LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Chinese Embassy stands empty as there are no more Beijing diplomats in Lithuania
2. Lithuania turns away 3 irregular migrants on border with Belarus
3. Lithuania sends military plane to Middle East to prepare for evacuation from Israel
4. Lithuanian citizens to be evacuated from Israel when it's safe to do so – FM
5. Lithuanian MPs expected to debate natl sanctions on Russia, Belarus after 2 postponements 
6. Closed Israeli airspace is biggest hurdle to evacuating Lithuanians – official
7. Lithuanian president warns Middle East conflict could fuel Russia's war machine
8. Local authorities in Lithuania mull honoring memory of fallen US troops with obelisks - BNS THEME
9. Rising oil prices may weaken EU resolve to sanction Russia – Lithuanian PM
10. Russian GPS jamming won't stop after war in Ukraine ends – Lithuanian minister
11. Lithuania has ignored threat posted by fifth column for too long – HU-LCD leader
12. Lithuanian defense ministry to invest over EUR 18 mln in military fuel stations
13. Antanaitis elected chairman of Lithuanian Journalists' Union 
14. Vilnius mayor orders stepped-up monitoring of wild animals after bear sighting
15. Wizz Air, Israir suspend Vilnius–Tel Aviv Flights, Ryanair halts service until October
16. Varvuolis proposed as Lithuania's ambassador to United States
17. Lithuania says it's open to dialogue as Warsaw calls for two-level Polish language exam
18. Kurauskas takes over as CEO of Lithuania's Giraite ammo factory 
19. Lithuanian man faces 30-day arrest for desecrated Israeli flag
20. Social Democrats propose scrapping Lithuania's Desovietization Commission
21. Hostile countries' propaganda focused on military exercises, German brigade in Lithuania
22. Lithuanian farmers to stage warning protest over tax reform
23. Lithuania plans to evacuate citizens from Israel by land to Jordan, then by air 
24. Vilnius University astronomers, international partners discover new planet
25. Lithuanian MPs start debating possibility of natl economic sanctions on Russia, Belarus
26. Lithuania cannot improve ties with China at expense of 'abuse of legal system'– Skvernelis
27. Lithuanian intelligence aware of Russian nuclear bases, no extra threat – PM
28. Lithuania sent proposal to China on restoring relations, PM says without elaborating
29. Lithuanian FM says he has 'both optimism and patience' on China
30. Baltics, Poland sign memorandum to protect critical energy infrastructure
31. It won't make sense to make significant changes in ties with China right now – Motuzas
32. Lithuanian parlt OKs taxing both primary, additional properties
33. NATO jets in Baltics scrambled six times over Russian aircraft last week
34. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Chinese Embassy stands empty as there are no more Beijing diplomats in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS - There are no Beijing diplomats in Vilnius since mid-May as Lithuania and China disagree on how to restore their diplomatic representation.

"There are currently no diplomats or other staff members accredited to the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Vilnius," the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry told BNS.

One Chinese diplomat was recently working in Vilnius, but after leaving the country for a while, he was not allowed to re-enter Lithuania on May 18.

Border guards have confirmed to BNS that a Chinese citizen with a diplomatic passport, but not accredited as a diplomat, was refused entry at Vilnius Airport. He arrived in Lithuania from Istanbul and spent nine hours at the airport.

His diplomatic passport allowed him to stay in the Schengen area for 90 of the last 180 days, but the Chinese representative had broken this rule.

"The person had used up that period and could not use this exception," Giedrius Misutis, spokesman for the State Border Guard Service, told BNS. "Such a person could not be allowed to re-enter Lithuania. He was refused entry and on the same day, as is usual in such cases, the person was returned to the same destination from which he came, in this case Istanbul."

Based on the information available to BNS, the diplomat in question did not have a valid accreditation from the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which allows him to legally work as a diplomat in the country and stay there for as long as this document is valid. His accreditation had expired.

Lithuania has not renewed such accreditations for Chinese nationals for several years following a dispute over diplomatic representation.

The conflict over Taiwan

This dispute erupted in the fall of 2021 when Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open a Taiwanese mission in Vilnius. Beijing saw this as Lithuanian support for Taiwan's attempts to act as an independent state. In other countries, such representative offices operate under the name of Taipei.

In response, China unilaterally downgraded its diplomatic representation from the level of ambassadors to that of temporary charge d'affaires, renamed its embassy as the Office of the Chargé d'Affaires of the People's Republic of China in Lithuania, and it’s also using the same name for Lithuania's mission in Beijing.

Lithuania still officially considers both missions to be embassies and says that China's actions are contrary to international law. Lithuanian diplomats are no longer working in China because Beijing does not recognize their status.

Lithuania has also refused to issue new accreditations to Chinese diplomats because they want to be accredited as working for the "Office of the Chargé d'Affaires of the People's Republic of China in Lithuania".

Chinese diplomats had been working in Lithuania for several years because their were accredited until the fall of 2021, and then they enjoyed the visa-free regime in the Schengen area for holders of diplomatic passports.

Lithuania ordered three Chinese staff members to leave the country at the end of 2024, also accusing them of violating this procedure.

According to an official who spoke to BNS on condition of anonymity, one of these Chinese representatives caused an car accident in the southern municipality of Druskininkai in August last year and fled.

"Then the officers found him, checked his documents and it turned out that his accreditation had expired. He was eventually declared an unwanted person in Lithuania," the source said.

Diplomats from other countries

According to the official, amid the ongoing bilateral conflict and as Lithuania refuses to renew or grant new accreditations to Chinese mission staff, Beijing has taken a new tactic by sending diplomats from Chinese missions in other countries to Lithuania.

Vilnius responded by introducing a new procedure whereby Chinese diplomats coming to the country on diplomatic missions would have to inform the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Otherwise, if they are found not to be complying with this procedure, they risk being declared unwelcome in Lithuania.

"We are trying to respond to Chinese pressure with various measures. One of them is that we do not accept documents coming from the Office of the Chargé d'Affaires of the People's Republic of China in Lithuania," the official told BNS.

"And if they want a response to a request, they should have then submitted that information on behalf of the Chinese Embassy in Lithuania," he added.

China "said goodbye to Lithuania"

After assuming his position in December last year, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said his ambition was to reach an agreement with China on the restoration of full diplomatic representation. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys has recently told BNS that public statements about talks with Beijing will not help reach an agreement.

Last week, he also avoided questions on the subject. Asked whether the level of China's representation in Vilnius was low, the minister refrained to comment on it.

"I can say that we are trying to resolve the issue with China regarding the legal status of the diplomatic mission and Lithuanian diplomats in Beijing and Beijing's in Lithuania," Budrys said when asked whether there were any Chinese diplomats accredited to Lithuania.

The minister spoke with BNS s he was leaving the Seimas hall where he had received questions on relations with Beijing during the Government Hour from ex-Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevicius, now representing the Democrats "For Lithuania".

According Butkevicius, representatives of the Chinese Foreign Ministry visited Lithuania in February and China "was willing to look for contacts and to strengthen and maybe renew the ties between Lithuania and China", but these efforts failed.

