Over the 13 years of membership Lithuania has become a full-fledged and reliable member of the world’s strongest defence alliance and is contribute to all three main NATO tasks: collective defence, crisis management, and security cooperation.
According to the Minister, the world has changed significantly over those 13 years, and so has the security situation, therefore NATO membership is even more important to Lithuania today. There are no alternatives to the Alliance and fulfilment of every ally’s commitments equals their security. Each ally faces different security challenges, and each of them needs to have allies, no matter how big and powerful it is.
“On the other hand, no alliances will be able to defend the one who does not care about it itself. I am happy that this is already understood with one accord in Lithuania, therefore I wish us all on the occasion of the anniversary of Lithuania’s NATO membership to keep strengthening national defence,” R. Karoblis says. Lithuania responds to building threats by strengthening national defence capabilities: defence funding is increased, the Lithuanian Armed Forces and military facilities are modernised and upgraded, etc.
Deployment of allied forces in Lithuania and other countries in the region ensures effective deterrence and demonstrates NATO solidarity. At the same time soldiers of the Lithuanian Armed Forces contribute to the expansion of regional and global security and demonstrate that Lithuania stands in solidarity with other allies by participating in international missions and operations across the world.
According to Minister R.Karoblis, the support of Lithuania’s society to the country’s leadership in the strongest defence Alliance is crucial The absolute majority of Lithuanian population are in favour of NATO membership and support military NATO presence in the country, a public opinion poll conducted by request of the Ministry of National Defence in December 2016 found.
Lithuania became a member of NATO on March 29, 2004, after depositing the ratification documents of the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington. NATO membership is the fundamental of the Lithuanian security policy. AS a member of NATO, Lithuania is a part of a collective defence organisation where solidarity of allies, collective defence guarantee, and mutual commitments are the underlying principles.
