It is 20 years since of Lituania‘s accession to NATO in 2004, and marking this special anniversary was held an international conference “Euro-Atlantic Partnership: 20 Years of Lithuania’s NATO Membership and the Role of the Alliance in Changing International Geopolitical Landscape” where was discussed how to meet the challenges facing the Alliance today and ensure the smooth functioning of the defence mechanism through cooperation and international law.
Since the very beginning of the restoration of an independence, Lithuania has chosen the European and transatlantic path, as the Dean of the Vilnius University Law Faculty, Assoc. Prof. Haroldas Šinkūnas, recalled at the beginning of the event. Unfortunately, Lithuania has for a long time paid too little attention to the strengthening of its defence after becoming a NATO member, said the special guest Arvydas Anušauskas, the Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Lithuania, who gave a welcome speech at the conference. He recalled the importance of cooperation and mobilisation – all countries must be as prepared as their allies. Active contribution to collective defence, as an opportunity to give and at the same time ensure the security of one’s own country, was repeatedly underlined during the event.
What lies ahead for NATO in the next 20 years, what priorities the Alliance should set for itself and what direction Lithuania has been organising its defence over the last 20 years – these were the topics discussed in the first part of the conference. Dr. Kęstutis Paulauskas, Senior Strategy Officer at the Strategic Alternatives Branch of the NATO Allied Command Transformation, presented the most important trends in warfare, shaped by rapidly evolving technologies, cyberspace and changing international relations. In the future, he said, it is important to develop the skills of military leadership and to be able to balance between political logic and military needs. Presentations were given as well by Dr. Vaidotas Urbelis, Defense Policy Director of the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Lithuania, Dr. Deividas Šlekys, Associate Professor at the VU Institute of International Relations and Political Science, and Dr. Indrė Isokaitė-Valužė, Associate Professor at the VU Law Faculty. The speakers focused on possible changes in US policy, military capabilities, the role of NATO in the development of international law, and identified a significant problem: European states are underfunding their defense, and from a legal perspective it is important to always follow the principles of international law, especially humanitarian law.
The second part of the conference focused on NATO development, perspectives for Ukraine’s membership, the Alliance’s response to hybrid threats and the importance of its role in securing strategic resources, and the socio-cultural factors of social integration of a generation Y soldiers in the Lithuanian armed forces.
Scholars from the Universities of Poland (Dr. Ewa Michałkiewicz-Kądziela), Ukraine (Prof. Dr. Mykhaylo Mykiyevych and Prof. Dr Roman Petrov), stressed the importance of Ukraine’s NATO membership and the significance of the cooperation with the European Union in the field of international security, and looked at the already completed reforms in the country and the fact that the successful completion of the remaining tasks will be crucial goal for a country at war on the road to membership. Dr. Alaa Al Aridi pointed out that unlike in the past, states are reluctant to acknowledge that they are engaged in a war that has changed its ways and forms and involves not only legal, but also political, economic and cyber tactics, and that it is imperative that the Alliance maintains the resilience of its collective defence capabilities against these threats. The importance of energy security cooperation and the need to focus on cyberspace was underlined by Dr. Laura Rimšaitė. As NATO stresses the importance of investing in defence capabilities, it is important to remember that the soldier, the human being, is at the heart of it. Paulius Balsys, who analysed the self awareness of different generations of soldiers in the structural-organisational mechanism, noted that Generation Y individuals perceive themselves as more deserving of and capable of making changes at the structural level, and as seeking more autonomy in the military-private life balance.
The conference was concluded with a wish that NATO will be able to transform itself and remain flexible to answer to new threats, but at the same time stable and unchanging if necessary to fulfil its commitment to defend the Alliance or its Allies against attack. NATO and the security that comes with it must not be seen as consumers, but as contributors. And even a small contribution makes a significant difference to our common goals.
The video recording of the event is uploaded in the VU Law Faculty Youtube channel.
