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Updated October 2009
Introduction
Independent between the two World Wars, Lithuania was annexed by the USSR in 1940. On 11 March 1990, Lithuania became the first of the Soviet republics to declare its independence, a proclamation not recognized by Moscow until September 1991. Since 1991, Vilnius has joined international treaties, regimes, and organizations, including both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004. Lithuania does not possess or produce nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons.
на русском (in Russian)
Nuclear
Lithuania has only one nuclear facility: the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant. The plant is highly important to the country, as it provides about 75 percent of Lithuania's energy. It has also been the subject of much controversy, as the EU is concerned that Ignalina's Soviet-built RBMK reactors, similar to those at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, are unsafe. Unit 1 at Ignalina was shut down in December 2004. The second and final reactor, Unit 2, will be shut down in December 2009 as a condition of Lithuania's European Union accession treaty. Lithuania is party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), has an Additional Protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and is a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
Biological
Lithuania acceded to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) in October 1998 and joined the Australia Group in June 2004. There is no evidence to suggest that Vilnius possesses or is developing biological weapons.
Chemical
Lithuania is a member of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and joined the Australia Group in June 2004. There is no evidence that Vilnius possesses or seeks to develop chemical weapons.
Missile
Lithuania does not possess or produce ballistic missiles and is a signatory to the International Code of Conduct Against Ballistic Missiles. In August 2003, Vilnius submitted an application for membership in the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR)
This material is produced independently for NTI by the James Martin Center for
Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and
does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently
verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2010 by MIIS.
