Baltic News Service
December 1, 2004

LITHUANIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY EXPERTS GOING TO AZERBAIJAN

VILNIUS

A delegation of the Lithuanian Defense Ministry’s experts is going to
Azerbaijan next week to meet with officials of the Defense Ministry
and General Staff.

According to the press release, the Dec. 3-6 visit is scheduled to
address issues of bilateral cooperation, regional security in South
Caucasus, studies of Azerbaijani officers at the Lithuanian War
Academy and the Baltic Defense College in the Estonian city Tartu,
participation in international operations and the course of defense
reforms.

The visit is held as an additional measure in the framework of a
program to ensure support and security in countries of the South
Caucasus. According to the press release, the visit is expected to
assess Azerbaijan’s needs in the light of NATO integration and other
fields.

A bilateral cooperation plan for 2005 should also be signed during
the visit.

Earlier this fall, Defense Ministry experts attended
political-military consultations with Georgia, Armenia and Ukraine. A
decision was made to proceed with cooperation in the field of
military education, offer advice in NATO integration, invite them to
international war games Amber Hope 2005 and exchange visits of
experts.

The Lithuanian Defense Ministry decided to continue financing studies
of these countries’ officers at the War Academy in 2005, as well as
pay for Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian students at the Baltic
Defense College in Tartu. Lithuanian army experts agreed to hold
practical consultations at the Armenian peacekeeping battalion.