Latvia, Legislation, Lithuania, Security

She believes that this is an individual choice that a country can make, and she, as prime minister, supports retaining a professional army in Latvia, while moving forward with the development of the Home Guard.

She reminded that a substantial number of new recruits joined the Home Guards last year, and that it has been allocated additional financing. At the same time, she also praised that fact that many young persons are joining the Youth Guards.

''This matter is not on our agenda at the moment,'' Straujuma said. She also added that she does not see how mandatory military conscription could in some way improve Latvia's security. ''Furthermore, there is no military threat to Latvia nor the Baltics at the moment,'' she added.

In order to improve security, Straujuma believes that emphasis must be put on strengthening Latvia's eastern borders and obtaining modern military equipment, instead of mandatory military conscription.

The AFP news agency reports that Lithuania said Tuesday it would return to limited conscription later this year as concern mounts over Russian military exercises near NATO Baltic States.

"We must temporarily renew mandatory military service," President Dalia Grybauskaite told reporters. "The current geopolitical environment requires us to enhance and accelerate army recruitment."

Speaking after an emergency meeting of the State Defense Council, Grybauskaite unveiled the plan for 3,500 men between 19 and 26 to be drafted for a nine-month period every year, starting this fall.

The parliament must still approve the move.

Lithuania abolished conscription in favor of a professional army in 2008, four years after it joined the European Union and NATO.

Lithuania's top military general said conscription would help fill gaps in units and train extra reservists for the current armed forces of 8,000 professional soldiers.

"At this moment, we do not see any military threat," Major General Jonas Vytautas Zukas told reporters. "But that does not mean that it could not emerge quickly. We see how fast the situation evolves in Ukraine."