Moldovan chief of defense makes 1st official visit to Lithuania

VILNIUS - Moldova's Chief of Defense General Vitalie Micov arrived in Lithuania on Tuesday for his first official visit and met with his Lithuanian counterpart, General Raimundas Vaiksnoras, the Lithuanian Armed Forces said.

The two generals discussed the security situation in both regions, Moldova's progress in modernizing its armed forces in line with NATO standards, and Lithuania's support for the education and training of Moldova's military and civilian personnel through expert meetings and experience-sharing under agreed cooperation formats, the military said in a press release.

"Moldova is our partner in the effort to preserve peace in Eastern Europe. A shared understanding of threats, the growing need to respond to them, and military cooperation are the threads that bind the Lithuanian and Moldovan armed forces," Vaiksnoras said after the meeting.

"I believe this partnership has already grown into a friendship that will allow us to jointly ensure regional security," he added.

Command Senior Enlisted Leader of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Sergeant Major Darius Masiulis and his Moldovan counterpart Sergeant Major Andrei Cojocaru also met to discuss issues within their areas of responsibility.

Under its approved training programs, the Lithuanian Armed Forces regularly train both Lithuanian and foreign troops, including personnel from Moldova. Moldovan officers also study at the Baltic Defense College, which plans to admit more students from Moldova as part of efforts to support the reform of the country's professional military education system.

The commanders of the Lithuanian Grand Hetman Jonas Karolis Chodkevicius Infantry Brigade Zemaitija and the Lithuanian Grand Duke Kestutis Infantry Battalion visited Moldova in April.

Micov is also scheduled to visit the Military Police and meet with its commander, Lieutenant Colonel Raimondas Ivanauskas.

The Moldovan chief of defense will also visit the Brigadier General Kazys Veverskis training area to meet with his country's troops undergoing various Lithuanian training programs and observe a demonstration of a drone piloting course using first-person view (FPV) technology.

The Lithuanian Armed Forces plan to deliver drones to the Moldovan military by the end of this year, with Lithuanian instructors providing training on how to operate the equipment.