The duration of the Lithuanian officer’s deployment is scheduled for six-month to last till the end of January 2014.

Another two Lithuanian military instructors have been deployed with a Finnish-led Nordic-Baltic unit since April earlier this year to provide training for the Malian Armed Forces at the Koulikoro Warfare Training Centre.

The EU Training Mission in Mali is the first Lithuania’s contribution to a military mission in the continent of Africa. The Lithuanian military are planned to serve in EUTM till mid-2014, i.e. till the expiry of the mandate of the mission.

The objective of EUTM Mali is to enhance operational capabilities and activities of the Malian Armed Forces in order to incapacitate it to ensure territorial integrity of the country and to counter attacks of terrorist groups inside the country. Over the last several months EUTM Mali personnel has finished training the first local battalion. The number of the entire EUTM Mali staff is planned to up to 500.

The EU Training Mission Mali is not the only Lithuania’s commitment in the continent of Africa. This July Lithuania has deployed an Autonomous Vessel Protection Detachment (AVPD) on the European Union-led Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) – Operation ATALANTA in Somalia and off the Somali coast to protect a World Food Programme (WFP) vessel transporting humanitarian assistance to Somali people from Kenya. In total, Lithuania’s military contribution to the EU-led counter-piracy operation will number up to 20 which will make up the largest Lithuania’s commitment to the EU-led operations so far and the first naval operation that Lithuanian military will be part of.

Through participation in the EU-led multinational operations and missions Lithuania contributes to strengthening the Common Security and Defence Policy and EU multinational rapid crisis response capabilities.

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