"On Monday (June 9- BNS) I was informed that staff of the Chinese Embassy informed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and said goodbye to Lithuania and that they are not going to establish any contacts in the near future," Butkevicius said.

Not Lithuania's fault

Budrys told lawmakers last week he was ready to present the non-public conversations in closed formats, adding that Lithuania is seeking to normalize relations with China but "the ball was not in our court".

“We want to restore the situation to what it was before, and we also want to ensure that diplomatic staff of all foreign countries in Lithuania are in Lithuania legally, have diplomatic immunity, have normal conditions to operate in, and that we do not have any situations that could cause damage to the people themselves, and we are trying to avoid that," Lithuania's top diplomat said.

"I hope we will be able to secure such conditions for our diplomats in Beijing and for Chinese diplomats when they come to Lithuania, when they will be able to be accredited, when they will be able to work at a diplomatic mission defined by Lithuanian law. Diplomatic relations between Lithuania and China exist. Diplomatic representation is problematic, and it is not Lithuania's fault," he added.

According to information available to BNS, Lithuania is in contact with China through China's mission to the European Union in Brussels. 

Speaking at the beginning of this year, Fang Mei, a counselor at the Chinese mission to the EU, said that "the door to dialogue is always open, and China is ready to strengthen communication and exchanges with Lithuania on the basis of respect and common approach and to seek ways to overcome the current situation while respecting the ‘one China’ principle".

BNS approached the Chinese mission for comment last Thursday, but has not yet received a reply.

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Lithuania turns away 3 irregular migrants on border with Belarus

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have turned away three migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally over the past 24 hours, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Monday morning.

Latvia reported 31 illegal border crossing attempts on Sunday. Poland denied entry to 222 irregular migrants on Saturday, according to the latest available information.

Lithuania has barred 866 irregular migrants from entering from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year, after turning away 1,002 in 2024

The influx of irregular migrants into the EU's eastern member states from Belarus began in 2021 and is blamed by the West on the Minsk regime.

 

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Lithuania sends military plane to Middle East to prepare for evacuation from Israel

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – Lithuania's Spartan military transport aircraft was deployed to the Middle East on Sunday as preparations continue to evacuate citizens from Israel.

"The Lithuanian Armed Forces' Spartan and its mission team have arrived and are on standby in a neighboring country," the military said in a Facebook post.

The location was not disclosed for operational security reasons.

Although Israeli airspace remains closed due to ongoing exchanges of fire with Iran, Lithuanian authorities, in coordination with international partners, are working on alternative evacuation plans, according to the military.

As of Sunday, the Lithuanian embassy in Israel had registered 102 citizens who wanted to leave the country.

Israel on Friday launched a military attack on Iran, which responded with a barrage of missiles and drones on Israel.

 

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Lithuanian citizens to be evacuated from Israel when it's safe to do so – FM

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – Lithuanian citizens stranded in Israel will be evacuated as soon as it is safe to do so, Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said on Sunday.

"The Air Force's Spartan aircraft took off from Lithuania today and is heading to Israel. It will bring our citizens back home as soon as the situation allows it to be done safely," Budrys posted on Facebook.

"All scenarios are being considered to bring our people back home as soon as possible," he added.

The minister said the Lithuanian embassy in Israel has registered 102 citizens who want to leave the country.

"Lithuania does not abandon its citizens in distress. The safety of every Lithuanian is our top priority," he said.

While waiting for a window to evacuate, the embassy is staying in close contact with Lithuanians in Israel, keeping them updated on the security situation and providing information about the evacuation process, according to Budrys.

Israel and Iran have been exchanging fire for several days, raising fears that long-standing tensions could spiral into a full-scale war.

Israel struck first on Friday, targeting Iran's nuclear and military facilities and top-ranking officers. The attacks, which Israel said were aimed at crippling Iran's efforts to develop a nuclear weapon, also hit residential areas.

Iran, which claims its nuclear program is for civilian use, responded with a barrage of missiles and drones on Israel.

In his Facebook post, Budrys said Iran poses a very real threat to the core security interests of Israel and the entire Middle East, as well as to international security.

"For decades, the international community has been trying to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions and prevent its efforts to make nuclear weapons. In reality, we are seeing insufficient cooperation from Iran and hearing increasingly aggressive rhetoric," the minister said.

"At the same time, Iran is providing extensive funding for the terrorist activities of Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, and is actively supporting Russia in its war against Ukraine," he added.

Budrys said that Lithuania has consistently stood by the position that Iran must not be allowed to possess nuclear weapons, and is firmly demanding that it stop providing military support to Russia.

He added that Lithuania will continue urging Western partners to step up pressure on Iran, warning that preventing further escalation in the Middle East is now critical.

 

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Lithuanian MPs expected to debate natl sanctions on Russia, Belarus after 2 postponements 

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – The Lithuanian government's proposal to amend the law to allow national economic sanctions to be imposed on Russia and Belarus if the European Union fails to extend its measures is expected to be presented to the Seimas in an unscheduled session on Monday.

The parliament was  scheduled to discuss the proposal last week, but it was removed from the agenda twice – on Tuesday and Thursday.

After the latest postponement, some MPs voiced their frustration. The conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats vowed to put the issue on the opposition's agenda.

Laurynas Kasciunas, the HU-LCD leader, then said that the original bill drafted by the government would be slightly revised and registered under the conservatives' name.

The amendments to the Law on Restrictive Measures Due to Military Aggression Against Ukraine were initiated by the Foreign Ministry and have been approved by the Cabinet.  

Deputy Foreign Minister Gabija Grigaite-Daugirde told the Cabinet that sanctions remain a key EU foreign policy tool in response to Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine, but extending them "is never an easy process." Therefore, if the EU fails to renew the sanctions, it is necessary to have a national instrument in place.

The bill would authorize the Lithuanian government to impose two types of sanctions: asset freezes and sectoral restrictions. 

In both cases, the lists of sanctioned individuals and companies would be drawn up by the Cabinet.

According to the Foreign Ministry, these restrictive measures would be used only in exceptional circumstances, as a last resort, if the EU suspended sanctions on Russia and Belarus or if member states failed to reach an agreement on extending them.

Vilnius wants other EU members bordering Russia or Belarus to adopt similar national measures in such a case. This would prevent goods from the two countries from entering the bloc by land and increase trade costs.

The EU has adopted 17 sanctions packages against Russia since February 24, 2022, when Moscow launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine. These sanctions target both specific individuals and the Kremlin's economic sectors and companies.

Lithuania has also imposed its national sanctions on Russian and Belarusian citizens. These include entry restrictions, limits on issuing residence permits, and additional security checks for those arriving from outside the EU. Russian and Belarusian citizens are also prohibited from bringing or taking Ukrainian hryvnias into or out of Lithuania, and the import of agricultural products and feed originating from Russia or Belarus is banned.

Russian citizens without residence permits are also barred from purchasing real estate in Lithuania.

 

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Closed Israeli airspace is biggest hurdle to evacuating Lithuanians – official

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – Lithuania has been unable to evacuate its citizens from Israel because the country's airspace remains closed, and officials are now looking into alternative ways to get people out of the region, Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Center (NCMC), said on Monday morning.

