Flags Raising Ceremony and The Fifth Anniversary of the NATO ENSEC COE

On the 10^th of October the NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence has commemorated its 5^th Year Anniversary and the joining of two new Members with the Flags Raising Ceremony. The two nations, the United States of America and the Federal Republic of Germany, have joined the NATO ENSECCOE as Sponsoring Nations on the 19^th of July 2017.

The ceremony began with raising the new Member’s flags by the Honour Guard Company. It was followed by speeches from the esteemed guests: Mr. Krist-Gilbhardt Fahl, the Deputy Head of the Directorate-General Infrastructure, Environmental Protection and Services within the Federal Ministry of Defence of the Federal Republic of Germany; Ms. Diane Kohn, Acting Political and Economic Chief of Embassy of the United States of America; Mr. Raimundas Karoblis, Minister of National Defence of Lithuania; Mr. Darius Skusevičius, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, and Colonel Gintaras Bagdonas, the Director of the NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence.

Numerous international guests were present to celebrate together with the Centre, such as Colonel Timothy Zimmerman, of the US European Command, the Ambassadors of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Georgia, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Turkey, Ukraine and other diplomats from various nations. The Centre was also congratulated by the heads and members of different organizations: military and governmental institutions, academia and industry.

The festive occasion was used to reaffirm the direction and future goals of the Centre and to bring together Representatives of Member Nations and Partners. The honoured guests restated support for the Centre and the need of its expertise in present and future challenges.