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Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia decide to suspend BALTBAT project as of 2021

BC, Tallinn, 04.12.2020.Print version

The commanders of the land forces of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia on Friday signed an agreement to suspend the trilateral Baltic battalion (BALTBAT) project as of 2021, writes LETA/BNS. 


According to the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense, the agreement was signed by Brig. Gen. Raimundas Vaiksnoras, commander of the Lithuanian Land Forces, Brig. Gen. Georgs Kerlins, commander of the Latvian Land Forces, and Maj. Gen. Indrek Sirel, deputy commander of the Estonian defense forces, at the end of the international "Winter Shield" exercise at the Adazi military training area.


The document states the aspiration to focus mainly on cooperation in the areas of intelligence, fire support, the protection of forces and non-kinetic operations.


The agreement also defines the cooperation measures for 2021, including participation in international exercises, qualification course, seminars, military competitions, headquarter conversations and other events.


The BALTBAT project was launched in 1994 when the three Baltic states signed a trilateral agreement in Riga to established a peacekeeping battalion. It was ready for peacekeeping tasks in 1997 and took part in international peacekeeping operations with Danish and Swedish soldiers.


In 2001, the Baltic states launched separate projects with Scandinavian countries. Lithuania and Denmark launched the LITBAT project, Latvia and Sweden launched the LATBAT project and Estonia and Finland launched the ESTBAT project, and the Baltic battalion's mission ended.


In 2012, the Lithuania, Latvian and Estonian defense ministers agreed to restore the BALTBAT project, and a memorandum was signed on the battalion formation in 2014.





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