SEIMAS OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA
RESOLUTION
AMENDING RESOLUTION NO IX-907 OF THE SEIMAS OF
THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA OF 28 MAY 2002 ON THE APPROVAL OF
THE NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY
16 December 2021 No XIV-795
Vilnius
The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, resolves:
Article 1.
To amend Resolution No IX-907 of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania of 28 May 2002 on the Approval of the National Security Strategy to read as follows:
‘SEIMAS OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA
RESOLUTION
ON THE APPROVAL OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY
The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, resolves:
Article 1.
To approve the National Security Strategy (annexed).’
Speaker of the Seimas Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen
APPROVED
by Resolution No IX-907
of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania
of 28 May 2002
(version of Resolution No XIV-795
of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania
of 16 December 2021)
NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY
CHAPTER I
General provisions
1. The National Security Strategy (hereinafter: the ‘Strategy’) represents a set of key provisions defining the development of a secure state. On the basis of the values enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, the Strategy identifies essential interests of national security, the key risk factors, dangers and threats posed to these interests, sets the priorities of the development of the national security system and foreign, defence and domestic policies, as well as long-term objectives to ensure the status of national security.
2. The international system is becoming increasingly unpredictable due to global and regional processes that have emerged in recent years. As the confrontation between authoritarian and democratic states intensifies, authoritarian states, in particular the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China, pose new challenges to Western democracies, to their partners and to the Euro-Atlantic community as a whole. The Republic of Lithuania needs to adapt to changes in the world and the region, to be able to operate in a less predictable environment, to cooperate more effectively with allies and partners, and to increase the resilience of the State and its society to emerging threats.
3. The Republic of Lithuania perceives its national security as the development and strengthening of statehood and democracy through the concerted efforts of the State of Lithuania and its citizens, the ensuring of the nation’s secure existence and the internal and external security of the State, the deterrence of any potential attacker, the defence of the Republic of Lithuania’s independence, the integrity of its territory, and its constitutional order.
4. The national security policy of the Republic of Lithuania is open, transparent and non-confrontational, upholding and defending the declared values and national interests of the country. The Republic of Lithuania does not consider any state to be its enemy and contributes to international peace and comprehensive security based on the promotion of freedom and democracy, the protection of human rights and freedoms, the primacy of international law and multilateral cooperation.
5. The national security of the Republic of Lithuania is part of the security of the Euro-Atlantic community. The Republic of Lithuania pursues the indivisible security policy of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (hereinafter: the ‘NATO’) and the European Union (hereinafter: the ‘EU’): a threat to the security of one NATO or EU member state is considered a threat to the national security of the Republic of Lithuania. The Republic of Lithuania implements the indivisible security policy independently, in cooperation with other states and through international organisations. Lithuania participates in the strengthening of international security and assume its own share of commitments.
6. The Strategy is based on the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, the Law of the Republic of Lithuania on the Basics of National Security, NATO and EU treaties as well as on the strategic goals and operational guidelines stated in security and defence strategy papers of the NATO and the EU. The Republic of Lithuania abides by the universally recognised norms, principles and commitments of international law, as enshrined in the documents of the United Nations (hereinafter: the ‘UN’), the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (hereinafter: the ‘OSCE’) and the Council of Europe.
7. The national security of the Republic of Lithuania is ensured by its citizens, their communities and organisations, the President of the Republic of Lithuania, the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, the Armed Forces, the police, intelligence institutions as well as all other institutions and agencies in the course of performing their duties and functions in the field of national security. In the face of contemporary threats, ensuring comprehensive security requires greater cooperation between the public and private sectors in the field of national security.
CHAPTER II
VALUES AND NATIONAL SECURITY INTERESTS
SAFEGUARDED BY THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA
8. Ensuring national security is a condition for the prosperity of the State and society. National security interests is based on the values enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania. These values, together with national security interests, determine the key goals of foreign, defence and domestic policy.
9. The Republic of Lithuania cherishes and safeguards:
9.1. the independence, sovereignty and democracy of the State, the integrity of its territory, and its democratic constitutional order;
9.2. the centuries-old tradition of statehood which has been maintained on the basis of the Christian culture uniting Europe, the historical memory of the independent State of Lithuania, and the cultural identity and language of the Lithuanian nation;
9.3. the sustainable growth of the social and economic well-being of the population as a whole, the security and health of the population, and human rights and freedoms.
10. The values enshrined and upheld in the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania create preconditions for a vibrant civil society that cherishes freedom, is open to the world, and is respectful of the State of Lithuania, its history and way of life, and abides by the laws of the State. The State, by maintaining strong ties with the Lithuanian diaspora and by preserving, perpetuating and actualising the cultural heritage of the national communities of the Republic of Lithuania, promotes creativity and openness in the fields of culture, education and science.
