86 members of the Seimas votes in favor, one was against and two abstained.
Lawmakers backed the amendments proposed by President Dalia Grybauskaite more than a year ago. The bill stipulates that the president would be able to make a decision on allowing Lithuanian citizens with special merits to the State of Lithuania, who have acquired citizenship of a foreign country, to preserve their Lithuanian citizenship.
A citizen's special merits would be defined as any activity that significantly contributes to strengthening Lithuania's statehood, power and authority internationally.
The amendment would also allow persons with special merits to Lithuania to regain their Lithuanian citizenship after losing it previously.
Grybauskite intiiated the amendments last November following media reports that Lithuanian basketball player Zydrunas Ilgauskas lost his Lithuanian citizenship after become a citizen of the United States.
Now under the Constitution of Lithuania, "with the exception of individual cases provided for by law, no one may be a citizen of both the Republic of Lithuania and another state at the same time."
The existing Law on Citizenship states that dual citizenship is allowed only for persons who fled Lithuania during its occupation before March 11, 1990 or acquired citizenship automatically by birth or through marriage.
Dual citizen is not allowed for people who left the country after it restored independence.
