Baltic Defence College to Hold Change of Command Ceremony and Graduation on 17 June 2026

The Baltic Defence College will hold its Change of Command Ceremony and Graduation on Wednesday, 17 June 2026 in Tartu, Estonia. The event will mark the handover of command from Brigadier General Alvydas Šiuparis of Lithuania to Brigadier General Egils Leščinskis of Latvia, while also celebrating the graduation of students from three senior-level professional military education programmes.

This year’s graduation will include the Higher Command Studies Course, the Joint Command and General Staff Course, and the Civil Servants’ Course. In total, 104 students from 16 nations will graduate, reflecting the College’s continued role as a multinational centre of excellence for professional military education and civil-military cooperation in the Baltic region and beyond.

The ceremony will be attended by the Minister of Defence of Estonia Mr Hanno Pevkur, the Minister of Defence of Latvia Mr Raivis Melnis, the Vice-Minister of National Defence of Lithuania Dr Karolis Aleksa, the Mayor of Tartu Mr Urmas Klaas, the Chief of Defence of the Republic of Latvia Major General Kaspars Pudāns, and other senior military representatives from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, underlining the importance of the occasion for regional defence cooperation and military education.

The Change of Command Ceremony and Graduation highlights the Baltic Defence College’s enduring mission to educate and develop senior military officers and civil servants for leadership in multinational security and defence environments. The event also reflects the close cooperation among the Baltic States and partner nations in strengthening regional and international security.

Representatives of the media are invited to cover the ceremony. As this is a restricted-access event, attendance must be coordinated in advance with the Baltic Defence College.