Lithuania Backs Constitutional Changes On Foreign Military Presence

Lithuania's Seimas has approved at first reading a constitutional amendment that would remove the provision banning weapons of mass destruction and foreign military bases from the country's territory. The vote took place on September 22.

Under the proposal, Article 137 of Lithuania's Constitution would be repealed. The article currently states that weapons of mass destruction and foreign military bases may not be located on Lithuanian territory.

According to Lithuanian media, the amendment received 99 votes in favor, 13 against, while five lawmakers abstained.

The proposed change still requires further approval. Under Lithuania's constitutional procedure, amendments must receive at least 94 votes in three separate votes, with an interval of at least three months between the votes.

Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas, who initiated the proposal, said NATO's nuclear deterrence is an important component of the alliance's collective defense architecture. He argued that Lithuania's security environment has changed significantly since the Constitution was adopted and that the country should be able to participate fully in NATO's deterrence system.

Under Article 137 of Lithuania's Constitution, weapons of mass destruction and foreign military bases currently cannot be stationed on Lithuanian territory.

Image: AP

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