Poland, Lithuania and Ukraine form joint brigade
The defence ministers of Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine signed in Warsaw on Friday an intergovernmental agreement on setting up a joint, tri-national brigade (LITPOLUKRBRIG).
The document, in the presence of Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski, was signed by Polish Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, Lithuanian MoD Juozas Olekas and Ukrainian MoD Valeriy Heletey.
The brigade's main tasks will include participating in international peacekeeping efforts, intensifying regional military cooperation and building the foundations for an EU combat group.
Work on forming the group began in 2007. The signing of an agreement was postponed several times. The brigade will be used in operations of the United Nations, NATO, the European Union and also in emergency coalitions, the Polish Defence Ministry has stated.
The unit's headquarters will be in Lublin (eastern Poland). The brigade's sub-units from the three countries will remain in their regular places of deployment, being under the brigade chief's command during exercises and missions. Key posts in the brigade will be filled in turn by officers from the three countries.
Source: president.pl; PAP