11. The national security interests of the Republic of Lithuania are as follows:
11.1. the sovereignty of the State, the integrity of the territory and the democratic constitutional order. The right of the citizens of the Republic of Lithuania to freely elect their political representatives pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania ensures a viable democratic constitutional order, the protection of human rights and freedoms, the sovereignty of the State, the integrity and independence of its territory and constitutes the basis for the development of the State and for the creation of the well-being of citizens;
11.2. peace, the prosperity of the population and a secure environment for the development of the State. The national security of the Republic of Lithuania requires progress on its domestic policy, ensuring sustainable demographic and economic development, public security and health, reduction of social exclusion and income inequality, reduction of polarisation of society, prevention of terrorism and violent extremism, protection and resilience of critical infrastructure, secure and uninterrupted supply of energy and other resources, adequate national reserves, public, information and cyber security, resilience to corruption, coordinated state preparedness for crisis management, clean natural environment and its sustainability;
11.3. the viability and unity of the Euro-Atlantic community. The Republic of Lithuania is strengthened by its membership of NATO and the EU, and by the military and political presence of the United States of America (hereinafter: the ‘USA’) in Europe and the region. NATO remains the sole and essential collective defence organisation, therefore the strengthening of NATO’s deterrence and collective defence by ensuring a permanent and strong military presence of NATO and its allies in the region is a fundamental guarantee of the security of the Republic of Lithuania. The EU develops a Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) in which the participation of the Republic of Lithuania strengthens its security and capabilities. The EU supports infrastructure projects in Lithuania and other countries in the region that improve the economic and energy security of the Baltic States. The viability and unity of the EU and NATO, the security and solidarity of all the states of the Euro-Atlantic community are an important condition for ensuring the national security interests of the Republic of Lithuania.
CHAPTER III
SECURITY ENVIRONMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA
12. The global and regional security environment remains dynamic and complex. Shifts in the international security system and the increasing hostility of authoritarian states towards democracies make the security environment increasingly unpredictable. Ignoring international law and commitments becomes a source of new political, economic, military tensions or conflicts and increases global instability.
13. The complexity of threats is characterised by the blurring of differences between war and peace, external and internal, military and non-military threats, state and non-state sources of threats. This makes hybrid threats more challenging for the Euro-Atlantic community, and thus also for the Republic of Lithuania. Non-military, subversive measures are increasingly being used to affect the security interests of the states of the Euro-Atlantic community. Hostile actions by foreign states aimed at influencing the political, social and economic processes of the Republic of Lithuania by avoiding attribution and response represent a threat to national security.
14. The greatest threat to the national security of the Republic of Lithuania and the safeguarding of national interests stems from the growing authoritarianism, aggressiveness and implementation of the imperialist ambitions of the government of the Russian Federation through military and other unconventional hybrid means. By increasingly ignoring not only the opinion of the international community, but also violating international law, the government of the Russian Federation poses an existential threat to the security of the Republic of Lithuania and, at the same time, the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic community.
15. The Russian Federation is intensively developing its offensive military capabilities, continuing its aggression against its neighbours and violating the norms and principles of international law. Intensive military modernisation is undergoing in the Western Military District, its military contingent is being increased in the Kaliningrad region, and large-scale offensive exercises based on scenarios of conflict with NATO countries to shorten the time needed to prepare for military action are being carried out. The Russian Federation also declares its readiness and willingness to use military force to pursue its objectives, without ruling out the use of nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states, therefore the Republic of Lithuania must continue to pay close attention to military threats.
16. The hostility of the authoritarian political regime of the Republic of Belarus and its provocations against the Republic of Lithuania and other democratic states increase unpredictability and pose new security threats. The growing influence of the Russian Federation over the Republic of Belarus and the strengthening of the political, economic and military integration of the two countries have a negative impact on the security environment of the Republic of Lithuania and the entire region. Additional threats to national security are posed by the modern technologies and software developed by these states to enable their malicious activities.
17. The growing economic and military power of the People’s Republic of China, its ambitions to reshape the international order and its increasingly aggressive pursuit of this goal are becoming the most important axis of geopolitical competition and of the growing tensions between democracies and authoritarian states. The communist ideology of the People’s Republic of China contradicts the values enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania and, at the same time, the national interests of the State. In Europe, the People’s Republic of China is consolidating its position mainly by building economic and technological dependence. It supports the development of private Chinese business in the West, while obliging them to act for its benefit, including through the unlawful collection and transmission of data to its government. This creates the preconditions for the economic and technological progress of Western states to be impeded, for unity to be broken, for independence to be eroded, for espionage to be carried out; therefore these tendencies are threatening the security of the whole of the democratic world.
18. The unpredictability of the global and regional security environment is compounded by the risks posed to treaties on the non-proliferation and control of weapons of mass destruction. The security situation in Europe is exacerbated by the crisis in the OSCE’s conventional arms control architecture as a result of the systematic violation of, non-compliance with or selective implementation of arms control agreements by the Russian Federation.
