Minister for National Defence of Lithuania
{{Short description|Political Post}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Minister of National Defence
| image = Dovilė Šakalienė portretas.webp
| incumbent = Dovilė Šakalienė
| native_name = Krašto apsaugos ministras
| flag = Coat of arms of Lithuania.svg
| flagsize = 85px
| insignia = Krašto apsaugos ministerija logo.svg
| flagcaption = Coat of Arms of Lithuania
| insigniasize = 250px
| insigniacaption = Emblem of the Ministry of National Defence of Lithuania
| incumbentsince = 12 December 2024
| type = Executive branch
| department = Ministry of National Defence of Lithuania
| style = Mrs. Minister
| member_of = Cabinet
| reports_to = President of Lithuania
Prime Minister of Lithuania
| nominator = Prime Minister of Lithuania
| appointer = President of Lithuania
| termlength = four years, renewable
| constituting_instrument = Constitution of Lithuania
| formation = {{Start date and age|1918|11|11|df=yes}}
| first = Audrius Butkevičius
| deputy = Vice Minister of National Defence
| website = https://kam.lt/
| inaugural = Augustinas Voldemaras
| seat = Seimas
}}
The Minister of National Defence ({{langx|lt|Krašto apsaugos ministras}}) is a member of the executive branch of the Government of Lithuania. The minister is responsible for overseeing the country's defence policies, military readiness, and national security strategies. The Minister leads the Ministry of National Defence in ensuring the protection of Lithuania's sovereignty, coordinating defence cooperation with international allies, and managing the country's defense resources and forces. The role also involves shaping defense-related legislation and fostering strategic initiatives to address evolving security challenges.
The incumbent is Dovilė Šakalienė, who has been serving as a minister since 12 December 2024.{{Cite web |title=Krašto apsaugos ministrė |url=https://kam.lt/krasto-apsaugos-ministre/ |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=LR Krašto apsaugos ministerija |language=lt-LT}}
History
The first cabinet of ministers of the Republic of Lithuania was appointed on 11 November 1918, and the defence minister position was initially assumed by the Prime Minister Augustinas Voldemaras.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-09 |title=Kaip gimė pirmoji Lietuvos Vyriausybė? {{!}} KaunoDiena.lt |url=https://kauno.diena.lt/naujienos/lietuva/politika/kaip-gime-pirmoji-lietuvos-vyriausybe-837061 |access-date=2025-01-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709202600/https://kauno.diena.lt/naujienos/lietuva/politika/kaip-gime-pirmoji-lietuvos-vyriausybe-837061 |archive-date=9 July 2023 }} On 24 December 1918, Lieutenant General Mykolas Velykis briefly served as the Minister of National Defence of Lithuania for just two days. On 26 December, he was replaced by Jonas Vileišis. The Ministry of National Defence and the ministerial post were abolished during the Soviet occupation from 1940 to 1991. Following Lithuania's declaration of independence from the Soviet Union on 11 March 1990, the Ministry was re-established.{{Cite web |title=1940–1941 m. – sovietų okupacija ir aneksija - Lietuvos okupacija (1940 m. birželio 15 d.) |url=https://www.lrs.lt/sip/portal.show?p_r=37823&p_k=1 |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=www.lrs.lt |language=lt}}
Departments and services
- Second Operational Services Department
- General Affairs Department of the Ministry of National Defence
- Centralized Finance and Property Service of the Ministry of National Defence
- General Jonas Žemaitis Lithuanian Military Academy
- Defence Resources Agency of the Ministry of National Defence
- Information Technology Service of the Ministry of National Defence
- Infrastructure Management Agency
- Key State Telecommunications Centre
- Mobilization and Civil Resistance Department of the Ministry of National Defence
- National Cyber Security Centre
- National Coordination Centre
- Vytautas the Great War Museum
- General Povilas Plechavičius Cadet Lyceum
Leadership of the ministry
The leadership of the Ministry of National Defence (KAM) consists of the Minister of National Defence, Dovilė Šakalienė, Vice Ministers Karolis Aleksa, Tomas Godliauskas, and Orijana Mašalė, Chancellor of the Ministry Dainius Ivoškis, and the Director of Defence Policy Vaidotas Urbelis. Together, they oversee the operations, policies, and strategic direction of Lithuania's defense and security efforts.