"The (Spartan military transport) aircraft has reached a country in the region, one to two hours' flight from Ben Gurion Airport, because it's not possible to enter Israeli airspace. That's the biggest obstacle preventing us from carrying out the plan," he told LRT Radio.

Vitkauskas said the situation is becoming more complicated, and the chances of Israeli airspace reopening any time soon "look rather bleak."

While air evacuation remains the fastest and safest option, other routes are being considered, according to the official. 

"There are basically two overland options – Amman, the capital of Jordan, or Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. We're looking into both, but traveling for three to five hours by land while airstrikes are ongoing also comes with risks," he said.

As of Sunday, the Lithuanian embassy in Israel had registered 102 citizens wishing to leave the country.

According to Vitkauskas, the list of countries Lithuania is cooperating with is "quite long," but coordination is most intensive with Germany.

 

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Lithuanian president warns Middle East conflict could fuel Russia's war machine

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said Saturday that the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran could help Russia's war machine because of rising oil prices.

"When you know that Russia's entire war machine – its killing machine – runs on those damned oil dollars, you worry about every dollar added to the price of oil. Unfortunately, that plays right into Russia's hands,” Nauseda told reporters.

"Sometimes you think that perhaps several of those sanctions packages we spend days negotiating and then celebrate adopting end up being meaningless because oil prices are now much higher than they were before the conflict. That's probably what hurts them most and could deliver the strongest blow," he added.

Oil prices began climbing as Israel and Iran have exchanged fire since Friday, sparking global concern over the threat of a wider war.

Strong EU sanctions 

Nauseda said the European Union's proposed 18th sanctions package against Russia includes restrictions on both Nord Stream gas pipelines, the nuclear energy giant Rosatom, and 22 more banks.

The president added that a price cap of 45 US dollars per barrel is also being considered for oil purchases.

"These sanctions, especially if coordinated with the G7, could really hit hard. If they can't be implemented, national sanctions are still an option, but we wouldn't want them to become a laughing stock, because Russia won't even notice national sanctions from a single country," he said.

The government's proposal to amend the law to allow national economic sanctions to be imposed on Russia and Belarus if the European Union fails to extend its measures is expected to be presented to the parliament on Monday.

The parliament was scheduled to discuss the proposal last week, but it was removed from the agenda twice – on Tuesday and Thursday.

Nauseda said that if EU sanctions could not be extended, at least a regional decision should be sought.

"But first we need to work within the EU and make sure the 18th sanctions package doesn't turn to dust. It often happens that discussions start out radically and firmly, and then various voices emerge calling for slight adjustments (...) and the whole thing just fizzles out," he said.  

Middle East 'in open flames'

Nauseda said the rising tension between Israel and Iran has now turned into "open flames," which is "extremely dangerous."

The president warned that the conflict could spread further across the region, making the world even less stable.

"The other problem is that the conflict we're seeing in the Middle East now – whether we like it or not – is at least partially overshadowing the war in Ukraine," Nauseda said.

"As a country, we, of course, support de-escalation. It's naive to think de-escalation will happen just because the international community calls for it – especially in a situation as tense as this. But we still have to push for it," he added.

 

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Local authorities in Lithuania mull honoring memory of fallen US troops with obelisks - BNS THEME

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – The local authorities in Lithuania's Svencionys District are considering honoring the memory of the four US troops who died this year at the General Silvestras Zukauskas Training Area in Pabrade by installing a retaining wall with four obelisks.

Last week, the municipal architect presented this concept to a municipal working group and the group approved it.

"It is a retaining wall that could be inscribed, finished with either granite or marble slabs, and have four memorial obelisks at the front," Violeta Cepukova, the deputy mayor of Svencionys, told BNS.

In her words, the memorial plaque could feature the names of the fallen soldiers and the obelisks could be replaced by four crosses. The vision of the monument will be finalized together with local councilors during committee meetings.

the municipal council would decide on the commemoration of the US soldiers in July, Svencionys District Mayor Rimantas Klipcius told BNS, adding that the municipality is cooperating with the Defense Ministry and the latter has promised to contribute to the commemoration.

As BNS reported earlier, during the farewell ceremony for the US troops in Vilnius in April, President Gitanas Nauseda said that commemorating the memory of the fallen soldiers was not just a matter for one municipality.

The four US soldiers went missing at the training area in eastern Lithuania on March 25 while operating an M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle.

The search and rescue operation lasted a week and involved Lithuanian, US, Polish and Estonian military personnel, as well as police and civilians.

The vehicle was pulled from a swamp on March 31 with the bodies of three soldiers inside. The body of the fourth soldier, who had drowned, was found the next day.

The US embassy in Vilnius, the Defense Ministry and the NGO Stiprus Kartu (Strong Together) organized a solemn farewell ceremony in Vilnius' central Cathedral Square to honor the soldiers.

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Rising oil prices may weaken EU resolve to sanction Russia – Lithuanian PM

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has warned that rising oil prices, driven by the conflict between Israel and Iran, could weaken the European Union's resolve to impose new sanctions on Russia.

"We're seeing oil prices go up. Oil prices mean fuel prices. And the 18th sanctions package targeting Russian energy resources is approaching. This could also affect the political will, which is already weak in Europe," he told reporters on Saturday. 

Oil prices began climbing on Friday after Israel launched strikes on Iran, prompting retaliation from Tehran and sparking global concern over the threat of a full-blown war.

Meanwhile, the EU is considering a new sanctions package against Moscow to push it to the negotiating table for peace in Ukraine.

The measures could aim to curb Russia's energy exports and further restrict the operations of its banks.

 

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Russian GPS jamming won't stop after war in Ukraine ends – Lithuanian minister

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – Lithuanian Transport Minister Eugenijus Sabutis has said GPS signal interference, which has recently affected aircraft flights and ships at the seaport of Klaipeda, is unlikely to stop even after the war in Ukraine ends, meaning countries in the region need to take action.

"This didn't start two or three years ago – it's been happening constantly, to varying degrees. (...) To think these issues will disappear once the war ends... they definitely won't. They'll continue. And believing we can just sit back and do nothing after the war – that's not the answer we should be looking for," Sabutis told BNS last week.

"We can't expect to return to the way things were before – that world is basically gone. Things have changed, the geopolitical landscape has shifted. So we need to figure out how to live with this reality, how to address these issues, and think ahead about how to prevent similar problems in the future," he added.

Lithuania and 12 other EU member states last week called on the European Commission to take action over interference with Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals in the bloc's countries.

In their joint letter to the Commission, they emphasized that GNSS interference cases are not random incidents but rather a deliberate, systematic and repeated effort by the Russian and Belarusian regimes aimed at destabilizing regional infrastructure, especially in the transport sector.

Following the statement, Saulius Skvernelis, the speaker of the Lithuanian parliament, said that the GPS interference is linked to Russia's efforts to shield its Kaliningrad exclave from potential airstrikes and that countries in the region will continue to face this problem as long as the Kremlin continues its war in Ukraine.

Sabutis disagreed, pointing out that jamming equipment was already being used during Soviet times to block foreign radio broadcasts.

