Lithuanian army chief tasked with protecting government during wartime

The commander of the Lithuanian Armed Forces will be responsible for protecting and defending key government buildings during a state of war, under amendments passed by parliament on Thursday, LRT reported.

The duties will cover the Seimas, Lithuania’s parliament, government buildings, the presidential residence and their grounds. If officials cannot work or meet in their institutions’ buildings, the commander must also protect and defend the temporary workplaces assigned to them.

The amendments were proposed by Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas and supported by 102 lawmakers. Current law does not directly require the commander of the armed forces to protect government institutions when a state of war is declared.

Parliament also backed amendments to the Mobilisation and Host Nation Support Law, classifying national defence and the work of the president, parliament and government as vital state functions. Institutions responsible for these functions will carry out their mobilisation tasks using appropriations provided for them in the law approving the state budget.

Vital state functions are currently set out in government resolutions.