19. The differences in threat assessments by Western states or their interests which do not always coincide are exploited by authoritarian states to divide the unity of the Euro-Atlantic community. National and regional processes or activities of third countries aimed at the disintegration of Euro-Atlantic security structures or the erosion of the rules-based international order threaten the national security interests of the Republic of Lithuania.
20. The influence of foreign states in creating and maintaining economic and energy dependence and the threats that such dependence poses to national security remain relevant, and their management requires particular attention in terms of assessing compliance with national security interests.
21. The synchronisation of the electricity system of the Baltic States and the connection to the grid of Continental Europe, as well as other strategically important measures to reduce the vulnerability of energy and economy sectors may lead to increased hostile actions by foreign states against the Republic of Lithuania.
22. The incidents surrounding the construction, physical start-up and commissioning of the Belarusian nuclear power plant in Ostrovets, the unwillingness of the responsible authorities of the Republic of Belarus to cooperate in ensuring the safety of the plant, and the irresponsible approach to nuclear safety create preconditions for a serious nuclear incident. Therefore, the operation of the Belarusian nuclear power plant in Ostrovets represents a threat to the population of the Republic of Lithuania, requires additional resources to prepare for the management of potential threats, and poses a risk of adverse environmental impacts.
23. The development of disruptive technologies (artificial intelligence, big data, autonomous, quantum and other technologies) is no longer just a question of the future, but also presents opportunities and threats. Such technologies are increasingly being used to carry out faster, more dangerous or less identifiable and traceable actions against other states. Authoritarian states use technology to increase their power by monitoring and controlling their own and foreign citizens and businesses. The growing gap between the free-market approach to digital sovereignty as pursued by democracies and the state-control approach to digital sovereignty as pursued by authoritarian states expands the notion of the security environment, encourages a greater focus on the digital space, data management, manipulation, personal privacy, and the search for a balance between personal and public security.
24. Intensive digitisation of all areas requires an increased focus on cyber and information threats, in particular with a view to ensuring the protection of critical infrastructure and the continuity of vital state functions, the fight against digital crime, and the resilience of society to cyber threats and disinformation.
25. Alienation between citizens and the State and confrontation on social, economic or cultural grounds can be fuelled and exploited by hostile external forces. The rise of political and religious extremist ideologies, the increasing popularity of divisive movements that justify violence and coercion, and other factors contributing to the polarisation of society jeopardise the safeguarding of the national security interests of the Republic of Lithuania.
26. The national security of the Republic of Lithuania depends directly and indirectly on long-term threats to security and stability in the European neighbourhood. Rising religious extremism, frozen conflicts, fragile states and the power and security vacuum in these states allow for the spread of radicalisation and terrorism, uncontrolled migration, organised crime, humanitarian crises and represent a serious challenge for the unity of the EU.
27. Climate change in the foreseeable future is important for the national security interests of the Republic of Lithuania as an additional factor fuelling conflicts, migration, posing food and water security and other challenges in the regions most affected by climate change in the European neighbourhood. The increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme hydro-meteorological events and weather anomalies due to climate change require a stronger focus on preparedness for natural crises or emergencies.
28. The COVID-19 pandemic has put to the test many public sectors and the emergency and crisis management system and highlighted the weaknesses of the global economic system. The consequences of the pandemic for public health and for the socio-economic development of the State call for an assessment of the lessons learnt and their application to increase the resilience of the State and society to possible future large-scale hazards. There is a constant risk of technogenic, natural, health or other crises and preparedness to manage it is essential for safeguarding the national security interests of the Republic of Lithuania.
29. Global processes such as climate change, technology-driven changes in the world economy, labour markets and industrial transformations, mass migration and demographic trends are becoming increasingly high on security and defence agendas. As a responsible member of the Euro-Atlantic community, the Republic of Lithuania must contribute to the collective resolution of these issues, so that the decisions taken today contribute to a safer environment in the future.
CHAPTER IV
NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY PRIORITIES AND OBJECTIVES
30. Given the security environment, the priorities and objectives of the development of the national security system as well as foreign, defence and domestic policies are defined for the purpose of safeguarding the national security interests of the Republic of Lithuania, with such priorities and objectives requiring the concerted efforts of the State and its citizens. National security priorities and objectives are grouped around three pillars:
30.1. state defence;
30.2. resilience of the State and society;
30.3. international security system that favours the interests of the Republic of Lithuania.
State defence
31. The main pillar of the defence of the Republic of Lithuania is the Armed Forces, therefore its strengthening must continue to be a top priority, in line with the commitment to reach a national defence funding level of 2.5 % of gross domestic product by 2030. Credible deterrence of aggression as well as defence of the State cannot be achieved without the support of allies, which is why it is essential to maintain and expand collective defence guarantees. At the same time, the geopolitical situation of the Republic of Lithuania requires that not only national and NATO allied forces, but also civilian state and municipal institutions, the private sector, and citizens be prepared for national defence. All of these elements are essential for the implementation of the total defence model and unconditional defence.