"Even back then, the country that Russia has now inherited – and Belarus to some extent – used equipment to jam various signals. There was no GPS or anything like that at the time, but they were already doing it. So to say something has changed now is a stretch. That country has never changed and it has no intention of changing," he said.

The transport ministers of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Germany, Slovakia, Finland, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark and Romania are calling on the EU to use all political, diplomatic and legal tools to increase international pressure on the Russian and Belarusian regimes, including sanctions targeting individuals and entities involved in deliberate GNSS signal interference.

"Yes, right now this is just a political statement, but with real commitment and continued work, it can turn into concrete action. I'm well aware the EU doesn't move quickly, but if we do absolutely nothing, then nothing will ever move forward," Sabutis said.

 

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Lithuania has ignored threat posted by fifth column for too long – HU-LCD leader

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS -  Lithuania has ignored the fifth column threat to its national security for too long and must respond to it, says Laurynas Kasciunas, leader of the opposition conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats.

"The State of Lithuania has ignored this threat to national security for too long and must immediately take decisive measures with the full force of the law," he told a meeting of the party's council in Kaunas on Sunday, adding that representatives of a fifth column are too often written off as marginal figures, but this is a mistake.

"The more morally degraded, the angrier, the more hateful they are towards Lithuania, the better for our enemies. And today they are coming together on social media, join various groups and are even forming parties. These parties will not succeed in the elections, but Russia does not need them. It needs create a network. Unfortunately, a fifth column also seems to have a few representatives in the parliament. This is extremely dangerous," Kasciunas said, without naming any specific politicians.

He says that a fifth column does not simply involve people who think differently, therefore, political opponent should not be labeled this way.

"A fifth column are groups and networks of individuals who, as citizens of their own state, are loyal to another, hostile state, and who support and assist an external enemy in destroying their own state through subversion, propaganda and espionage," the HU-LCD leader said.

BNS previously reported that the country's political leaders do not agree on the use of this term.

Speaker of the Seimas Saulius Skvernelis was the first to mention the formation of a fifth column in the Seimas.

For his part, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has said that talking about a fifth column is not conducive to acting together.

Darius Jauniskis, a former director of the State Security Department, said in April that there was no evidence of the existence of a fifth column in the parliament.

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Lithuanian defense ministry to invest over EUR 18 mln in military fuel stations

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – The Lithuanian Defense Ministry is set to invest more than 18 million euros this year and next to expand the country's network of military fuel stations.

The goal is to ensure reliable fuel reserves and an uninterrupted supply, the ministry said in a press release on Monday.

It said newly installed fuel stations are already operational in strategically important locations within some Lithuanian Armed Forces units. Construction of additional fuel stations and fuel storage facilities is either underway or about to begin at other units, securing fuel supply in peace, crisis or wartime.

Orijana Masale, deputy defense minister responsible for infrastructure, said fuel stations are extremely important for maintaining an uninterrupted fuel supply for combat, logistics and administrative transport within the armed forces.

The new military infrastructure will feature modern fuel stations with integrated fuel storage, as well as larger-scale fuel storage facilities in strategically selected locations. 

 

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Antanaitis elected chairman of Lithuanian Journalists' Union 

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – Audrys Antanaitis has been elected chairman of the Lithuanian Journalists' Union, the organization announced.

The 66-year-old replaces Dainius Radzevičius, who was appointed journalists' ethics inspector by parliament last week. Radzevičius led the union for 22 years.

Antanaitis has in the past hosted shows on the Ziniu Radijas and Laisvoji Banga radio stations, worked as editor of the alkas.lt website, and served as vice-chairman of the Lithuanian Journalists' Union from 2007 to 2017.

From 2017 to 2022, Antanaitis held the post of chairman of the State Commission of the Lithuanian Language.

 

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Vilnius mayor orders stepped-up monitoring of wild animals after bear sighting

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas has instructed municipal services to step up monitoring of wild animals in the capital after a bear was spotted wandering through the city's streets.

"While we don't have a dedicated bear-catching unit in the municipality, we can't just sit back and do nothing when an animal like this is seen in the city," Benkunskas wrote on Facebook on Sunday.

The mayor said he had asked his team to find out how many drones suitable for search operations are available in the city's inventory.

It was also agreed with specialists to deploy thermal imaging drones in the northern and northwestern parts of Vilnius, where the bear was last seen leaving the city.

"If the bear decides to come back, we must make every effort to detect it as early as possible," Benkunskas said.

Earlier, people shared videos with local media showing the wild bear roaming the streets of Vilnius during the night from Saturday to Sunday.

The Wildlife Care Center at the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences confirmed that the bear was seen leaving the city later on Sunday.

 

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Wizz Air, Israir suspend Vilnius–Tel Aviv Flights, Ryanair halts service until October

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – Amid rising tensions in the Middle East, Wizz Air and Israir Airlines will not operate flights from Vilnius to Israel's capital, Tel Aviv, in the near future, while Ryanair is suspending flights on this route until October, Lietuvos Oro Uostai (Lithuanian Airports, LTOU) told BNS.

LTOU spokesman Tadas Vasiliauskas said Wizz Air has canceled its flights to Tel Aviv this week and will decide later whether to resume service.

Israir has also suspended flights for now. The Israeli carrier has set no specific date for resuming flights, as it will depend on possible airspace restrictions due to the situation in the region, Vasiliauskas said.

"Passengers should contact the airline they booked with. The carriers are responsible for providing all necessary information about planned flights or available alternatives," he said in a comment to BNS.

Three airlines – Wizz Air, Ryanair and Israir – normally operate scheduled flights between Vilnius and Tel Aviv.

Israel and Iran have been exchanging fire for several days, stoking fears that long-standing tensions could spiral into a full-blown war.

Israel struck first on Friday, targeting Iran's nuclear and military facilities as well as top-ranking officers. The attacks, which Israel said were aimed at crippling Iran's efforts to develop a nuclear weapon, also hit residential areas.

Iran, which claims its nuclear program is for civilian use, responded with a barrage of missiles and drones against Israel.

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Varvuolis proposed as Lithuania's ambassador to United States

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS - Gediminas Varvuolis will be nominated as Lithuania's new ambassador to the United States, according to a motion drafted and registered on Monday by the Foreign Ministry.

Varvuolis has previously served as Lithuania's ambassador to Belgium and Japan and is expected to start working in Washington on August 1. 

The Lithuanian government has already approved the recall of the current ambassador, Audra Plepyte, in early June and she will leave the US on July 14.

Plepyte started working in Washington in May 2021.

Prior to her appointment, Lithuania had not had an ambassador to the US since the end of the summer of 2020 as the nomination of ambassadors stalled after the presidential office and the Foreign Ministry had different positions on the matter.

In Lithuania, ambassadors are nominated by the government, approved by the the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs and then appointed by the president.

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Lithuania says it's open to dialogue as Warsaw calls for two-level Polish language exam

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – Lithuania's Education, Science and Sport Ministry says it is open to discussion after Poland's Education Vice Minister Joanna Mucha called for the introduction of a two-level Polish language exam in Lithuania.

According to the Polish Embassy in Lithuania, Mucha met with Lithuanian Education, Science and Sport Minister Raminta Popoviene in Vilnius last week and discussed, among other things, the Lithuanian language curricula in Polish schools.

