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LITHUANIA’S POPULAR SUPPORT FOR NATO MEMBERSHIP REMAINS STABLE

Support of Lithuania’s population for NATO membership remains stable according to the opinion polls conducted in May – June. Lithuania’s membership in NATO has received support of 68.1 per cent of population, while 27.2 per cent consider Lithuania’s membership in the Alliance unnecessary. 4.7 per cent are not interested in the country’s North Atlantic integration and national security prospects. Earlier this year, Lithuania’s membership in the Alliance drew 64.6 per cent support. A representative survey of 1044 people on NATO integration was conducted by the Market and Public Opinion Research Centre Vilmorus at the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The survey involved inhabitants aged 18 and above from 18 towns and 56 villages. At the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Lithuanian-British Market and Public Opinion Research Company Baltic Surveys Ltd polled 1002 Lithuanian inhabitants aged 15-74 on various issues of international security and foreign policy. The polls have proved that, like in a survey taken four years ago, Lithuanian inhabitants are not worried about any threat of foreign invasion: 73 per cent (74 per cent in 1998) believe that the threat of foreign aggression is not real. Such a threat is considered real by 20 per cent (previously 18) of Lithuania’s inhabitants. At the same time, 59 per cent hold the opinion that the country’s security is not sufficiently ensured (previously 69 per cent). Among the interior and exterior factors posing a possible threat to national security and stability, people of Lithuania saw corruption and crime as the most threatening ones (88 per cent, previously 86 per cent). 57 per cent of the respondents believe that Lithuania’s security and stability may be jeopardized by international terrorism, 53 per cent by the Ignalina NPP (previously 64 per cent). Lithuania’s inhabitants put most trust in the following international organisations: NATO (56 per cent) and the EU (56 per cent). The majority of the polled (28 per cent) think that the country’s membership in both NATO and the EU would be the best warrant of national security. 18 per cent believe the security could be ensured by NATO membership alone, 8 per cent by the EU membership only. One fifth of the respondents are in support of the idea of neutrality. Most of the respondents (64 per cent) trust that NATO membership would beneficially influence Lithuania’s security in general. Only 8 per cent of the respondents see the overall impact of NATO membership as negative. The opinion poll conducted by Baltic Surveys has drawn respondents from 103 survey locations. The result tolerance is reportedly within 3 per cent.