Swedish Military Strategy Specialists Accentuate Importance of Solidarity Between Baltic and Nordic Countries

October 15, 2012 defpro.com

From October 7 to 10 members of the Swedish Atlantic Council and the Swedish Academy of Military Science former high-ranking Swedish army officers and well-known military strategists, retired Major General Karlis Neretnieks and retired Colonel Bo Hugemark, were visiting Lithuania. The Swedish retired officers have been interested in security issues in Lithuania and have put considerable efforts for the Lithuanian Armed Forces to receive Swedish military equipment and weaponry in 1994-1995. The guests presented a study about Sweden’s possibilities to defend the Baltic States in case of a conflict in the region and a book “Friends in Need: Towards a Swedish Strategy of Solidarity with her Neighbours” to the Lithuanian society and personnel of the Ministry of National Defence.

During the visit the Swedish strategists shared ideas on the perspectives of Swedish and Lithuanian military cooperation. B. Hugemark and K. Neretnieks also underlined that the fundamental guarantee of Lithuanian security and efficient defence is the preparedness and motivation of the society to defend the country. For that reason public discussion and interest of the society in the efficiency of defence of the Baltic Region is inseparable part of the national security and defence policy formation.

The guests also delivered lectures at the General Jonas Zemaitis Lithuanian Military Academy, the Institute of International Relations and Political Science of Vilnius University and the Kaunas Officer Garrison Club. Cadets of the Lithuanian Military Academy were particularly interested in the regional conflict scenarios designed by the Swedish strategists and the guests tried the accurateness of their hand in the Laser Shooting Range of the Academy after the lecture. At the Institute of International Relations and Political Science of Vilnius University the Swedish strategists met with international relations and diplomacy students. Although military terminology and maps were used quite extensively in the lecture, the audience were highly interested in the links between defence and security and economics and political decision making. Swedish strategists also paid a visit to the Ministry of National Defence where they met with the heads of ministerial departamentas and later - with Minister of National Defence Rasa Jukneviciene.

The guests also visited Kaunas and its districts. At the Lithuanian Great Hetman Jonušas Radvila Training Regiment they had the opportunity to communicate with participants and instructors of the Basic Military Training. Later Swedish strategists familiarised with the Lithuanian Armed Forces’ Land Force training and combat skills building system at Juozas Luksa Training Centre and paid a visit to the M-113 armoured transporter exercise site at the Gaiziunai Training Area. Sweden’s retired officers also took interest in the military training system and international cooperation of Juozas LukSa Training Centre, after the visit they said they would seek to have a similar model applied in the Swedish Armed Forces as well.

The guests from Sweden also visited the memorial sites of the Lithuanian resistance – the place where the legendary resistance fighter Juozas Luksa was killed in the Pazeru village, the Hill of Pain and Juozas Luksa- Daumantas Museum in Veiveriai. The guests also talked to Antanas Luksa, brother of Juozas Luksa. Later military strategists of the Swedish Military Academy headed for Kaunas where they met with Vice Minister of National Defence Indr? Pociute-Levickiene, members of patriotic, youth and public organisations and society in the Kaunas Garrison Officer Club. Members of the society were particularly interested in the role of Sweden in ensuring security of Lithuania and other Baltic States.