The Russian arms control inspection team is planned to pay an evaluation visit to the Griffin Brigade based in the Klaipėda city Wednesday. They will be able to get information about the organisational structure, number of personnel serving and the number and types of major weaponry and equipment systems used by the unit.
During the visits to the Brigade’s units the Russian inspectors will be given the opportunity to have a closer look at the daily activities of the personnel serving there.
According to regulations of the Vienna Document 2011, the arms control experts of the Russian Federation will report to members of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe on Lithuania’s compliance with provisions of international arms control agreements witnessed during the inspection.
This is the first foreign arms control measure under the Vienna Document 2011 in Lithuania this year. Lithuanian representatives have carried out two inspections in military units of the Russian Federation, one in Georgia’s and one in Ukraine’s in 2019 so far.
The Vienna Document 2011 commits the signatory countries to conduct annual information exchange on their manpower, planned capability development and defence budgets on an annual basis, and to notify other Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) countries in advance of scheduled military activities of significant scope. The states also commit to accept a designated number of inspections and evaluation visits by other member states’ military inspectors in military units in their territories to verify there are no undeclared military capabilities or large-scale military activities requiring prior notification.
Every OSCE member state has the right on the basis of the Vienna Document 2011 to verify if any other member has no undeclared military capabilities or has not undertaken large-scale military activities requiring prior notification.
