February 2 and 3 Minister of National Defence Rasa Juknevičienė will attend NATO Defence Ministers’ meeting in Brussels. At the meeting Defence Ministers of NATO countries will discuss the progress and future perspectives of NATO operations in Afghanistan and Kosovo. Furthermore, Defence Ministers will address changes of defence strategies, NATO Command Structure Reform and Smart Defence.

Together with the Estonian and Latvian colleagues R.Juknevičienė will take part in a meeting with US Defence Secretary L. Panetta.

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February 3, troops of the Lithuanian and German Air Forces involved in the Baltic Air Policing mission will organise a Media Day “See and feel it”.

The aim of the event is to demonstrate the cooperation of the foreign air contingents deployed on the Baltic Air Policing mission and Lithuanian units that render Host Nation Support.

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