The jubilee anniversary of Lithuania’s membership in NATO: how do young people evaluate the decisions made 20 years ago?

As announced on the official website of the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Lithuania, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, abbreviated as NATO, was founded in 1949. This international organization consists of European and North American states united to ensure the freedom and security of all members of the Alliance through political and military means. It is security as the most important need that is also singled out by a frequent young Lithuanian, when asked why Lithuania’s membership in the Alliance is important to him, as a Lithuanian citizen.

“I will not say anything new. Lithuania’s membership in NATO provides a sense of security, which is especially important in these troubled times,” said the girl.

“I understand Lithuania’s membership in NATO as the key to the security of all of us, that is, the citizens of Lithuania. As a young person, it is difficult for me to even imagine where Lithuania would be today if we had not become members of the Alliance 20 years ago,” shared another girl.

She admitted that she has to think about it very often today.

“When there are so many disturbances in the world, and some of them are right around the corner – whether we want it or not, we probably all think about Lithuania’s security almost every day. I and my environment are no exception,” said the girl.

She was seconded by another young interlocutor, who identifies the importance of Lithuania’s membership in NATO as an equally significant matter.

“Lithuania’s membership in NATO seemed to be a matter of course until now, but the military invasion that started right next to our country fundamentally changed the attitude towards it. Membership in NATO gives me more security that we are not alone, we are surrounded by strong and united member states that would be willing to help. At least we can hope for that and thus reduce anxiety about our security and that of Lithuania. This is especially important when we have many reasons to worry, and this can at least somewhat improve our emotional state and calm us down,” said the girl.

NATO’s core goals remain three – collective defense, crisis management and cooperative security, but, as the Ministry of National Defense announces, it is collective defense that is especially important for Lithuania. According to the source, this is primarily due to the growing capabilities and threat of Russia, because we have a border with Russia (Kaliningrad) and Belarus, which is becoming more and more dependent on Russia. Thus, it is easy to understand why the issue of defense capabilities is what both Lithuania and the entire Alliance seek to constantly strengthen and transform.

As announced by the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Lithuania, after Lithuania’s decision on NATO membership, Lithuania has purposefully sought to become a member of the Alliance for more than 10 years, implementing reforms and other actions necessary for membership. So, the path to the goal was not easy and simple.

Since 2004, Lithuania, together with the Allies of the Alliance, has come a long way in cooperation, the Ministry of Homeland Security announces. As new challenges and opportunities appeared, the Alliance, and with it the vegetation system of the Land of Lithuania, changed over time and adapted.

As announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, Lithuania’s membership in NATO is based on the provision enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania “to ensure the security and independence of the country, the well-being of citizens and their fundamental rights and freedoms” and the Law on the Basics of National Security of the Republic of Lithuania, which stipulates that national security is ensured by the state, integrating to NATO and as a full member, actively participating in this organization. Lithuania’s membership in NATO increases trust, stability and security in the region and throughout Europe, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs points out that the Republic of Lithuania adheres to the indivisible security policy of NATO and the EU: a threat to the security of one NATO or EU member state is also a threat to the national security of the Republic of Lithuania. National security policy implementation tasks are grouped according to three pillars: state defense, state and citizen resilience, and international security systems that meet the interests of the Republic of Lithuania.