The delegations of the Ministries of Defense and the Armed Forces of Belgium and Luxembourg together with the ambassador of Lithuania Gediminas Varvuolis visited Lithuania where they observed international exercise “Baltic Piranha” on October 22-23.

During the visit delegations visited  Belgian and Luxembourg’s military personnel in Jonava and Gaižiūnai (Rukla) training area. More than 300 troops from Belgium and Luxembourg with soldiers from Lithuania and the United States of America are training in exercise „Baltic Piranha“ across different parts of Lithuania.

Rapid Response Force of the Belgian Armed Forces also takes part in  exercise „Baltic Piranha“. It is the first time when a combat group of the Belgian Land Component came to Lithuania for training. The platoon-sized contingent from Luxembourg is training in the exercise in Lithuania for the second time.

During the visit in Lithuania the Belgian delegation will be headed by the country’s Minister of Defence Steven H. M. Vandeput and Chief of Defence General Gérard Van Caelenberge, and Luxembourg’s delegation will be led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Étienne Schneider and Chief of Staff of Luxembourg General Romain Mancinelli. On the Lithuanian side, delegations led by Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius, Vice Minister of National Defence Antanas Valys and Chief of Defence Lieutenant General Jonas Vytautas Žukas will meet with the guests. During the tripartite meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius bilateral co-operation, NATO and EU main issues were disscused.