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Lithuanian volunteers may save conscripts from being drafted: official

Xinhua, July 16, 2015 Adjust font size:

Around 2,200 young volunteers have applied for mandatory military service in recent months, possibly fulfilling national defense needs, Lithuanian Defense Minister Juozas Olekas said Wednesday.

"More than 2,200 volunteers have come for mandatory military service in the past four months, and we need 3,000," Olekas told local media.

Olekas suggested drafts to mandatory military service may not be needed judging by the increasing number of volunteers.

"We still have four months, and I think we can certainly have those 3,000 conscripts coming voluntarily by that time," Olekas was quoted as saying by news website vz.lt.

According to him, around 90 percent of volunteers are in a health condition suitable for the nine-month military service.

He also highlighted legislation on conscripts' social guarantees and pay had been approved to encourage voluntary military service.

Olekas also said he planed to propose increasing pay for professional troops during the fall.

Lithuania reintroduced mandatory military conscription for five years in response to the changing security situation in the Eastern Europe. It aims to improve manning in military units and to build up is military reserves.

The conscription in Lithuania had, before this decision, been abolished in 2008. Endit