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United States Department of Defense and Federal Bureau of Investigation International Counterproliferation Program Training Courses for Lithuanian Specialists

August 20, 2003

20 Aug 2003, -- Vilnius, Lithuania. The International Counterproliferation (ICP) Program, implemented by the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency as the ICP Program executive agent, is presenting the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Crime Scene Operations Course from 11-15 August 2003 and the WMD Crime Scene Management Course from 18-22 August 2003 to Lithuanian specialists from throughout Lithuania.

Specialists from various departments within the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of National Defense, and the Ministry of Health Care will receive classroom and practical instruction on the use of various types of WMD counterproliferation equipment, including detection and monitoring devices and personal protective equipment.

Upon completion of the training courses, the United States Government will donate approximately $285,000.00 worth of WMD counterproliferation equipment to the Republic of Lithuania.

Press event: Reporters and photographers are invited to the Training Course press event at the Nemencine Civil Defense Training Center on Thursday, 21 August 2003, at 10.00 h. Registration required. Please provide your name and agency or publication you are working for by 16.00h today. Tel. (370 5) 2660330 or e-mail andra@usembassy.lt .

The United States Government is pleased to cooperate so closely with its Lithuanian colleagues on combating the threat of WMD proliferation. The course instructors have been very impressed with the high-caliber students who are well experienced in civil protection.

The Republic of Lithuania signed the WMD Agreement in October 2002 and ratified it in April 2003. Ratification of the WMD Agreement allowed ICP to provide equipment to assist Lithuania in its counter-proliferation efforts, supplementing the ongoing training program. The training program began in January 2000 when a group of high level Lithuanian officials attended the WMD Executive Seminar in Budapest, Hungary and agreed to participate in the program. Since then, the ICP Program has presented the Criminal Investigations Course in December 2001 and the Crisis Incident Management Course in January 2003.