On September 11 Minister of National Defence Raimundas Karoblis will meet with Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Tom Wolf who is coming on a formal visit to Lithuania. The guest delegation will also include Adjutant General of Pennsylvania Major General Anthony Carrelli.

The officials are expected to discuss the meaning of the State Partnership Programme to Lithuanian and Pennsylvanian soldiers, Governor T. Wolf will be briefed on the security situation in Lithuania.

The U.S. delegation is also planned to meet with Chief of Defence of Lithuania Major General Valdemaras Rupšys, Chief of the Defence Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces will speak to the guests about the importance of the U.S.-Lithuanian defence cooperation.

On September 12 the U.S. Governor’s delegation will go to Gen S. Žukauskas Pabradė Training Area (Pabradė region) to observe Engineer Thunder 2019, currently running international exercise that also involves over 30 soldiers of the Pennsylvania National Guard.

The United States is Lithuania’s strategic partner and key ally for security of the Baltic region that actively contributes to the assurance measures in the Baltics and strengthens security and stability of the region. Defence cooperation of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and the Pennsylvania National Guard of over 25 years deserves separate noting. The first team of the U.S. “Train-the-trainer” programme came to Lithuania back in April 1993, Lithuania’s representatives have been familiarising with units of the U.S. Armed Forces and their activities at U.S. military bases ever since, and U.S. military experts come to Lithuania to deliver workshops and courses. Units and soldiers of the Pennsylvania National Guard used to be and are still active participants of Lithuanian Land Force exercises and international training events.