"Mucha called on the Lithuanian authorities to introduce a two-level (general and extended) Polish matriculation exam," the embassy said in a Facebook post.

The Education, Science and Sport Ministry told BNS its positions remains unchanged that students should be free to choose which exams to take and stressed that there's no possibility to introduce a compulsory state matriculation exam for the Polish minority's mother tongue and literature at both the general and extended levels into the exam system.

According to the ministry, as of 2023, the examination system provides that all subjects, except for Lithuanian language and literature and mathematics, are taught at one level and only one level of examination is organized.

"Although it is impossible to introduce a two-level exam at the moment, we are open to discussion," the ministry said.

However, it said, the lack of a two-level curriculum and the need to discuss the matter with representatives of other national minorities means that any decision on the two-level exam could not be made quickly.

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Kurauskas takes over as CEO of Lithuania's Giraite ammo factory 

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – Mindaugas Kurauskas, a former executive director of Grafobal Vilnius, the largest packaging producer in the Baltics, on Monday took over as CEO of Lithuania's state-owned small-caliber ammunition manufacturer Giraites Ginkluotes Gamykla (Giraite Armament Factory, or GGG), 

The Finance Ministry, the factory's shareholder, announced on Monday that the company's management board had appointed Kurauskas to a five-year term.

Kurauskas worked at Grafobal Vilnius for more than 20 years, serving as executive director from 2019 to 2024. He holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and an engineering qualification in printing technology from Kaunas University of Technology.

Violeta Kasetiene stepped in as GGG's interim CEO after Aleksandras Nikonovas resigned last October after having led the company since 2014.

Finance Minister Rimantas Sadzius said previously that Lithuania's deal with Rheinmetall to build an ammunition plant had "fundamentally changed" the company's role.

Under the deal signed last December, the German defense giant holds a 51 percent stake in Rheinmetall Defence Lietuva, the joint venture implementing the project to build a 155 mm artillery ammunition factory in Baisogala, a small town in the northern district of Radviliskis. Epso-G Invest owns 48 percent, and GGG holds the remaining 1 percent.

GGG is expected to buy out Epso-G Invest's stake in the joint venture in the future.

Lithuania is also in talks with US defense technology giant Northrop Grumman on setting up a 30 mm ammunition production line at the GGG factory site in Kaunas District.

 

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Lithuanian man faces 30-day arrest for desecrated Israeli flag

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – Prosecutors in Lithuania's northern city of Siauliai are asking a court for a 30-day arrest for a man, 53, who again desecrated the Israeli flag in Siauliai in November last year.

Prosecutor Egle Veliuliene filed such a petition with the Siauliai District Court following the completion of the pre-trial investigation in this case, the prosecution service said on Monday.

The man admitted his guilt in full and regrets his actions. On November 6, the man is believed to have deliberately removed the Israeli flag officially hanging in a public place near the Jewish community building. He then threw it on the ground, tore it up, defaced it and left it in a nearby yard.

According to the prosecution service, the same man was punished under the administrative procedure for throwing the same Israeli flag on the ground on October 30.

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Social Democrats propose scrapping Lithuania's Desovietization Commission

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – More than 20 Social Democrat MPs have proposed scrapping the Desovietization Commission and handing over decisions on renaming streets and squares or removing monuments to municipalities.

The initiators say shifting these responsibilities to local authorities would "improve the efficiency of decision-making, reduce the administrative burden by cutting the number of institutions involved and better reflect the actual timelines for implementing the processes set out in law."

Under the proposal, municipal bodies would collect information about public monuments, landmarks and sites that may promote authoritarian or totalitarian regimes, review related requests from people and organizations, and make a decision within six months.

If local authorities lack sufficient information to determine whether a site violates the law, they could ask the Genocide and Resistance Research Center of Lithuania (GRRCL) for an expert opinion.

This would make the Desovietization Commission redundant, and the Seimas resolution establishing it would be repealed.

President Gitanas Nauseda and Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas have both voiced support for the proposal.

"I believe this proposal is right. Local authorities are fully capable of handling these matters themselves," Paluckas told reporters.

"You know, if this commission is disbanded, I won't shed a tear. I saw a lot of politicking during its work and far less expertise or genuine interest in uncovering historical truth," Nauseda said.

Lithuania's ban on promoting totalitarian and authoritarian regimes and their ideologies came into force in May 2023. The law requires the removal of totalitarian and authoritarian symbols from public spaces.

Currently, questions about whether specific sites violate the law are first reviewed by the Desovietization Commission, which is made up of experts, with final decisions made by the GRRCL director general.

Some decisions have sparked controversy. Klaipeda's city council twice rejected proposals to rename Salomeja Neris and Liudas Gira streets. The Radviliskis district council refused to change the names of Salomeja Neris and Romanas Zabenka streets in Baisogala. Protests have been held in Vilnius over the planned removal of the Neris monument.

 

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Hostile countries' propaganda focused on military exercises, German brigade in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – Lithuanian army analysts analyzing hostile countries' propaganda say it mostly focused on NATO and Lithuanian military exercises in the Baltic Sea region in May.

Hostile information was also directed against the German brigade in Lithuania and false information was circulated about the alleged evacuation of the population of the Suwalki Corridor, allegedly prompted by the rising tensions between NATO and Russia and the threat of a possible conflict, the Lithuanian army reports on Monday.

To be more persuasive, Russian propaganda claimed to quote an article from the German news website Bild: although the German website published a story on May 25 about the geopolitical situation in the region and interviewed local residents, it did not contain any information about the evacuation of Lithuanian and Polish citizens.

This false information was later also linked to a statement by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the lifting of range restrictions on weapons provided to Ukraine to strike deep inside Russia, the army said

Despite the fact that the Bild article was published before Merz's statement, Russian propaganda actors claimed that the West's support for Ukraine was exacerbating tensions between Russia and NATO and causing panic among citizens in Lithuania and Poland. 

"It is possible that Russian propagandists, under the name of a well-known website, were trying to penetrate the Western information space and get a reaction," the report says.

The inauguration of the German brigade in Lithuania was also covered in a negative light: the key hostile messages claimed that NATO countries were a threat to the Russian-Belarusian Union State and attempts were made to discredit the State of Lithuanian, claiming that the deployment of the brigade was a "loss of Lithuania's sovereignty".

The Belarusian Foreign Ministry sought to draw historical parallels with World War II, describing the deployment of the German brigade as "history repeating itself", the army said.

Official statements by Russian officials also gave negative coverage to NATO-Lithuanian military exercises in the Baltic Sea region, with hostile and misleading mainstream messages claiming that NATO military exercises near the Belarusian and Russian borders were a threat to these countries and an indication of the aggressive intentions of NATO countries.

Tensions within the information space on this issue increased after the incident of May 14 when the Estonian Navy attempted to intercept a Jaguar tanker, allegedly belonging to the Russian shadow fleet. During the month, this event was also widely linked to the above-mentioned exercises in order to reinforce the narrative of threats emanating from the Baltic Sea region, or even that the Baltic Sea is a future NATO-Russia confrontation point.

