Lithuanian citizens who also hold Russian, Belarusian or Chinese passports and individuals without Lithuanian citizenship will not be admitted to the General Jonas Žemaitis Military Academy, the cabinet decided on Wednesday.
The academy’s amended statute also requires cadets to report any foreign citizenship they hold.
If a cadet is found to hold the citizenship of Russia, Belarus, or China, they will be dismissed or expelled from the academy. This means they will not be allowed to complete their studies or become officers in the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
Cadets who are dismissed will not be required to reimburse the cost of their studies, but those who are expelled will have to.
If a cadet enrols in the academy and their citizenship is later added to the list of hostile states, they will be automatically dismissed.
Anyone who held the citizenship of a hostile state already on the list before enrolling and failed to disclose it will be expelled and required to pay for their studies.
Last December, the parliament passed legal amendments banning individuals with Russian, Belarusian, or Chinese citizenship from joining the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union or serving in the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
The government has also confirmed that professional service members are not allowed to travel to countries considered a threat to national security – Russia, Belarus, and China – unless the trip is for service-related purposes.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
