VILNIUS, September 22. /TASS/. Lithuania’s Seimas (parliament) has voted to lift a ban on the deployment of nuclear weapons on the country’s territory.

After debating this issue, it referred the amendment to the constitution to a committee for consideration.

The lifting was approved with 99 votes for, five abstentions and 13 votes against.

"Nuclear weapons are the foundation of deterrence. If you refuse this, you are refusing full-fledged deterrence in your security strategy," Laurynas Kasciunas, head of the faction of the opposition party Homeland Union - Christian Democrats of Lithuania, said at the podium of the Seimas.

The Seimas resolution says that Article 137, which prohibits the deployment of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, on Lithuanian territory, will be removed from the constitution.

The Seimas will have to vote on amending the constitution twice with a three-month interval between votes. The innovation must be supported by a qualified majority - 94 out of 141. The first vote is scheduled for October 6, and the repeat vote - for January 12.