On November 20 Defence Attaché of Bulgaria Colonel Boyan Dimitrov was accredited, on November 21 – Austria’s Defence Attaché Major General Anton Oschep was farewelled and his successor Colonel Ronald Andreas Gordon Rainer accredited, and Defence Attaché of Albania Colonel Fadil Ciroku accredited to Lithuania as well. On November 22 new Defence Attaché of the Republic of Korea (South Korea) Colonel Hong Soon Shin was accredited to Lithuania.
All the incoming officials were congratulated by Vice Minister of National Defence Vytautas Umbrasas.
“Even though Bulgaria and Lithuania are far away from each other geographically, they are very close in terms of shared values and work in the same formats of NATO and the European Union, also, in strengthening these organisations together which is particularly important at this time when we seek to strengthen European security,” Vice Minister V. Umbrasas stressed when congratulated the incoming Bulgarian Defence Attaché.
New Defence Attaché of Bulgaria Col B. Dimitrov graduated from the "G.S.Rakovski" National Defence College in Sofia, Bulgaria, served across units of the Bulgarian Armed Forces, carried out several deployments to Afghanistan. The Defence Attaché of Bulgaria to Lithuania will be based in Warsaw, Poland. Lithuania does not have a defence attaché accredited to Bulgaria.
Lithuania and Bulgaria has been cooperating in defence area on the basis of a bilateral cooperation agreement signed by the two countries’ Ministries of Defence in 2009. A bilateral cooperation plan is endorsed each year providing basis for two-to-three bilateral events annually in topical areas.
Vice Minister Vytautas Umbrasas thanked outgoing Defence Attaché of Austria Maj Gen A.Oschep for enhancing and developing military cooperation of Lithuania and Austria. The ceremony was also attended by Honorary Consul of Austria in Lithuania Prof. Dr. Vytautas Mizaras and Second Secretary at the Embassy of Albania in Lithuania Biliana Naumova.
Defence Attaché of Austria to Lithuania Col R. A. G. Rainer will be based in Berlin.
Col R. A. G. Rainer graduated from the Theresian Military Academy in Vienna, Austria. The officer has served across different units of the Austrian Armed Forces, deployed to the European Union operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR ALTHEA).
Students of the General Jonas Žemaitis Lithuanian Military Academy are sent to study at the Theresian Military Academy and its students come to Lithuania annually through ERASMUS exchange programme on the basis of a bilateral cooperation agreement signed in 2012.
Defence Attaché of Albania in Lithuania Col F. Ciroku will be based in Poland.
Col F. Ciroku graduated from the Skanderbeg Military Academy in Tirana, Albania, was deployed to the European Union operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (EUFOR ALTHEA), NATO ISAF operation in Afghanistan.
Colonel Hong Soon Shin, the new Defence Attaché of the Republic of Korea, is the third the country’s Defence Attaché accredited to Lithuania since 2010. He replaced Lieutenant Colonel Nam Kyu Lim accredited in 2013. The Defence Attaché of the Republic of Korea will be based in Warsaw, Poland. Lithuania does not have a defence attaché accredited to the Republic of Korea.
Defence cooperation between Lithuania and the Republic of Korea is conducted on the basis of the defence cooperation Memorandum of Understanding between the countries’ Ministries of Defence signed in February 2010. The document provides for information exchange, high-level officials and experts visits, cooperation in arranging training for civilian and military personnel, participation in multinational military exercises organised by countries or international organisations, and other measures. The Republic of Korea sent military representatives to observe an exercise in Lithuania.