32. Objectives of strengthening national military capabilities are as follows:
32.1. to increase the combat power and readiness of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, focusing on the development of land warfare capabilities;
32.2. to develop cyber security and defence capabilities in line with the growing importance of cyberspace and to ensure national capability to conduct military operations in cyberspace;
32.3. to strengthen air defence, air and sea surveillance in line with national security needs, electronic warfare capabilities and to ensure safe communications and command and control;
32.4. to man the Lithuanian Armed Forces using the mixed model of professional military servicemen, servicemen in mandatory initial military service and national defence volunteers in order to ensure sufficient completion of the peacetime structure of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, to assess the need for, and to take decisions on, an increase in the number of soldiers in the mandatory initial military service and the transition to universal military conscription;
32.5. to develop the active reserve of the Armed Forces sufficient to complete the wartime structure of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, adequately trained and equipped to meet the needs of the armed defence of the State;
32.6. to ensure the consistent increase of the readiness of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, to maintain and develop high readiness, including very high readiness, military units for immediate response to both military threats and hybrid armed incidents of a local nature, as well as violations of the state border of the Republic of Lithuania which do not by their nature amount to acts of aggression, and to enhance interoperability and preparedness of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and the public security institutions for these situations;
32.7. to ensure the timely development of infrastructure, in particular training areas, to meet the needs of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, and to develop the host nation’s support capacity and infrastructure enabling a permanent presence of the Allied Forces and the rapid and smooth deployment and operation of the Allied forces in the Republic of Lithuania;
32.8. to develop logistics capabilities, to ensure the building-up of strategic reserve for the Armed Forces, the security and resilience of supply chains, and to introduce innovative solutions for the acquisition and management of these resources;
32.9. to strengthen civil-military cooperation in the field of military innovation, to develop and implement guidelines for the defence and security industry with a view to achieving a development in line with the needs of the State’s armed defence and the provision of public security, and to create conditions for enhancing the competitiveness of the sector and promoting innovations;
32.10. to integrate the pursuit of disruptive technology capabilities into national defence planning, taking into account the requirements of the NATO Defence Planning Process;
32.11. to strengthen the readiness of the institutions constituting the wartime armed forces to operate with the Lithuanian Armed Forces by providing them with weapons, ammunition and equipment compliant with NATO standards.
33. Objectives of strengthening collective security guarantees are as follows:
33.1. to develop and strengthen NATO’s collective defence dimension and its preparedness to fulfil all obligations under the North Atlantic Treaty, in particular the collective defence provisions of Article 5;
33.2. to ensure the continuity and development of NATO’s deterrence and collective defence measures in the region, taking into account security threats therein;
33.3. to develop NATO’s collective defence plans by ensuring rapid and reliable reinforcement and response in the event of aggression;
33.4. to seek an increased permanent presence of the USA, the Federal Republic of Germany, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (hereinafter: the ‘United Kingdom’), and other allies in the Republic of Lithuania and in the region in order to enhance deterrence and ensure collective defence;
33.5. to support and participate in EU security and defence enhancement initiatives, giving priority to those EU initiatives that contribute to the enhancement of military mobility and cyber security, as well as to the development of military capabilities that are a priority for the Republic of Lithuania, while ensuring the coherence of the EU Common Security and Defence Policy with the goals of NATO and its openness to transatlantic partners, as well as to strengthen NATO-EU cooperation;
33.6. to strengthen military cooperation and interoperability with allies and partners in the region, in particular with the Republic of Estonia, the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Poland, to continue the coordination and synchronisation of national defence and capability development plans, and to increase military compatibility through participation in military exercises;
33.7. to participate in operations and missions led by NATO, the UN or allies, and to contribute to EU crisis management initiatives, including participation in operations and missions under the EU Common Security and Defence Policy.
34. Objectives of ensuring the preparedness of state and municipal institutions and citizens to support the execution of armed defence tasks are as follows:
34.1. to prepare a national defence plan defining the role and actions of the civilian institutions of the Republic of Lithuania, the private sector and citizens in the defence of the State in the event of an armed attack and to ensure the sustained preparation for the implementation of this plan;
34.2. to develop a national mobilisation system by ensuring the practical preparedness of participants of the mobilisation system, their self-sufficiency in terms of needed resources, as well as their smooth management;
34.3. to implement the NATO baseline requirements for national resilience and to provide for an authority responsible for coordinating implementation;
34.4. to ensure that the development of the civilian sectors, in particular transport, energy, finance and credit, information technology and telecommunications, agriculture and food, is consistent with the needs of preparedness for the armed defence of the State, enhances the resilience and security of critical infrastructure, and ensures a sufficient strategic reserve or the necessary production capacity;
34.5. to consistently improve the host nation’s military mobility conditions through the development of dual-use civilian infrastructure relevant to military needs;
34.6. to develop a dialogue between public, private and non-governmental sectors aiming at increasing their understanding of national security and their role in national defence;
34.7. to educate citizens who would be committed to the defence of the State and to foster their will to defend by supporting non-governmental organisations that promote active citizenship and patriotism, by expanding teaching of the basics of defence at all levels of education and by implementing innovative non-formal education measures;
34.8. to enhance the integration of the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union into the national security and defence system of the State by strengthening the preparedness of the Union and its members for participation in the armed defence of the State, and to support its pursued civic and patriotic education by upholding its efforts to organise and coordinate unarmed defence and non-violent civil resistance.
