May 18 2016 saw the Lithuanian government approve the amendments on extending conscription after 2019.

The extension of the conscription scheme, which was last year planned for five years, was endorsed by the State Defence Council in mid-March.

The final decision is yet to be approved by the parliament.

Drafted by the Defence Ministry, the document suggests setting the guidelines for planning of the Armed Forces structure for the next six years, as well as suggesting a provision that between 3,500 and 4,000 troops should be drafted to initial mandatory military service annually.

In 2015 and this year, the number of conscripts was 3,000.

According to the proposed bill, training of commanders of junior officers should be held in 2017-2021, with basic military training cancelled.

In the next six years, the number of professional troops should also increased to 14,000-19,000 in 2021, as compared to about 8,200 now.