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On March 24 two military instructors of the Lithuanian Armed Forces arrived in Mali with their colleagues from Finland and Sweden to take part in the European Union Training Mission in Mali (EUTM Mali). They will serve in the Finnish-led Nordic-Baltic training team which will provide training for the armed forces in Mali.

This is going to be Lithuania’s first contribution to a military mission in the continent of Africa as well as the first joint deployment with Nordic military personnel.
 
Lithuania is expected to be contributing to EUTM Mali till mid-2014, i.e. till the expiry of the mandate of the mission.
 
Lithuania’s military instructors will be posted to the Koulikoro Warfare Training Centre, one of the two major training institutions of the Malian Armed Forces. The other centre is located in the capital of the country, Bamako, providing facilities for the main headquarters of the EU Training Mission in Mali. It is planned that the EU military instructors will begin training Malian military from April 2.
 
Koulikoro is the centre of an administrative division in the western part of Mali. It is situated approximately 60 kilometres away from Bamako with a population numbering to roughly 2 million inhabitants in comparison to the total of approximately 14 million of Mali's residents. The region of Koulikoro covers an area of approximately 90 thousand km2, i.e. an area by one third larger than that of Lithuania.
 
Lithuanian instructors deployed to the EU Training Mission in Mali are both members of the King Mindaugas Motorised Infantry Battalion. Both of them have experience from previous deployments to multinational missions which they will use for training Malian military along with their partners.
 
In advance of the deployment to EUTM Mali Lithuanian instructors underwent training in Lithuania and attended a joint exercise in Finland early in March together with colleagues from Finland and Sweden.
 
“Lithuania supports the EU initiatives to assume a greater role in the area of international security,” Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas said. “We are very happy to have the opportunity of joining such initiative along with the Nordic and Baltic countries. It is a good example of how the Pooling and Sharing Initiative can help countries make a tangible contribution to strengthening the EU crisis response capabilities. Enhancement of security institutions of African countries is on the EU priority list.”
 
Lithuania’s contribution to the EU Training Mission in Mali has been approved by the Committees on National Security and Defence, and Foreign Affairs of the Seimas, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other state institutions.

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On 18 February 2013 the EU Foreign Affairs Council decided to launch a military training mission in Mali (EUTM Mali) under the resolution no. 2085 (2012) of the United Nations Security Council thereby approving a 15-month mandate. The EUTM Mali objective is to enhance operational capabilities and activities of the Malian Armed Forces in order to incapacitate it to ensure territorial integrity of the country and to counter attacks of terrorist groups inside the country. The mission is also aimed at assisting Mali in strengthening command and control system of its military capabilities. The EU Training Mission in Mali will cover the southern part of the country, no involvement in combat actions has been foreseen. Approximately 200 military instructors are planned to be deployed to EUTM Mali while the number of the entire staff of the mission will reach up to 500 contributed by 22 EU’s member states. A “clearing house” mechanism has been established to coordinate the logistic support for the Malian Armed Forces and the African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA), a military mission organised by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). It acts as a point of entry for the registration of requests from ECOWAS as well as for the registration of any support offered by EU member states or third countries. Brigadier General François Lecointre from France has been appointed as the EU Mission Commander.
 
Lithuania participates in the EU Common Security and Defence Policy and contributes to the development of the EU multinational rapid crisis response capabilities – the EU Battlegroups (EUBGs), and also supports the EU-led multinational operations.
 
At the moment, one Lithuanian officer is posted to the operational headquarters of the EU-led counter-piracy operation ATALANTA in Northwood (UK). In the second semester of 2013 Lithuania plans sending an Autonomous Vessel Protection Detachment (AVPD) to the operation to protect a World Food Programme vessel with humanitarian assistance shipment on board.
 
In the past Lithuania have contributed military personnel to the EU-led operation Concordia in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, the EU operation Althea in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the European Union Monitoring Mission (EUMM) in Georgia.