News

30 June the Permanent Representative of Lithuania on the NAC, Ambassador Linas Linkevičius officially handed an award of the National Defence System of the Republic of Lithuania, a Medal of Merit for civilians, to Jeff Rathke, the Deputy Director of the NATO Secretary General’s Private Office. 

Working in the NATO SG Private Office, J. Rathke was especially active in assisting Lithuania to better integrate into the Alliance, to reflect the Lithuanian security interests in the NATO agenda, in the strategic and operational documents and in the everyday work of the Alliance.

J. Rathke, who has visited Lithuania a number of times, said that he is and will stay a close friend of Lithuania and the Baltic States. J. Rathke is ending his functions in NATO this month, and is returning to the United States Foreign Service.