The Senior Leaders’ Course (SLC), focused on the theme “Defending the Baltic Region,” began in Vilnius, Lithuania on November 19, 2025.

This year, 36 participants from 20 countries and more than 35 guest speakers from the Euro-Atlantic community will discuss key Baltic security and defence issues.

Now in its tenth edition, the SLC seeks to foster a common understanding of security issues in the Baltic Sea region and offers a distinctive platform for executive networking among Allied flag officers and their senior civilian counterparts.

This year's topics include Allied views on defence in the Baltic Sea region, government policy and resource priorities, non-governmental approaches, operational credibility, resilience against hybrid threats, and enhanced regional military cooperation for stronger defence and deterrence.

In his opening remarks, the Chief of Defence of the Republic of Lithuania, GEN Raimundas Vaikšnoras, stated: “The Alliance’s commitment to the Baltic region has never been stronger,” and he highlighted Germany’s deployment of a full brigade to Lithuania. He also emphasized that “military preparation is not enough, and the involvement of the whole society is necessary.”

Mr Robertas Kaunas, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Lithuania, delivered a keynote address on the SLC opening day, highlighting the current security challenges confronting Lithuania. He underscored Ukraine's vital role in European security and noted that Lithuania's security is founded on strong armed forces, collective defence measures, and the resilience of society.

The SLC 2025 is supported by the General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy of Lithuania.

Alongside the faculty and staff at the Baltic Defence College, the course benefits greatly from the support of two senior mentors: retired flag officers LTG (ret) Stuart Skeates and MG (ret) Vitalijus Vaikšnoras.

The course is scheduled to conclude on November 26 and will culminate in a Joint Graduation Ceremony with the Command Senior Enlisted Leaders’ Course (CSELC).

The SLC and CSELC are both distinguished programs offered by the Baltic Defence College, designed to provide strategic-level education and facilitate executive-level networking.