Lithuanian parliament approves amendments to constitution on nuclear weapons
The Seimas of Lithuania has previously approved amendments to the Constitution, which abolish the ban on the deployment of foreign military bases and weapons of mass destruction in the country. To pass the amendments, two-thirds of MPs must support them again - but not earlier than three months later.
The Seimas of Lithuania has previously approved amendments to the Constitution, which abolish the ban on the deployment of foreign military bases and weapons of mass destruction in the country. To pass the amendments, two-thirds of MPs must support them again - but not earlier than three months later.
The initiative was supported by 99 MPs. Another 13 MPs voted against and five abstained. “NATO’s nuclear deterrence is one of the most important parts of the alliance’s collective defense architecture,” said Juozas Olekas, the project’s developer and Seimas Speaker. This system has been in place for decades and reduces the risk of aggression against NATO. Olekas stressed that the international situation around Lithuania has changed significantly since the adoption of the constitution in 1992.
Remigijus Motuzas, head of the Seimas Foreign Affairs Committee, said that the vast majority of NATO countries have no restrictions on the deployment of military bases and nuclear weapons, including Latvia, Estonia and Poland. “We cannot be less protected than other NATO countries,” he said.
