Editing History of Lithuania (section)

===Contemporary Republic of Lithuania (1991–present)===
[[File:Flag of Lithuania.svg|thumb|200px|[[Flag of Lithuania]]]]
As in many countries of the former Soviet Union, the popularity of the independence movement ([[Sąjūdis]] in the case of Lithuania) diminished due to worsening economic situation (rising unemployment, inflation, etc.). The Communist Party of Lithuania renamed itself as the [[Democratic Labour Party of Lithuania]] (LDDP) and gained a majority of seats against Sąjūdis in the [[1992 Lithuanian parliamentary election|Lithuanian parliamentary elections of 1992]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Krupavicius |first1=A. |title=The Lithuanian parliamentary elections of 1996 |journal=Electoral Studies |date=December 1997 |volume=16 |issue=4 |pages=541–549 |doi=10.1016/S0261-3794(97)87813-4 }}</ref> LDDP continued building the independent democratic state and transitioning from a centrally [[planned economy]] to a [[market economy|free market economy]]. In the [[1996 Lithuanian parliamentary election|Lithuanian parliamentary elections of 1996]], the voters swung back to the rightist [[Homeland Union]], led by the former Sąjūdis leader [[Vytautas Landsbergis]].<ref>{{cite web |title=LITHUANIA: parliamentary elections Seimas, 1996 |url=http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2189_96.htm |website=archive.ipu.org |access-date=31 March 2021 |archive-date=3 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903131230/http://archive.ipu.org/parline-e/reports/arc/2189_96.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

As part of the economic transition to [[capitalism]], Lithuania organized a [[privatization]] campaign to sell government-owned residential real estate and commercial enterprises. The government issued investment vouchers to be used in privatization instead of actual currency. People cooperated in groups to collect larger amounts of vouchers for the public auctions and the privatization campaign. Lithuania, unlike Russia, did not create a small group of very wealthy and powerful people. The privatization started with small organizations, and large enterprises (such as telecommunication companies or airlines) were sold several years later for hard currency in a bid to attract foreign investors. Lithuania's monetary system was to be based on the [[Lithuanian litas]], the currency used during the interwar period. Due to high inflation and other delays, a temporary currency, the [[Lithuanian talonas]], was introduced (it was commonly referred to as the ''Vagnorėlis'' or ''Vagnorkė'' after Prime Minister [[Gediminas Vagnorius]]). Eventually the litas was issued in June 1993, and the decision was made to set it up with a [[fixed exchange rate]] to the [[United States dollar]] in 1994 and to the [[Euro]] in 2002.
[[File:Vilnius Modern Skyline At Dusk, Lithuania - Diliff.jpg|thumb|left|265px|[[Vilnius]], the capital of Lithuania]]

Despite Lithuania's achievement of complete independence, sizable numbers of [[Russian Armed Forces]] troops remained in its territory. Withdrawal of those forces was one of Lithuania's top foreign policy priorities. Russian troop withdrawal was completed by 31 August 1993.<ref name="Department of State Lithuania"/> The first military of the reborn country were the [[Lithuanian National Defence Volunteer Forces]], who first took an oath at the Supreme Council of Lithuania soon after the declaration of independence. The [[Lithuanian military]] built itself to the common standard with the [[Lithuanian Air Force]], [[Lithuanian Naval Force]] and [[Lithuanian Land Force]]. Interwar paramilitary organisations such as the [[Lithuanian Riflemen's Union]], [[Young Riflemen]], and the [[Scout Association of Lithuania|Lithuanian Scouts]] were re-established.
[[File:100th anniversary of the restoration of statehood 07.jpg|thumb|Celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the [[Act of Independence of Lithuania|restoration of statehood of Lithuania]] with foreign leaders (Vilnius, 2018)]]

On 27 April 1993, a [[Pennsylvania–Lithuania National Guard Partnership|partnership with the Pennsylvania National Guard]] was established as part of the State Partnership Program.<ref>Congressional Research Service: "The National Guard State Partnership" https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41957.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125101932/https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41957.pdf |date=25 January 2021 }}. Retrieved 24 October 2012.</ref>

Seeking closer ties with the West, Lithuania applied for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ([[NATO]]) membership in 1994. The country had to go through a difficult transition from planned to free market economy in order to satisfy the requirements for [[European Union]] (EU) membership. In May 2001, Lithuania became the 141st member of the World Trade Organization. In October 2002, Lithuania was invited to join the European Union and one month later to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; it became a member of both in 2004.<ref name="Department of State Lithuania"/>

As a result of the broader [[2008 financial crisis]] and [[Great Recession]], the Lithuanian economy in 2009 experienced its worst recession since the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]] in 1991. After a boom in growth sparked by [[Accession of Lithuania to the European Union|Lithuania's 2004 accession to the European Union]], the [[Gross domestic product]] contracted by 15% in 2009.<ref name="Department of State Lithuania"/> Especially since Lithuania's admission into the [[European Union]], large numbers of Lithuanians (up to 20% of the population) have moved abroad in search of better economic opportunities to create a significant demographic problem for the small country.<ref name="True Lithuania">True Lithuania www.truelithuania.com, accessed 14 June 2012</ref> On 1 January 2015, Lithuania joined the [[eurozone]] and adopted the European Union's single currency as the last of the Baltic states.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kropaite |first1=Zivile |title=Lithuania joins Baltic neighbours in euro club |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30635826 |website=BBC News |access-date=31 March 2021 |date=1 January 2015 |archive-date=3 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210703111641/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30635826 |url-status=live }}</ref> On 4 July 2018, Lithuania officially joined [[OECD]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Lithuania officially becomes the 36th OECD member |url=https://lrv.lt/en/news/lithuania-officially-becomes-the-36th-oecd-member |website=lrv.lt |access-date=31 March 2021 |date=5 July 2018 |archive-date=3 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210703105900/https://lrv.lt/en/news/lithuania-officially-becomes-the-36th-oecd-member |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Dalia Grybauskaitė]] was the first female [[President of Lithuania]] (2009–2019) and the first president to be [[2014 Lithuanian presidential election|re-elected]] for a second consecutive term.<ref>{{cite web |title=Lithuania President Re-elected on Anti-Russian Platform |url=https://www.voanews.com/europe/lithuania-president-re-elected-anti-russian-platform |website=Voice of America |access-date=31 March 2021 |date=26 May 2014 |archive-date=3 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210703105904/https://www.voanews.com/europe/lithuania-president-re-elected-anti-russian-platform |url-status=dead }}</ref> She was succeeded by [[Gitanas Nausėda]] in 2019.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gitanas Nausėda sworn in as Lithuania's new president |url=https://emerging-europe.com/news/gitanas-nauseda-sworn-in-as-lithuanias-new-president/ |work=Emerging Europe |date=15 July 2019 |access-date=18 September 2023 |archive-date=15 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015004748/https://emerging-europe.com/news/gitanas-nauseda-sworn-in-as-lithuanias-new-president/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On 11–12 July 2023, the [[2023 Vilnius summit|NATO summit]] was held in Vilnius, which was attended by heads of state or government members of NATO countries and its allies.<ref>{{cite web |title=2023 NATO Summit |url=https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/216570.htm |website=NATO |language=en |access-date=18 September 2023 |archive-date=22 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230922050539/https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/216570.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>