CIAO DATE: 04/05

Security Sector Reform in Lithuania: Theory and Practice

Abstract

During the first half of the 1990s all Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries, including the three Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, were struggling through the difficult process of transition toward a democratic system and market economy. The transformations of the post Cold War era had profound effects on practically every sector of the respective societies, which had to find their new role and place in the new world.

The armed forces of the Central and Eastern European countries were no exception. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact meant that the military in these countries would have to undergo significant structural changes and cuts in size. They also had to adapt to a completely new security environment in Europe, with no reliable enemy close to their borders. Furthermore, as these countries embarked on integration with Western Europe, they had to become accountable to the civilian government, more transparent to the society and affordable to the taxpayers.

Full Text (PDF, 17 pages, 118 KB)