Resilience of the State and society
35. Resilience of the State and society contributes to deterring aggression and is the first line of defence. Resilience reduces the possibilities for hostile forces to have a negative impact on the State and society and provides a stronger basis for sustainable development of the State. The ability to withstand any disruption caused to the State or society without significant consequences, to subsequently return to baseline condition as soon as possible, or to adapt quickly to changed circumstances are the three main criteria for resilience. Building resilience is a continuous process that should cover all areas of the State.
36. Objectives of ensuring preparedness of the State for crisis and emergency management are as follows:
36.1. to develop national threat assessment and early warning capabilities and to organise training and exercises on a regular basis with a view to ensuring effective prevention of and preparedness for crises and emergencies and proper functioning of their management system;
36.2. to develop an integrated crisis and emergency management system and to ensure its interoperability with the mobilisation system;
36.3. to develop the capabilities of the civil protection system by strengthening competences in the field of civil protection, organisational preparedness and ensuring adequate material and human resources;
36.4. to pay particular attention to preparedness for potential accidents at the Belarusian nuclear power plant in Ostrovets by increasing the preparedness of state and municipal institutions, the capabilities of the civil protection system and the Lithuanian Armed Forces with a view to ensuring their efficient performance of the necessary functions in the event of a potential accident;
36.5. to develop the capacities and capabilities of public security authorities to respond to crises, emergencies or hybrid threats and to participate in national defence, to ensure the physical protection of facilities, property and objects of importance to ensuring national security;
36.6. to establish sustainable principles and criteria for the accumulation of the state reserve, to introduce innovative solutions for its administration, and to ensure the necessary accumulation of the state reserve;
36.7. to implement climate change mitigation and adaptation projects, in particular with a view to better preparing for emergencies caused by climate change or potential geopolitical changes such as mass migration or natural resource conflicts;
36.8. to enhance the culture of self-preservation in society by improving knowledge on how to prepare for potential crises or emergencies, to obtain necessary food and drinking water, and to develop the skills of ensuring one’s own security.
37. Objectives of strengthening cyber and information security and resilience are as follows:
37.1. to develop cyber security and defence capabilities with a view to ensuring the continuous development of the national cyber security and defence system, the effective identification, prevention, countering and management of cyber incidents and to develop effective public-private cooperation in this area;
37.2. to ensure that the digitisation of the State, through data opening, digital infrastructure, e-services, digital content or data creation, development and other digitisation initiatives, is aligned with national security interests;
37.3. to enable the State and society to benefit securely from new technologies and to ensure that only equipment from trusted manufacturers is used in critical information infrastructure and in the information resources of the State, while the deployment of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, 5G network and others, and the digitisation of the State are carried out in line with the highest standards of cyber security and resilience, and to ensure the uninterrupted functioning of critical information infrastructure in the event of crises;
37.4. to promote a cyber security culture through cooperation between the public, private, non-governmental and academic sectors, the development of research and innovation, international cooperation and public education, cyber security literacy;
37.5. to develop the capacities of state institutions and agencies to carry out targeted counter-disinformation activities with a view to ensuring coordinated monitoring, analysis, assessment and rapid alerting of the information environment and timely response to information incidents;
37.6. to strengthen the societal resilience to disinformation and other information threats by improving the education system, developing cultural services, educating critical thinking and carrying out coordinated mass media, social media and information literacy programmes and strategic communication campaigns, to enhance cooperation between the public, private, academic and non-governmental sectors;
37.7. to ensure conditions for the viability, independence, transparency and pluralism of the mass media, including through a balanced and coherent state support and tax policy;
37.8. to develop cooperation in NATO, EU and multilateral formats in the field of cyber security and countering disinformation with a view not only to strengthening the Republic of Lithuania’s capacities and capabilities in this field, but also to using its knowledge and competences for the benefit of the collective security of the Euro-Atlantic community.
