Editing Foreign relations of Lithuania (section)

==Lithuania's membership in NATO==
[[File:Flag of NATO.svg|left|frameless|150x150px]]
On 29 March 2004, Lithuania became a member of the [[NATO|North Atlantic Treaty Organisation]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nato.int/invitees2004/lithuania.htm|title=7 Invitees - Lithuania|access-date=29 November 2017|archive-date=5 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305021616/http://www.nato.int/invitees2004/lithuania.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> It is a defensive union based on political and military cooperation of sovereign states. Its members are committed to protecting freedom, guarding shared heritage and civilisation under the principles of democracy, individual freedom, and superiority of law. According to Article 5 of the agreement, all NATO states are obliged to defend one another. Lithuania entered into cooperation with NATO in 1991. Five years later, Lithuania launched its mission to the organisation, and in late 2002, Lithuania and six other states was invited to start negotiations over membership in the [[NATO|Alliance]]. Today Lithuania sees NATO as the key and most effective collective defence system, one that ensures the security of the state and stands to defer potential aggression, and employs every measure available to strengthen trans-Atlantic relations to contribute to the strengthening of the EU-U.S. relations.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://urm.lt/default/lt/uzsienio-politika/uzsienio-politikos-prioritetai/lietuvos-saugumo-politika/nato| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140511082912/http://www.urm.lt/default/lt/uzsienio-politika/uzsienio-politikos-prioritetai/lietuvos-saugumo-politika/nato| archive-date = 11 May 2014| title = Lietuvos narystė Šiaurės Atlanto Sutarties Organizacijoje (NATO) {{!}} Lietuvos saugumo politika {{!}} Lietuva regione ir pasaulyje {{!}} Užsienio politika {{!}} Lietuvos Respublikos užsienio reikalų ministerija}}</ref>