Laurynas Kasciunas, chairman of the Lithuanian parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense (NSGK), and a group of fellow lawmakers have proposed to allocate 3.6 million euros in additional funding to the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union.
According to Kasciunas, such a decision would bring the Riflemen’s Union funding up by 50%. The move has been coordinated with Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte.
“As far as I know, President Gitanas Nauseda today signed a law on strengthening the Riflemen’s Union, and we see a clear will to bolster the union so that it becomes the backbone of public involvement in state defence,” Kasciunas said.
“The prime minister is very supportive of the strengthening of the Riflemen’s Union, and we are in agreement on this amendment,” he added.
In his words, the additional 3.6 million euros would come on top of the 7.2 million euros planned in next year’s state budget bill.
A total of 20 MPs are putting forward this proposal. In early November, the Lithuanian parliament Seimas approved an updated operating model of the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union, enhancing its contribution within the framework of national defence.
The Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union currently has approximately 13,000 members. Their number is expected to increase to 50,000 after the amendments enter into force. (LRT/Business World Magazine)