A group of 50 Lithuanian lawmakers on Friday registered a constitutional amendment to remove a provision banning the deployment of nuclear weapons in the country, a day after the nation’s top political leaders agreed the restriction should be scrapped.
The proposal would amend Article 137 of Lithuania’s Constitution, which currently states that weapons of mass destruction and foreign military bases may not be located on Lithuanian territory.
President Gitanas Nausėda convened a meeting Thursday with parliamentary and government leaders and heads of parliamentary factions, after which he said there was broad agreement that the constitutional provision had become outdated and should be removed.
Supporters of the amendment argue that the country’s security environment has changed significantly. Nausėda has said Lithuania is now virtually the only NATO member that has imposed a constitutional ban on the deployment of nuclear weapons on its own territory.
Amending Lithuania’s Constitution requires the proposal to be approved twice by at least 94 of the 141 members of parliament, with a minimum three-month interval between the votes.
Parliament Speaker Juozas Olekas said Thursday that Lithuania does not plan to host nuclear weapons on its territory during peacetime.
Members of the governing coalition have also stressed that removing the constitutional provision would not affect Lithuania’s obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and other international agreements to which the country is a party.
The debate has gained momentum following French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal in March to create a new European nuclear deterrence framework that could allow partner countries to temporarily host France’s nuclear-capable strategic air forces.
It also follows a June report by the Financial Times that the United States is considering deploying nuclear weapons in several additional NATO countries in Europe. After the report, Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said Lithuania was taking part in the ongoing discussions.
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