KYIV. June 10 (Interfax-AVN) - The defense ministers of Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania signed an agreement in Brussels to form a joint Ukrainian-Polish-Lithuanian battalion (UkrPolLitbat), an official of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry press service told Interfax-Military News Agency Friday.
"The battalion will be formed on the basis of the existing UkrPolbat peacekeeping battalion of Ukraine and Poland acting as part of Multinational Brigade East of the KFOR," he said.
The Lithuanian platoon acts as a separated detachment in Brigade East's structure, the official noted.
He also said that the initiative to form a join battalion was preliminary discussed by the defense ministries of the three countries.
Now that the memorandum of intentions is signed, the practical phase will start. For instance, general staffs of the three countries' Armed Forces will have prepared all their suggestions as to the composition, funding and overall support of the unit as well as on rotation of all level commanders by September 1, 2005.
The press service informed that the Ukrainian and Polish detachments of the battalion will not change their structure and strength, while the Lithuanian platoon will be reinforced to a company with the strength of about 100 personnel. Representatives of the three countries will head UkrPolLitbat in succession.