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THE MAJORITY OF LITHUANIAN PEOPLE THINK THAT LITHUANIA SHOULD BECOME A NATO MEMBER

On March 8-11, 2001, the Public opinion and market research center “Vilmorus” carried out a survey ordered by the Ministry of Foreign affairs of Lithuania. According to the results of the poll, 51.2 percent of the respondents said that Lithuania should join NATO because membership in this organization would guarantee security and stability and attract foreign investment into Lithuania. 23.6 percent of the respondents think Lithuania should join NATO to protect itself from the perceived Russian threat. 19.8 and 19.7 percent of the respondents, respectively, think that membership would consolidate Lithuania’s statehood and protect democratic values. 16.7 percent of the population considered that membership in NATO provides for cheaper and more effective defense than individual defense. 27.5 percent of Lithuanian population think that Lithuania does not need membership in NATO. The research has demonstrated that 42.1 percent of the Lithuanian public think that no foreign influence affects his/her opinion on Lithaunia’s membership in NATO. 41.1 percent of the respondents admitted the importance of the United States’ NATO enlargement policy in making his/her opinion on the membership of Lithuania in NATO. 17 percent of the respondents feel that Russia’s position on NATO enlargement influences their judgement concerning Lithuania’s membership in NATO. 54.9 and 54.5 percent of the population trust information on Lithuania’s strive to become a NATO member as provided by the Lithuanian TV stations and the President of the Republic of Lithuania, respectively. National press, radio broadcasts, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defence, family, friends, neighbors, local media and the Government are mentioned among the other trusted sources of infromation. Only 8.5 percent of the respondents trust Russian media as a source of information on Lithuania’s NATO integration issues. The research was carried out on the basis of multilayered, random selection method. 1063 respondents were interviewed in 18 towns and 56 villages.