38. Objectives of countering the hostile activities of foreign intelligence and security services are as follows:
38.1. to develop innovative and technologically advanced intelligence and counterintelligence activities that meet intelligence information requirements;
38.2. to counter the activities of foreign intelligence and security institutions and persons associated with them in the Republic of Lithuania that are hostile to the interests of the Republic of Lithuania;
38.3. to strengthen the security culture of state institutions which deal with classified information and the population by raising awareness of threats and protection against them, the proper protection of information comprising a state secret and an official secret, to carry out educational activities, that is, to explain the threats posed by intelligence and security services of foreign states and persons associated with them, as well as the methods of their operation;
38.4. to improve the system of control and supervision of intelligence institutions by ensuring political neutrality, institutional independence of the elements thereof and protection of human rights and freedoms.
39. Objectives of ensuring the protection of the EU’s external borders and the management of migration processes in the light of the changing situation are as follows:
39.1. to strengthen the protection of the EU’s external borders, to seek an update to the EU’s common strategic approach to the management of external borders, to establish common standards for the surveillance of these borders and effectively integrate new instruments in the field of EU migration and asylum in order to prevent the instrumentalisation of migration processes and the abuse of the right of asylum, as well as to implement the modernisation of the protection of the entire state border of the Republic of Lithuania as a matter of priority, with a particular focus on the introduction of advanced technical border surveillance tools, the strengthening of the physical protection and fortification of the border, the improvement of the interoperability of the competent authorities, the strengthening of links with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), the provision of the necessary means for the performance of functions;
39.2. to expand and to develop national information resources and infrastructure, their accessibility, integrity, confidentiality, interoperability with the EU’s central information systems with a view to ensuring the protection of the state border of the Republic of Lithuania and the management of migration processes;
39.3. to ensure preparedness for effective response to a potential influx of irregular migrants.
40. Objectives of ensuring prevention of terrorism, extremism and radicalisation are as follows:
40.1. to ensure national capabilities to prevent terrorist or violent extremist activities, to strengthen the response to terrorist acts, and to implement preventive measures against radicalisation, terrorist recruitment, terrorism and violent extremism propaganda, while protecting human rights and freedom of expression;
40.2. to improve the inter-institutional coordination mechanism for the prevention and control of terrorism or violent extremism as an integral part of the crisis management system and to optimise the exchange of information on threats of terrorism and violent extremism among institutions;
40.3. to increase the resilience of society to the spread of radicalisation and to educate society about the threats of extremist ideologies.
41. Objectives of strengthening the protection of the State’s financial system and ensuring an effective fight against organised crime are as follows:
41.1. to implement prevention and mitigation measures against potential threats related to money laundering, terrorist financing and illegal activities, which cause the greatest damage to the state budget and the EU budget;
41.2. to develop the national law enforcement system and the activities of specialised units for the fight against organised criminal groups and to improve the capacities to trace criminal assets;
41.3. to ensure the effective detection and investigation of international organised financial crimes causing immense damage to the state budget, such as embezzlement of value added tax, evasion and avoidance of excise duties, corporate income and other taxes, money laundering and illegal enrichment.
42. Objectives of control and prevention of corruption are as follows:
42.1. to create a corruption-resilient environment in the State, to ensure effective control of corruption, and to protect the interests of the State against the potential influence of corruption, including corruption as a tool of hostile action against the State;
42.2. to shape anti-corruption attitudes and to increase anti-corruption competences of state institutions and agencies, business and public actors with a view to reducing the distrust between the State and the population arising from corruption.
43. Objectives of ensuring economic and energy security are as follows:
43.1. to develop measures encouraging economic entities of the Republic of Lithuania to shift their business relations from authoritarian states to states that adhere to democratic values;
43.2. to develop and to effectively implement a system of control over foreign investments and transactions in strategic sectors in order to ensure that investments in economic sectors, objects of importance to ensuring national security and their protection zones come only from investors who meet the criteria of European and transatlantic integration chosen by the Republic of Lithuania and who have passed the national screening mechanism;
43.3. to reduce the dependence of the Republic of Lithuania’s transport sector, especially railways and the port, on one contracting party and to increase diversification;
43.4. to seek, through national and international measures, to expand the geography of the Republic of Lithuania’s exports, to increase participation in global value chains and to ensure resilience of supply chains;
43.5. to strengthen controls on the import, export and transit of military equipment and dual-use items by improving legislation and enhancing the capacities of the institutions that carry out such controls;
43.6. to strengthen the independence, reliability and resilience of the electricity system of the Republic of Lithuania, including increasing of the local generation of electricity, by ensuring that the Republic of Lithuania is self-sufficient in electricity and that the electricity system is able to operate independently in an isolated mode, pending its synchronisation with the grids of Continental Europe;
43.7. to ensure the fastest possible full integration of the Republic of Lithuania into the EU energy systems and to promote the diversification of energy source supply and the sustainable and competitive development of the energy sector;
43.8. to mobilise the international community’s support for the closure of the unsafe Belarusian nuclear power plant in Ostrovets, which represents a threat to the national security, environment and population of the Republic of Lithuania;
43.9. to ensure the effective implementation of measures to protect the electricity market and the electricity system against the entry of electricity from third countries with unsafe nuclear power plants;
43.10. to maintain the State’s oil and petroleum product stocks and reserves with a view to ensuring self-sufficiency in energy sources and energy in critical situations;
43.11. to ensure self-sufficiency in food resources of domestic production, using local raw materials.
