There is a significant potential to be set into value, especially the full professionalization of our armed forces and our status as NATO member is a solid base for strengthening the cooperation between our armed forces stressed the Minister of National Defense Teodor Atanasiu within the meeting in Vilnius with his Lithuanian counterpart Gediminas Kirkilas.

Atanasiu expressed his satisfaction on the cooperation between the two armed forces and presented to the Lithuanian Minister the Romanian offer for training, next year, the Lithuanian traffic controllers by the Romanian Air Force specialists.

According to NATO engagements, four Romanian MiG 21 LanceR with crews and technical equipment will be deployed to a Lithuanian base, between August and October 2007 for air police missions within the Lithuanian air space.

I often heard my colleagues appreciating the Romanian soldiers and we are very interested in enlarging the cooperation between our armed forces the Lithuanian Minister of Defense said during the meeting and stressed on the special attention to be paid to the actions the Romanian soldiers will develop in Lithuania, next year.

Gediminas Kirkilas transmitted to Minister Teodor Atanasiu condolences for the post mortem Second Lieutenant Bogdan Hancu, who died in mission in Iraq in a terrorist attack and expressed his conviction that you will not loose your strength in participating in such type of missions.

Yesterday, the Romanian Minister of National Defense met the Lithuanian officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and visited the Military Academy in Vilnius.

Teodor Atanasiu pays between May 3 and 5, 2006 the official visits in Lithuania and Latvia invited by his counterparts Gediminas Kirkilas and Atis Slakteris.

MoND Press Office