“The Russian inspectors have finished their inspection. In their words, the preliminary conclusions are that Lithuania has not violated any international treaties,” spokesman for the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence Laimonas Brazaitis told BNS.
The inspectors also visited Grand Duchess Birutė Battalion in Alytus to observe an exercise of a joint Lithuanian-US unit.
The Gaižiūnai training grounds were visited on Wednesday, as well, along with the Šiauliai Aviation Base. The inspections were conducted under the provisions of the OSCE Vienna Document 2011.
Based on the information collected under the provisions and during the inspection, Russia will prepare a report that will be distributed among members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and provide its assessment of the Lithuanian compliance to the requirements of international treaties in the field of arms control. A part of the report will be available to the public.
The Vienna Document 2011 allows every OSCE member country to verify if another member of the organisation does not carry out any notifiable military activities without prior notification to OSCE countries and does not have military capabilities that require declaration.
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 OSCE countries in advance of scheduled military activities. 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.
Other Russian and Belarussian military representatives will carry out observation flight over the territory of Lithuania on Friday under the Treaty on Open Skies. Six members of the Lithuanian Air Force will monitor the observation throughout the mission and see to the course of the flight and compliance with the mission plan.
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