At the ceremony Vice Minister and Ambassador underlined that cooperation ties between the two countries in defence area were strong and enhancing through diverse projects. M.Velička underscored that NATO allies clearly demonstrated at the NATO Summit in Warsaw their unity amidst the changing security situation and pointed out Lithuania’s appreciation of Italy’s contribution to the security in our region.
Prior to the diplomatic appointment Col D. Di Bartolo was part of the staff at the Planning and Policy Division, NATO Rapid Deployable Corps in Italy. He carried out multiple deployments to multinational operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Defence Attaché of Italy to Lithuania will be based in Warsaw, Poland.
Bilateral defence cooperation of Lithuania and Italy
Defence cooperation of Lithuania and Italy is based on an intergovernmental agreement signed in 1999.
Actual military cooperation of the two countries began in 1999-2001 with the first bilateral Lithuanian-Italian training exercise in Lithuania that included the Alpini of the Italian Army. Roughly 600-800 of them train every year.
Currently defence cooperation is intensifying in terms of both, NATO exercises and bilateral format.
Lithuania has been taking part in the European Union Naval Force in the Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED/Sophia) since 2015. At the moment two Lithuanian officers an on a tour of duty (until the end of the year) as part of the operation aboard Giuseppe Garibaldi aircraft carrier of the Italian Navy. One more Lithuanian officer serves at the operational HQ in Rome, Italy.
Italy is a sponsoring nation to the NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence since 2013, also, an Italian officer is posted to the NATO Force Integration Unit inaugurated in Vilnius in September 2015. In turn, Lithuania plans delegating an officer to the NATO Rapid Deployable Corps HQ in Italy this year.
In 2015 Italian air personnel completed an 8-month long rotation of the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic States conducted from Šiauliai Airbase of the Lithuanian Air Force.
Lithuania procured three C-27J Spartan aircraft from Italy.
