Lithuanian, Czech chiefs of defense agree on further cooperation

VILNIUS – Lithuania's Chief of Defense Lieutenant General Valdemaras Rupsys and Major General Karel Rehka, Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, have agreed on further cooperation, the Lithuanian military said on Tuesday. 

"We agreed to expand military cooperation in the field of CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear security) by participating in collective level exercises organized in the Czech Republic or by training military personnel to conduct CBRN reconnaissance and work with chemical samples," Rupsys said in a press release.

During their meeting on Monday, the chief of defense also thanked his Czech counterpart for Czech troops' participation in NATO's enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group in Lithuania and in the Alliance's Baltic air policing mission.

Rehka came to Lithuania as part of a delegation led by Czech Defense Minister Jana Cernochova. 

The delegation visited the Lithuanian Great Hetman Jonusas Radvila Training Regiment and met with Czech troops serving in the NATO battle group.

The Czech Armed Forces have been sending rotations to the NATO battle group in Lithuania on a regular basis since 2018, and the Czech Air Force has contributed JAS 39C Gripen fighter jets to the Baltic air policing mission flown from Lithuania's Siauliai air base. 

Military personnel from the two countries participate in joint training and other military events.