44. Objectives of building resilience of the health system are as follows:
44.1. to strengthen the sustainability of the national health system with a view to responding promptly and effectively to crises and emergencies, including those related to climate change;
44.2. to improve the adaptability of healthcare institutions to crises and emergencies by responding to health threats and ensuring the accessibility of healthcare services in the event of crises and emergencies;
44.3. to develop a system for monitoring, forecasting and rapid response to threats posed by dangerous and highly dangerous communicable diseases (epidemics, pandemics).
45. Objectives of reducing the polarisation of society are as follows:
45.1. to strengthen the national identity promoting respect for the fundamental values enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, the commitment of citizens to preserve and strengthen the State, the civic and patriotic consciousness of society, to foster the historical memory and the Lithuanian language, and to create a vibrant civil society;
45.2. to increase the accessibility of information for the disabled, representatives of ethnic communities, and other groups of society exposed to information exclusion;
45.3. to reduce income inequality and the level of risk of poverty by improving the systems of social support, social insurance and the provision of social services and choosing the most effective and efficient benefit and tax policies;
45.4. to reduce the possibility for authoritarian states to exert negative influence by means of soft power and to seek that the legal persons, other organisations and their divisions operating in the Republic of Lithuania in the fields of research and studies, culture, art, entertainment, and other organisations and their divisions have as few as possible ties and relations of non-economic origin with entities of the authoritarian states;
45.5. to strengthen civil society and non-governmental organisations with a view to creating opportunities for different groups of society to acquire common socially unifying experiences through non-formal activities;
45.6. to promote research and experimental development in the field of national security and defence of Lithuania through the development of cooperation between public, private and non-governmental sectors.
International security system that favours
the interests of the Republic of Lithuania
46. Safeguarding of the national security interests of the Republic of Lithuania depends to a large extent on international political processes. The Republic of Lithuania must actively seek to participate in these processes by defending its interests and ensuring the most favourable international security environment, strengthening the rules-based international order, the unity of the Euro-Atlantic community and the security architecture in Europe. The development of bilateral relations and participation in multilateral or regional formats must be aligned with the values enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania and the interests of national security.
47. Objectives of strengthening the rules-based international order are as follows:
47.1. to seek, in all international formats, respect for the norms and principles of international law, human rights, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, the fulfilment of international obligations and to raise issues of violations by authoritarian states;
47.2. to seek that cooperation in multilateral formats, including the UN, the Council of Europe (CoE) and the OSCE, contribute to ensuring the rules- and international law-based order, to promote global cooperation among democracies, closer cooperation between the EU and the UN in the field of security;
47.3. not to engage in international formats or regional organisations promoted and established by authoritarian states that are incompatible with the policy of democratic values and compromise the interests of national security;
47.4. to actively support measures implementing international sanctions and their application and to improve national legislation by adjusting the competences of the state institutions responsible for implementing sanctions, especially in the area of sectoral sanctions.
48. Objectives of strengthening Euro-Atlantic security structures and the European security architecture are as follows:
48.1. to develop and to strengthen transatlantic ties, solidarity and unity and to ensure that the transatlantic agenda upholds the principle of indivisible transatlantic security;
48.2. to support initiatives aimed at strengthening the unity and solidarity of the Euro-Atlantic community, with an emphasis on the importance of transatlantic ties in bilateral and multilateral formats;
48.3. to enhance transatlantic cooperation through the development of technologies, creation and implementation of norms, standards and legal regulation thereof, to counter the activities of unreliable technology suppliers capable of threatening sectors of importance to ensuring national security, and to strengthen cooperation in research and improvement of disruptive technologies;
48.4. to consistently and actively support NATO’s open door policy, NATO membership aspirations of Ukraine and Georgia, to maintain consistent support for the EU enlargement process and to seek enhanced EU support for the security and resilience of the Eastern Partnership countries;
48.5. to pursue a targeted and systematic policy of secondment of national experts to NATO, the EU, other international institutions and organisations and civilian missions, ensuring a quality contribution by the Republic of Lithuania and strengthening its engagement in the international cooperation network;
48.6. to support the implementation of international conventions and initiatives and the strengthening of organisations in the fields of arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament, contributing to the security goals of the Republic of Lithuania and NATO allies;
48.7. to seek greater transparency and regulation related to the Russian Federation’s tactical nuclear weapons in Europe;
48.8. to use the OSCE’s platform to strengthen security and stability in Europe, including conventional arms control measures, security- and confidence-building measures and conflict resolution mechanisms.
