Lithuanian parliament backs move to remove ban on weapons of mass destruction

Lithuania’s parliament on Tuesday backed a proposal to remove from the Constitution a ban on weapons of mass destruction and foreign military bases on the country’s territory, advancing the measure to the next stage of the approval process, according to public broadcaster LRT.

The amendment would repeal Article 137 of the Constitution, which currently states that weapons of mass destruction and military bases belonging to foreign states cannot be located on Lithuanian territory.

The Seimas, Lithuania’s parliament, voted 99-13, with five abstentions, in favor of the proposal.

The proposal must receive two more parliamentary approvals, with at least three months between the votes.

It will require the support of at least 94 of the 141 members of the Seimas.

The first vote on final adoption is scheduled for Oct. 6, while the final vote is planned for Jan. 12, according to Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas.

Laurynas Kasciunas, leader of the opposition Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats faction, said removing the restriction would not mean Lithuania intended to deploy nuclear weapons but would remove a constitutional restriction on NATO’s nuclear deterrence arrangements.

“Lithuania must not create obstacles to NATO’s nuclear deterrence,” Social Democrat Remigijus Motuzas, chairman of the Seimas Foreign Affairs Committee, said.

Opponents questioned the need to amend the Constitution and raised concerns about removing the restriction on foreign military bases.

Remigijus Zemaitaitis, leader of the Nemunas Dawn faction, said the amendment could be used by Russia and Belarus for propaganda purposes.

Independent lawmaker Ignas Vegele questioned why the proposal would also remove the provision concerning foreign military bases.

The proposed amendment would remove the current constitutional prohibition but would not by itself authorize the deployment of nuclear weapons or foreign military bases in Lithuania.