Public figures urge Lithuania to better coordinate defence initiatives

A group of public figures has urged the Lithuanian government to improve coordination among existing national defence initiatives, LRT reported. Arūnas Degutis, a signatory of Lithuania’s Act of Independence, said defence plans had been prepared but did not necessarily work together effectively.

“All the plans have been drawn up, as if everything is working, but they are very independent and do not necessarily interact. And if there is interaction, it is not necessarily effective,” Degutis told BNS.

He said public debate about the security situation was widespread, but that confusion could arise when an incident occurred because not everyone knew how to respond.

Degutis said the initiative group wanted to offer the government a model of total defence that would better meet current needs. He said state institutions had their own tasks and plans, but were not brought together under a single system of management.

“We propose that a vertical structure should be established so that institutions interact within a chain of responsibility,” he said.

According to Degutis, the government should take on the role of coordinator during a crisis because it had the greatest range of powers and tools.

He said total defence involved more than the military. State institutions, municipalities, non-governmental organisations, businesses and individual citizens all needed to know their roles within the overall plan.

“We want, without creating anything new, to connect at least what already exists into a whole and see what is missing,” Degutis said.

Members of the initiative group met Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius this week and presented their proposal. Sinkevičius said Lithuania needed an effective total defence system and that it still had to be created.

Degutis said the prime minister would now assess the situation and discuss it with his parliamentary group. The initiative group also plans to seek discussions with other institutions, including the Seimas and its leadership.

The group includes signatories of the Act of Independence, diplomats, former military personnel and historians.