Majority supports permanent NATO presence in Lithuania: Poll

Vilnius: The majority of Lithuanians support permanent NATO presence in Lithuania, according to a poll by the Ministry of Defence of the Baltic country. According to the poll results, about 68 percent of those polled agree to permanent NATO presence, Xinhua reported. About 85 percent of those polled held the idea that Lithuania`s security was enhanced due to NATO`s deployment of troops in the Baltic region. Joining NATO in 2004, Lithuania`s membership in the military bloc was supported by 83 percent of those polled. According to article 137 of Lithuania`s Constitution, there may not be any weapons of mass destruction and foreign military bases on the territory of the Republic of Lithuania.

The poll was conducted among 1,010 people, raging from 18-75, in 65 randomly selected regions.