The beginning of May, according to the army, was also marked by an abundance of historical themes and accusations of fascist sentiments against the neighboring Western countries, which was linked to the commemoration of May 9th in Russia.

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Lithuanian farmers to stage warning protest over tax reform

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – Some farmers in Lithuania are planning to stage a protest against proposed tax changes as the parliament continues to debate the package.

The Lithuanian Grain Growers Association, together with the Agricultural Council and the Farmers Union, is organizing a warning protest outside the parliament on Thursday.

"The protest will coincide with the vote on the tax legislation," Audrius Vanagas, head of the association, told reporters on Monday. 

"We want to express our surprise and shock at being ignored once again.  We submitted proposals for the tax system, we spoke with political groups in the Seimas, but it was just talk," he added.  

According to the organizers, the proposed tax changes could place an unbearable burden on part of the farming sector, with some facing increases of up to or even over 100 percent.

Raimundas Juknevicius, head of the Lithuanian Farmers Union, said the government's proposed reforms would result in steeper tax hikes for farmers than for other businesses.

Farmers are particularly critical of planned changes to personal income tax, state social insurance and road taxation.

They are also concerned that crop insurance may be subject to the proposed new insurance tax.

Thursday’s protest is expected to draw around 500 participants and 100 tractors.

The reform package includes the government's initiative to make personal income tax more progressive by introducing a new 25 percent rate on income between 36 and 60 average monthly wages, in addition to the current 20 percent rate (up to 36 average monthly wages) and 32 percent rate (above 60 average monthly wages). The rates would also apply to income from self-employment and would cover all types of income, except dividends and performance bonuses, which would remain taxed at 15 percent.

Other proposed changes include a 10 percent tax on some insurance contracts, a one-point increase in corporate tax to 17 percent, raising reduced VAT rates from 9 to 12 percent, scrapping heating subsidies, and introducing a so-called sugar tax.

 

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Lithuania plans to evacuate citizens from Israel by land to Jordan, then by air 

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – As the conflict between Israel and Iran continues, Lithuania plans to evacuate its citizens from Tel Aviv overland to Jordan and then by a charter flight to Lithuania, Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Center (NCMC), said on Monday.

"We've decided to use an overland route to evacuate our citizens. A route has been arranged, and the final preparations are underway," Vitkauskas told reporters.

"Details are still being finalized, and we're waiting for confirmation from the airline, but we believe this is the safest and fastest way to get our citizens out of the conflict zone," he added.

The evacuation is planned for Tuesday.

Vitkauskas said 125 people have registered for evacuation, 27 of whom are not Lithuanian citizens but have ties to Lithuanian citizens. Some are hesitant about traveling overland to Jordan, so that number could still change.

"The biggest concern is safety. It's one thing to get to an airport about 45 minutes from where they live and leave the country, but quite another to travel overland to another country amid unsafe conditions," he said.

The official added that the distance to the airport is around 350 kilometers, so the overland trip could take about four hours. Lithuanians will travel by bus, with their escort organized by the embassy in Tel Aviv.

“Our priority is to leave Israel and reach the first safe country from which we can continue on to Lithuania," he said.

Lithuanian citizens will likely fly out from Aqaba International Airport in Jordan.

The NCMC head urged Lithuanians in Israel who have not yet registered for evacuation to do so.

“There may not be another chance," he warned.

Vitkauskas said Lithuania's Spartan military transport plane, sent earlier for evacuation, is still in the region.

"We're considering Plan B, an alternative in case the primary plan doesn't work. We're waiting for permission to enter Egyptian airspace. These permissions usually take time, but the applications have been submitted," the official said.

"If needed, we would use the Spartan for evacuation if the initial plan fails," he added.

Lithuania has not received any evacuation requests from Iran so far.

According to Vitkauskas, the safest way to leave Iran is also overland, heading to Armenia, Turkey or Azerbaijan.

Israel and Iran have been exchanging fire since last week, stoking fears that long-standing tensions could spiral into a full-blown war.

Israel struck first on Friday, targeting Iran's nuclear and military facilities as well as top-ranking officers. The attacks, which Israel said were aimed at crippling Iran's efforts to develop a nuclear weapon, also hit residential areas.

Iran, which claims its nuclear program is for civilian use, responded with a barrage of missiles and drones against Israel.

 

By Augustas Stankevičius, Vilmantas Venckūnas

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Vilnius University astronomers, international partners discover new planet

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS - Scientists from Vilnius University's Faculty of Physics, together with their colleagues from Poland and other countries, have identified an exoplanet – a gas giant located far from the Galactic Center, the university reports on Monday.

This is only the third such discovery in the entire history of observations. The discovery is even more exceptional due to the method used – the phenomenon known as microlensing.

The phenomenon that hinted at the location of planet AT2021uey b was first observed in 2021. After scientists carefully verified and analyzed the data, they were finally able to determine that it is a gas giant located 3,262 light-years away, with a mass that reaches 1.3 times that of Jupiter. It orbits around a so-called M dwarf – a relatively small and cool star, completing one orbit every 4,170 days. Their unusual size ratio also contributed to the planet’s discovery – detecting an Earth-type planet would have been much more difficult.

According to the scientist, the collaboration and discovery itself happened almost by chance. It all began during a visit to colleagues at the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Warsaw. One of the method’s enthusiasts, Prof Lukasz Wyrzykowski, suggested preparing a joint Polish-Lithuanian project. His idea was simple – to analyze data from the European Space Agency’s “Gaia” telescope, verify it, and supplement it with ground-based observations. The telescopes at VU’s Moletai Astronomical Observatory are suitable for this purpose.

The results of the observations have been published in one of the most prestigious astronomy journals, Astronomy & Astrophysics.

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Lithuanian MPs start debating possibility of natl economic sanctions on Russia, Belarus

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – The Lithuanian parliament on Monday started debating a proposal to allow the country to impose national economic sanctions on Russia and Belarus if the European Union fails to extend its measures.

The draft amendments to the Law on Restrictive Measures Due to Military Aggression Against Ukraine passed their first reading with 123 votes in favor, two against and one abstention.

Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys, who initiated the bill, said the need for such legislation became apparent over the winter when the EU began facing difficulties in extending existing sanctions.

"The situation in the European Union began to change in the second half of January when it became clear that we might not be as united as we'd like in extending the sanctions already in place," he told lawmakers. "That led us to the conclusion that we need to look for alternative ways to maintain an effective sanctions policy."

Hungary has been the main opponent of extending sanctions.

Budrys underlined that, despite skepticism, sanctions against Russia and Belarus are having an effect. According to him, the total value of sanctions imposed by the G7 countries amounts to 400 billion US dollars.

If the EU fails to extend its sanctions, Lithuania is weighing two alternative options: Plan B would involve coordinated action among 26 member states, while Plan C would mean introducing national-level sanctions, the minister said.

The bill would authorize the Lithuanian government to impose two types of sanctions: asset freezes and sectoral, or economic, restrictions. 

In both cases, the lists of sanctioned individuals and companies would be drawn up by the Cabinet.

Vilnius wants not only Lithuania but also other EU members bordering Russia or Belarus to impose measures if the EU sanctions are not extended. This would prevent goods from the two countries from entering the bloc by land and increase trade costs.

