"The Baltic nations like their (NATO) membership, as it guarantees a higher degree of security and an opportunity to develop our lives and economies. I believe Lithuania is on the right path, just like the other Baltic states. These are the decisions of the countries involved in NATO operations, not an issue of whether neighbors like it or not," the minister told Žinių Radijas radio on Thursday.
Olekas spoke in comment on Wednesday's statement made by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev who said that Russia did not like the Baltic NATO membership.
Olekas has restated that Russia also has an opportunity to submit its position to NATO. "I believe we can come up with cooperation between NATO countries and Russia. There is even a special format for that, the NATO-Russia Council where Russia can give its position outside TV shows," said the Lithuanian defense minister.
"You don’t think that we are comfortable with the fact that they are NATO members, do you? To be sure, we are not," Medvedev said in an interview to Georgia's TV Rustavi 2 in comment of the Baltic NATO membership.
Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia joined NATO in 2004.