Ministers
| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" |Term ! rowspan="2" |Minister ! rowspan="2" |Party ! rowspan="2" |Cabinet ! colspan="3" rowspan="1" |Office |
| Start date
!End date !Time in office |
|---|
| rowspan="1" style="background:#C0C0C0;" |1
(born 1960) |Independent |13 January 1991 |21 July 1992 |{{age in years and days|1991|1|13|1992|7|21}} |
| rowspan="1" style="background:#C0C0C0;" |2
(born 1960) |Independent |21 July 1992 |17 December 1992 |{{age in years and days|1992|7|21|1992|12|17}} |
| rowspan="1" style="background:#C0C0C0;" |3
(born 1960) |Independent |17 December 1992 |31 March 1993 |{{age in years and days|1992|12|17|1993|3|31}} |
| rowspan="1" style="background:#C0C0C0;" |4
(born 1960) |Independent | rowspan="2" |Šleževičius |31 March 1993 |28 October 1993 |{{age in years and days|1993|3|31|1993|10|28}} |
| rowspan="1" style="background:#FFA07A;" |5
(born 1961) |28 October 1993 |19 March 1996 |{{age in years and days|1993|10|28|1996|3|19}} |
| rowspan="1" style="background:#FFA07A;" |6
(born 1961) |19 March 1996 |10 December 1996 |{{age in years and days|1996|3|19|1996|12|10}} |
| rowspan="1" style="background:#00CED1;" |7
|Česlovas Vytautas Stankevičius (born 1937) |10 December 1996 |10 June 1999 |{{age in years and days|1996|12|10|1999|6|10}} |
| rowspan="1" style="background:#00CED1;" |8
|Česlovas Vytautas Stankevičius (born 1937) |10 June 1999 |11 November 1999 |{{age in years and days|1999|6|10|1999|11|11}} |
| rowspan="1" style="background:#00CED1;" |9
|Česlovas Vytautas Stankevičius (born 1937) |11 November 1999 |9 November 2000 |{{age in years and days|1999|11|11|2000|11|9}} |
| rowspan="1" style="background:#E80000;" |10
(born 1961) |9 November 2000 |12 July 2001 |{{age in years and days|2000|11|9|2001|7|12}} |
| rowspan="1" style="background:#E80000;" |11
(born 1961) |12 July 2001 |14 December 2004 |{{age in years and days|2001|7|12|2004|12|14}} |
| rowspan="1" style="background:#E80000;" |12
(1951-2024) |14 December 2004 |18 July 2006 |{{age in years and days|2004|12|14|2006|7|18}} |
| rowspan="1" style="background:#E80000;" |13
(born 1955) |18 July 2006 |9 December 2008 |{{age in years and days|2006|7|18|2008|12|9}} |
| rowspan="1" style="background:#00CED1;" |14
(born 1958) |9 December 2008 |13 December 2012 |{{age in years and days|2008|12|9|2012|12|13}} |
| rowspan="1" style="background:#E80000;" |15
(born 1955) |13 December 2012 |13 December 2016 |{{age in years and days|2012|12|13|2016|12|13}} |
| rowspan="1" style="background:#C0C0C0;" |16
(born 1968) |Independent |13 December 2016 |11 December 2020 |{{age in years and days|2016|12|13|2020|12|11}} |
| rowspan="1" style="background:#00CED1; color:white" |17
(born 1963) | rowspan="1" |Šimonytė |11 December 2020 |13 March 2024 |{{age in years and days|2020|12|11|2024|3|13}} |
| rowspan="1" style="background:#00CED1; color:white" |18
(born 1982) | rowspan="1" |Šimonytė |13 March 2024 |13 December 2024 |{{age in years and days|2024|3|13|2024|12|11}} |
| rowspan="1" style="background:#E80000;" |19
(born 1978) |Social Democratic Party of Lithuania | rowspan="1" |Paluckas |13 December 2024 |Incumbent |{{age in years and days|2024|12|12 |
|}
References
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