News

On February 2, the delegation of 20 NATO officials and experts (NATO Team) completed their work in Lithuania. The NATO Team assessed Lithuania’s progress achieved in implementing its commitments made in the annual membership action plan. The NATO Team spent two days meeting with officials from the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry, the National Defence Ministry, the Finance and Economy Ministries, the State Security Department, the Central Bank of Lithuania, the State Property Fund and the Lithuanian Development Agency. The NATO experts investigated Lithuania's progress in areas listed in the membership action plan, including political-economic, military, resource, legal and security spheres. The NATO Team paid special attention to Lithuania's relations with neighbouring states and were interested in regional cooperation. The NATO officials found the latest public opinion surveys on public support for Lithuania’s membership in NATO the basis for optimism. The country's macroeconomic situation and tendencies as well as the newest macroeconomic indicators were presented to the experts, and they were told in detail about economic reforms in Lithuania. NATO experts were interested in the progress and future plans of privatisation. The NATO Team was also acquainted with the structure and priorities of the state budget. Much attention was given to the defence budget, analysing spending decision making, the evolution of spending and the budgetary structure of the National Defence Ministry. NATO officials visited the Regional Air Surveillance and Coordination Centre in Karmėlava, the training regiment in Rukla and the Grand Duke Algirdas Battalion of Motorized Infantry. The guests expressed interest in the way military personnel are selected in Lithuania and inspection procedures for separate military units. They wanted to find out how Lithuania is creating, organizing and managing security systems for computer data. The NATO Team will present the report on Lithuania's readiness to become a member of the Alliance and the progress in implementing its commitments early this spring.