Budrys stressed on Monday that Latvia, Estonia and Poland already have similar legal tools in place and can use them if needed.

EU sanctions are typically extended by consensus among member states.

The bloc has adopted 17 sanctions packages against Russia since February 24, 2022, when Moscow launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine. These sanctions target both specific individuals and the Kremlin's economic sectors and companies.

Lithuania has also imposed its own national sanctions on Russian and Belarusian citizens. These include entry restrictions, limits on issuing residence permits, and additional security checks for those arriving from outside the EU. Russian and Belarusian citizens are also prohibited from bringing or taking Ukrainian hryvnias into or out of Lithuania, and the import of agricultural products and feed originating from Russia or Belarus is banned.

Russian citizens without residence permits are also barred from purchasing real estate in Lithuania.

 

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Lithuania cannot improve ties with China at expense of 'abuse of legal system'– Skvernelis

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – Relations with China cannot be improved at the expense of the "abuse of the law", Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Saulius Skvernelis says.

This is how he commented on the situation when the only Chinese diplomat working in Vilnius tried to re-enter Lithuania but was prevented by border guards as he had no accreditation and the privilege of a diplomatic passport to stay in the country was no longer valid.

"Relations cannot be warmed up at the expense of the rule of law and the abuse of the law,” he told reporters at the Seimas on Monday. "There's a 90-day limit, they used up that time and they can send another (diplomat - BNS). We cannot allow Lithuania to fail to comply with the laws it has adopted."

There are no Beijing diplomats in Vilnius since mid-May as Lithuania and China disagree on how to restore their diplomatic representation, BNS reported earlier in the day.

One Chinese diplomat used to work in Vilnius, but after leaving the country for a while, he was not allowed to re-enter Lithuania on May 18.

Border guards have confirmed to BNS that a Chinese citizen with a diplomatic passport, but not accredited as a diplomat, was refused entry at Vilnius Airport. He arrived in Lithuania from Istanbul and spent nine hours at the airport.

His diplomatic passport allowed him to stay in the Schengen area for 90 of the last 180 days, but the Chinese representative had broken this rule.

"Lithuania is a country governed by the rule of law and has followed that procedure. He wanted to enter without having the right to do so, which is why he did not enter", Skvernelis said.

By Dominykas Biržietis, Jūratė Skėrytė

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Lithuanian intelligence aware of Russian nuclear bases, no extra threat – PM

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – As Russia expands its nuclear bases near Europe, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said Monday that Lithuania's intelligence services are aware of the situation and see no cause for concern. 

"I want to say that our intelligence – and we – probably know a bit more than the Swedes, and our special services and intelligence agencies handle this information and share it with the state leaders," Paluckas told reporters.

"There's no need for any additional action, and this doesn't pose a heightened threat," he added.

The prime minister was commenting on a report by Swedish broadcaster SVT based on new satellite imagery showing that at least five Russian nuclear weapons bases near Europe have been expanded and modernized in recent years. The images also show testing grounds, fenced-off railway stations and other facilities.

Significant expansion has been observed in Russia's Kaliningrad exclave, where a suspected nuclear weapons storage site has undergone major upgrades. According to the Polish government, about 100 tactical nuclear weapons are stored in Kaliningrad.

Other sites mentioned include the Asipovichy base in Belarus, which housed a Soviet-era nuclear weapons storage facility; the Novaya Zemlya nuclear testing site; and the Kola Peninsula, where about 50 storage bunkers have been built for submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said these developments highlight the need for a broader discussion on nuclear deterrence and Europe's own capabilities.

He told BNS, however, that there is no new information that should cause increased concern.

"This isn't new, and we're fully aware of the current status. There's no new information to make us more worried," Lithuania's top diplomat said. 

"On the other hand, what we already know is enough. Russia is openly demonstrating the expansion of its military infrastructure, including nuclear capabilities," he added.

 

By Paulius Perminas

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Lithuania sent proposal to China on restoring relations, PM says without elaborating

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – Lithuania has sent a proposal to China on how to re-establish diplomatic representation between the two countries, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas says, without elaborating.

He made the remarks as Vilnius and Beijing have been at odds over how to re-establish diplomatic ties over the past few years.

"These talks are ongoing and, of course, they are not simple and easy. It is much easier to destroy diplomatic relations than to restore them. But I believe that after the initial exchange of positions, the ball is now in China's court, they are thinking about how to respond to our proposal, and the issue will be resolved eventually," the prime minister told reporters at the Seimas on Monday.

He did not elaborate on the proposal but insisted that it was not related to changing the name of the Taiwanese mission in Vilnius.

"We are certainly not proposing that," the prime minister said.

There are no Beijing diplomats in Vilnius since mid-May as Lithuania and China disagree on how to restore their diplomatic representation, BNS reported earlier in the day.

One Chinese diplomat used to work in Vilnius, but after leaving the country for a while, he was not allowed to re-enter Lithuania on May 18.

Border guards have confirmed to BNS that a Chinese citizen with a diplomatic passport, but not accredited as a diplomat, was refused entry at Vilnius Airport. He arrived in Lithuania from Istanbul and spent nine hours at the airport.

His diplomatic passport allowed him to stay in the Schengen area for 90 of the last 180 days, but the Chinese representative had broken this rule.

According to Paluckas, the accreditation of Chinese diplomats officially expired in the fall of 2024.

"There have been no accredited, and I stress accredited, diplomats at the Chinese mission since the end of last fall," the prime minister said.

This dispute erupted in the fall of 2021 when Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open a Taiwanese mission in Vilnius. Beijing saw this as Lithuanian support for Taiwan's attempts to act as an independent state. In other countries, such representative offices operate under the name of Taipei.

In response, China unilaterally downgraded its diplomatic representation from the level of ambassadors to that of temporary charge d'affaires, renamed its embassy as the Office of the Chargé d'Affaires of the People's Republic of China in Lithuania, and it’s also using the same name for Lithuania's mission in Beijing.

Lithuania still officially considers both missions to be embassies and says that China's actions are contrary to international law. Lithuanian diplomats are no longer working in China because Beijing does not recognize their status.

Lithuania also refuses to issue new accreditations to Chinese diplomats because they want to be accredited as working for the "Office of the Chargé d'Affaires of the People's Republic of China in Lithuania".

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Lithuanian FM says he has 'both optimism and patience' on China

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys says he has "both optimism and patience" and believes that Vilnius will eventually reach an agreement with China on the restoration of diplomatic representation.

The public escalation of this issue, he said, is making negotiations with Beijing more difficult.

"Lithuania's interest, as it is currently defined and agreed with the prime minister, with the president, remains unchanged. We want to have that basic minimum (representation - BNS) and we are talking about it," Budrys told BNS on Monday.

"Everything else, the speculation in public, the interpretations, the expectations, that has obviously not helped in this situation. But I do have both optimism and patience," Lithuania's top diplomat added.

There are currently no Beijing diplomats in Vilnius since mid-May as Lithuania and China disagree on how to restore their diplomatic representation, BNS reported earlier in the day.