48.9. Within the framework of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, to seek responsibility of states for the use of chemical weapons.
49. Objectives of developing bilateral and multilateral cooperation and enhancing representation of the interests of the Republic of Lithuania in the world are as follows:
49.1. while recognising the USA as a key guarantor of the security of the Republic of Lithuania, to develop strategic cooperation with the USA, particularly in the field of security and defence, with a view to establishing a permanent military presence of the USA in Lithuania, as well as in the fields of cyber security, trade, technology and energy, democracy and the promotion of human rights;
49.2. to develop a strategic partnership with the Republic of Poland and to seek new forms of cooperation in the field of security and defence, in particular to strengthen practical military cooperation, to implement joint Lithuanian-Polish energy and transport infrastructure projects, having regard to the requirements of military mobility, and to develop dual-purpose civilian infrastructure;
49.3. to develop strategic cooperation with the Federal Republic of Germany, to maintain its engagement in ensuring the security of the Republic of Lithuania and of the region, its permanent military presence in the Republic of Lithuania, and to further strengthen cooperation in the fields of security, defence, countering disinformation and hybrid threats;
49.4. to develop bilateral cooperation with the United Kingdom in the field of security and defence with a view to elevating it to the level of a strategic partnership, to actively participate in the activities of the UK-led high-readiness Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), and to strengthen the focus on the security issues in the Baltic Sea region;
49.5. to develop cooperation with the French Republic with a view to securing the support of this strategically important state for the implementation of the interests of the Republic of Lithuania;
49.6. to strengthen cooperation and coordination on the representation of common interests in the field of security and defence with the Republic of Latvia and the Republic of Estonia, to develop joint projects strengthening the security of the Baltic States, and to actively support and promote a strong partnership and close cooperation of the Kingdom of Sweden and the Republic of Finland with NATO;
49.7. to seek favourable solutions for the Republic of Lithuania through the development, establishment and strengthening of coalitions of like-minded countries as well as regional and parliamentary formats that contribute to the security of the Republic of Lithuania and its partners, including the Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe (e-PINE), the U.S.-Baltic Dialogue (USBD), the Nordic-Baltic-U.S. (NBUS) format, the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8), the Bucharest Nine (B9) group of eastern flank NATO Allies, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, the activities of the Baltic States and the Lublin Triangle;
49.8. to develop bilateral cooperation with Japan with a view to elevating it to the level of a strategic partnership, which would provide a solid basis for deepening a mutually beneficial bilateral cooperation;
49.9. to strengthen in the Indo-Pacific region ties with the democratic countries being open to cooperation with the West, such as Australia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand and specific countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), with a view to expanding political and diplomatic links, economic cooperation and export markets, diversifying supply chains, attracting secure investment, and to seek compliance with rules of international law in the region.
50. Objectives of strengthening the security of the European Neighbourhood are as follows:
50.1. to actively participate in the implementation of the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood Policy, to support the European and Euro-Atlantic integration aspirations of the EU’s Eastern Partnership countries, taking into account the specificities of each country, and to promote greater EU involvement in the resolution of regional conflicts;
50.2. to continue, in the framework of the development of the EU’s Eastern Partnership policy, active cooperation with Ukraine, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova on a bilateral basis in fields of importance to the Republic of Lithuania and these states;
50.3. to promote the ideas and practices of democracy, free market, rule of law, transparency and accountability, to support independent mass media and civil society organisations and democratic processes and to defend human rights and freedoms in the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation;
50.4. to contribute to the security and stability of the southern European Neighbourhood and to the protection of the EU’s southern border.
CHAPTER V
FINAL PROVISIONS
51. Acting in compliance with the provisions of the Strategy, the Government, on an annual basis, defines the priorities of elimination or reduction of threats and ensures their implementation. The Strategy establishes long-term priorities and objectives of national security policy, however it may be reviewed in the event of changes in the security environment.
52. The Strategy’s specific position in the hierarchy of strategic documents means that it is implemented through the preparation of planning documents: the National Progress Plan, long-term programmes for strengthening national security, development programmes and national agendas.
53. The Government ensures that the provisions of the Strategy are incorporated into other strategic planning documents and implemented.
54. The Government provides the Seimas with information about the implementation of the provisions of the Strategy by submitting a report on the state and development of national security, which is an integral part of the annual activity report of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania.
55. The Seimas Committee on National Security and Defence, on an annual basis, discusses the implementation of the provisions of the Strategy and holds hearings to which representatives of state institutions and agencies, science, strategic research and analysis institutions, as well as representatives of non-governmental organisations working in the field of national security and defence are invited.
56. The State Defence Council, on an annual basis, discusses the implementation of the provisions of the Strategy and issues recommendations on its implementation and amendment.