Lithuania’s 20th anniversary of NATO: what path the country had to take and when did the first allied fighter jets land here

It was not easy for Lithuania to join the Alliance, but returning to the international space, membership in the European Union and NATO were among the most important strategic goals in order to ensure the 1990s. the secure future of Lithuania that has restored its independence. Back in 1994 Lithuania submitted an official application to become a member and joined the “Partnership for Peace” program. Partnership for Peace). in 1996 the National Security Framework Law was adopted, in which integration into European and transatlantic structures was named a priority goal of Lithuania’s foreign policy and a means of ensuring national security.

According to the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NATO membership was achieved only after the concerted efforts of Lithuanian institutions and people: “We worked a lot in that direction, did all the necessary “homework” and carried out essential security and defense reforms in preparation for membership. We have been consistently raising the profile of Lithuania, seeking to show and convince our partners about our progress towards security and stability in the Baltic region. in 1997 we established the Lithuanian mission to NATO. Lithuania had to prove that it could contribute to ensuring the security of the Alliance, therefore, in preparation for membership, we contributed to the NATO missions in Kosovo and Afghanistan”.

in 1991 On May 31st, the first unofficial visit of the Lithuanian delegation led by the Chairman of the Supreme Council Professor Vytautas Landsbergis to the NATO headquarters took place. Since it was not possible to organize an official meeting at that time, the visit of the Lithuanian delegation to NATO headquarters was mediated by the Danish mission to NATO. Later, in December of the same year, Lithuania joined the North Atlantic Cooperation Council together with Latvia and Estonia.

On January 13 of the following year, Ambassador Adolfas Venskus officially began his duties as Lithuania’s representative in Brussels for relations with the European Community and NATO affairs. A year later, the parties of the Lithuanian Seimas appealed to the then president Algirdas Brazauskas regarding the integration of the Republic of Lithuania into NATO. Later, the Seimas issued a memorandum on the fundamental principles of Lithuania’s national foreign policy.

in 1994 January 4 President A. Brazauskas sent a letter to NATO Secretary General Manfred Werner with Lithuania’s wish to become a NATO member. The letter states the position based on the agreement signed by the representatives of all parliamentary parties regarding Lithuania’s aspiration to become a member of NATO. On the same day, A. Brazauskas issued a statement regarding Lithuania’s membership in NATO.

In 1996, Lithuania adopted the Law on the Basics of National Security, which named integration into European and transatlantic structures as a priority goal of Lithuania’s foreign policy and a means of ensuring national security.

“We believe that the most important role for the accession was played by the fact that Lithuania clearly demonstrated that it is ready to contribute to ensuring security. In this context, the decision to support the US in the fight against terrorism after 2001 was important. September 11 attacks. Due to its contribution and involvement, Lithuania was recognized as a provider of security, not just a consumer. We also worked together with other Baltic and Eastern European countries to show the common determination of our societies and the work done towards NATO membership. in 2023 The NATO summit held in Vilnius is a significant recognition of Lithuania’s contribution and active actions as a NATO ally”, – Delphi said a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

in 1997 were extremely significant for Lithuania’s entry into the Alliance, because on July 8-9 At the meeting of the leaders of the NATO countries in Madrid, it was noted that the Baltic countries have made progress in ensuring security and stability in the Baltic region. August 1 Lithuanian mission to NATO was established. In October, the former Minister of National Defense Linas Linkevičius was appointed the Lithuanian ambassador to NATO.

The following year, the presidents of the USA and the three Baltic states signed a cooperation charter. And in 1999 Lithuania’s efforts and progress towards membership in the organization were recognized at the NATO leaders’ meeting held in Washington. The Membership Action Plan was approved at the meeting, which will help Lithuania prepare for joining NATO.

in 2000 May 18-19 A meeting of foreign ministers of nine NATO candidates took place in Vilnius, during which the commitment to create a united and free Europe together with European countries, the USA and Canada was confirmed by the “Vilnius Declaration”. The participants of this meeting (later joined by Croatia) gathered in the “Vilnius ten” group.

Although the first ever NATO summit was held in Vilnius last year, members of the Alliance gathered in the Lithuanian capital for the spring session of the Parliamentary Assembly as early as 2001. A year later, on November 21, in Prague, seven NATO candidates – Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia – were invited to start negotiations with NATO for membership. And in 2003 March 26 signed the protocols of the invited candidates joining the North Atlantic Treaty, otherwise known as the Washington Treaty.

The most important year of relations between Lithuania and NATO is 2004. March 10 The Seimas of Lithuania ratified the Washington Treaty. March 29 the then minister Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas, visiting Washington together with the prime ministers of Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia, handed over the letters of ratification of the Washington Treaty to US Secretary of State Colin Powell. On this historic day, Lithuania became a full member of NATO.

in 2004 March 29 The first 2 F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters of the Royal Belgian Air Force landed at Šiauliai airport. From that moment on, the Allies began to carry out NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission. April 2 The Lithuanian flag was raised in front of the NATO headquarters in Brussels.

At the NATO summit held in Vilnius last year, the commitment of the allies to allocate at least 2% to GDP for defense. “This is the absolute minimum. Lithuania currently spends 2.77 percent on defense. In terms of GDP, we are also among the top 5 NATO countries according to this indicator. Lithuania’s defense budget has grown by more than 300% since 2014. – this is the largest growth among Alliance members. However, in response to security challenges, in order to implement defense plans and the provisions of Article 3 of the NATO Treaty, which obliges allies to develop individual and collective defense capabilities, we see a strong need to continue increasing defense investments in Lithuania. By investing significantly in defense, we also demonstrate a strong commitment to collective defense, based on the principle of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said about the current situation of NATO membership.