Asked whether it was possible to move out of the current situation without changing the name of the Taiwanese mission in Vilnius, Budrys said that these were two separate issues. In his words, Lithuania "wants to have an absolute minimum" in bilateral relations with China in order to be able to discuss other issues.

"As long as there is no minimum wage, there is no way to talk about anything else. It's like I said, these are topics that are now on separate shelves completely," the minister said. "Our minimum is to have a diplomatic mission. To have an embassy operating in China, in Beijing, and for them to have an embassy operating in Vilnius, I am interested in that."

Despite the existing problems, diplomatic channels with China exist and remain and diplomatic exchanges are also taking place, Budrys pointed out.

One Chinese diplomat used to work in Vilnius, but after leaving the country for a while, he was not allowed to re-enter Lithuania on May 18.

This dispute erupted in the fall of 2021 when Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open a Taiwanese mission in Vilnius. Beijing saw this as Lithuanian support for Taiwan's attempts to act as an independent state. In other countries, such representative offices operate under the name of Taipei.

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Baltics, Poland sign memorandum to protect critical energy infrastructure

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS - Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland are further strengthening their cooperation in the field of energy security as the four countries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the cooperation on the protection and resilience of critical energy infrastructure during the EU Energy Council meeting in Luxembourg on Monday.

The signed memorandum establishes a cross-national and cross-agency working group aimed at more effective coordination of initiatives, information sharing, and joint implementation of security measures to protect key energy infrastructure – both onshore and offshore – from physical, cyber, and other threats, Lithuania's Energy Ministry said in a statement.

"Today, the protection of critical energy infrastructure is not only a matter of national, but also regional security. This agreement is a clear signal that our region is united in responding to emerging threats and is firmly committed to strengthening energy security, protecting infrastructure, and making it more resilient," Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas says.

The memorandum outlines key areas of cooperation: information exchange, joint exercises, and sharing of best practices. It brings together the most important activities and strategies of the four countries for the coming decade and ensures that the reliability of energy infrastructure is maintained during crises. 

The memorandum also includes plans to develop as soon as possible a joint pilot project – the Flagship Model of Excellence in Infrastructure Protection and Resilience – which will first be applied in the Baltic region and later could be used as a model for the application of the same security measures across the European Union – from its North to its South. 

The need for funding critical energy infrastructure was also emphasized in the joint statement by the Baltic ministers during the Energy Council meeting.

The protection of critical infrastructure in the region became a concern at the end of last year and at the beginning of this year after a number of underwater infrastructure damage incidents were detected in the Baltic Sea.

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It won't make sense to make significant changes in ties with China right now – Motuzas

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS - In the current geopolitical situation, it would not make sense to make significant changes in relations with China, Social Democrat Remigijus Motuzas, chair of Lithuania's parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, say.

"In the context of the current geopolitical situation, it would probably not make sense to move very strongly or take certain measures. We should wait," Motuzas told BNS. "All the more so because we see the situation as dynamically changing a lot."

There are currently no Beijing diplomats in Vilnius since mid-May as Lithuania and China disagree on how to restore their diplomatic representation, BNS reported earlier in the day.

Motuzas says that any moves this will not bring major changes in relations between the two countries.

"We have a person from Vilnius, they have a person from Brussels who is interested in these (diplomatic - BNS) matters," Motuzas said.

One Chinese diplomat used to work in Vilnius, but after leaving the country for a while, he was not allowed to re-enter Lithuania on May 18.

Border guards have confirmed to BNS that a Chinese citizen with a diplomatic passport, but not accredited as a diplomat, was refused entry at Vilnius Airport. He arrived in Lithuania from Istanbul and spent nine hours at the airport.

His diplomatic passport allowed him to stay in the Schengen area for 90 of the last 180 days, but the Chinese representative had broken this rule.

Lithuania does not feel the matter being its fault as the diplomatic mission was informed about the situation, Motuzas said.

"We told them that if they wanted to stay in Lithuania, they needed to apply for a visa as a diplomatic mission, but China continued to follow the principle and submitted (the application for accreditation - BNS) to the temporary office of the charge d'affaires. If you have seen the sign on Algirdas Street, that is what they have. And that's why the last diplomat was refused entry because he did not have such a visa," Motuzas said.

"Lithuania does not feel as being at fault in this situation because it was very nicely explained and we made concessions, despite the fact that they put up that sign. We said that diplomatic relations were not broken and everything else. But they continued to hold their ground," he explained.

This dispute erupted in the fall of 2021 when Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open a Taiwanese mission in Vilnius. Beijing saw this as Lithuanian support for Taiwan's attempts to act as an independent state. In other countries, such representative offices operate under the name of Taipei.

In response, China unilaterally downgraded its diplomatic representation from the level of ambassadors to that of temporary charge d'affaires, renamed its embassy as the Office of the Chargé d'Affaires of the People's Republic of China in Lithuania, and it’s also using the same name for Lithuania's mission in Beijing.

Lithuania still officially considers both missions to be embassies and says that China's actions are contrary to international law. Lithuanian diplomats are no longer working in China because Beijing does not recognize their status.

Lithuania also refuses to issue new accreditations to Chinese diplomats because they want to be accredited as working for the "Office of the Chargé d'Affaires of the People's Republic of China in Lithuania".

By Jūratė Skėrytė, Karolina Ambrazaitytė

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Lithuanian parlt OKs taxing both primary, additional properties

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – Lithuanian lawmakers on Monday gave their initial backing to property tax changes, including a proposal to tax the primary residential property valued over 450,000 euros, and all additional properties would be taxed from 50,000 euros.

73 MPs voted in favor, 48 voted against and six abstained. The final vote is scheduled in late June, and the law law would enter into force in 2026.

The taxation of primary residential properties appeared in the bill on Monday after the parliamentart Committee on Budget and Finance Committee approved the proposal.

This version of the property tax on primary residential properties would raise between 700,000 and 1 million euros annually, Finance Minister Rimantas Sadzius says, adding that only two municipalities in Lithuania are likely to have properties of the mentioned value.

The government's proposals on the taxation of non-primary residential and commercial real estate did not raise any debate in the committees and were not amended by MPs.

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NATO jets in Baltics scrambled six times over Russian aircraft last week

VILNIUS, Jun 16, BNS – NATO fighter jets policing Baltic airspace were scrambled six times last week to intercept Russian aircraft flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea in violation of flight rules, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

Most of them were flying with their onboard transponders off, without flight plans and were not in contact with the regional traffic control center.

The NATO Baltic air policing mission is carried out from Lithuania and Estonia.

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, June 17, 2025

VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Tuesday, June 17, 2025:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to meet with EU ambassadors accredited in Lithuania at 10 a.m.; to meet with PRIME MINISTER Gintautas Paluckas at 1 p.m.; to meet with the chairs of the parliamentary Committees on Foreign Affairs and European Affairs at 2 p.m.

PRIME MINISTER Gintautas Paluckas to attend a commemoration of the 249th anniversary of the United States Independence Day at 4.30 p.m.

SOCIAL SECURITY AND LABOR MINISTER Inga Ruginiene to attend a commemoration of the 249th anniversary of the United States Independence Day at 4.30 p.m.

 

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