LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, June 17, 2025
- Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
- Lithuanian president, PM to meet for 1st time since launch of company loan probe
- Evacuation of Lithuanian citizens from Israel begins in Tel Aviv (media)
- NATO united in backing Ukraine, but membership pledge may change – Lithuanian diplomat
- Lithuania's NATO ambassador backs Israel's decision to strike Iran first
- Search underway for Russian man who jumped off Kaliningrad train in Lithuania
- Lithuanians won't need to pay for evacuation from Israel – PM
- Lithuanian defense ministry initiates reform of service member pensions
- Lithuanian president convenes State Defense Council
- Lithuania MPs adopt part of tax changes, to vote on the rest on Thursday (corrects)
- Lithuanians evacuated from Israel reach Jordanian border
- Lithuanians evacuated from Israel cross Jordanian border (updates)
- Russian likely jumped off train in Lithuania as it slowed, motives unclear – minister
- Excise duty policy is being assessed and reviewed – Lithuanian PM
- Lithuanian PM says 'seriously considering' transferring company shares after probes
- Ministries against proposal to postpone Lithuanian language requirement for Ukrainians
- Lithuanian ruling parties oppose tougher rules on Russians buying property near key sites
- Lithuanian FM urges EU to make every effort to get Iran to resume nuclear negotiations
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 18, 2025
- Lithuania voices strong protest to Russia over attacks on Ukrainian civilians
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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Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally in the past 24 hours, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Tuesday morning.
Latvia reported 31 illegal border crossing attempts on Monday. Poland denied entry to 108 irregular migrants on Sunday, according to the latest available information.
Lithuania has barred a total of 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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Lithuanian president, PM to meet for 1st time since launch of company loan probe
VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas is set to visit President Gitanas Nauseda on Tuesday to discuss tax reforms currently under debate in the parliament.
This will be their first meeting since the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FCIS) launched a probe into a soft loan granted by the national development bank ILTE to Garnis, a company partly owned by the prime minister.
Last week, Nauseda told reporters he wanted to discuss the situation with Paluckas and hear his explanations.
The president said any decisions could only follow once the authorities had completed their investigations.
In his state of the nation address to the parliament in early June, Nauseda said, without naming Paluckas, that businesspeople who enter politics should seriously reconsider their continued involvement in business.
"When putting on the mantle of a politician, one should carefully reconsider their involvement in business multiple times. Otherwise, unresolved business-related issues will continually undermine the best initiatives and fuel conflicts rooted in both justified and unjustified suspicions," the president said.
Justinas Argustas, an adviser to Paluckas, told BNS that the two leaders plan to discuss tax reform during Tuesday's meeting.
"The president and the prime minister will go over the main pieces of legislation currently being debated and finalized in the Seimas: the reform of the second-pillar pension system allowing people to withdraw their funds, the scrapping of additional payments by patients in the healthcare system, and tax changes," the adviser said.
The prime minister and the president are also expected to exchange views on other major domestic and foreign policy matters, he said.
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Evacuation of Lithuanian citizens from Israel begins in Tel Aviv (media)
VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – The evacuation of Lithuanian citizens from Israel began in Tel Aviv on Tuesday morning, LRT Radio reported.
Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian citizens are being taken by three buses to Jordan, from where they will later be flown to Vilnius on a civilian aircraft, according to the public broadcaster.
"We offered assistance to our neighbors as well. (...) There are still some available seats, and we expect the flight to be full," said Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Center.
"We hope that by around noon, or sometime after noon, all passengers will have reached the border checkpoint," he added.
As previously reported by BNS, Lithuanian authorities decided to evacuate citizens on a chartered civilian flight from Jordan, even though a Spartan military transport aircraft had also been deployed to the region.
More than 100 people, mostly Lithuanian citizens, have registered for the evacuation.
Officials have said the distance to the airport is about 350 kilometers, meaning the overland journey could take around four hours. The passengers are expected to depart from Aqaba International Airport in Jordan.
Lithuania has not received any evacuation requests from Iran so far.
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NATO united in backing Ukraine, but membership pledge may change – Lithuanian diplomat
VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Lithuania's ambassador to NATO, Darius Jauniskis, says he sees unity among the Alliance's member states in supporting Ukraine, but warns that commitments on Kyiv's membership in the bloc may change.
Next week's NATO summit in The Hague is being closely watched by the international community for signs of how the Alliance's stance on Ukraine's potential membership might shift following the change in the United States administration.
"I think that declaration (...) could change. (...) I can't predict what decisions will be made in The Hague next week, but again, speaking about support for Ukraine, I know the Alliance will definitely not back down," Jauniskis told Ziniu Radijas in an interview aired on Tuesday.
The ambassador said there is broad consensus among NATO countries to continue supporting Ukraine.
"I don't think NATO has any plans to step back or suddenly reverse its support for Ukraine. In fact, I think that if the Alliance did that, we would lose any reason to exist as an alliance, because Ukraine is currently one of the main factors underpinning our geopolitics," the diplomat said.
"There must be peace there, and certain decisions must be made," he added.
NATO first declared in 2008 that Ukraine would eventually join the Alliance. At the 2023 summit, NATO leaders said an invitation for Ukraine to join the bloc would be extended once all member states agreed and the country met the conditions.
Some political observers believe this NATO commitment could be revised as US President Donald Trump, who took office in January, pushes Ukraine and Russia to negotiate peace, and Moscow sets Kyiv's membership as a condition for a ceasefire.
Jauniskis said "many discussions, many talks" are underway within NATO on Ukraine's potential membership.
"A lot of work still needs to be done before The Hague," he said.
Jauniskis added that Lithuanian authorities have agreed on the wording regarding Ukraine's membership that Vilnius wants to see in the final NATO summit declaration, but declined to reveal it.
The ambassador also said he expects Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to attend the summit in The Hague, despite earlier reports that the United States does not want him to.
By Saulius Jakučionis
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Lithuania's NATO ambassador backs Israel's decision to strike Iran first
VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Lithuania's ambassador to NATO, Darius Jauniskis, has expressed support for Israel's decision to strike Iran's nuclear facilities.
"Apparently, there was no other choice but to hit Iran's nuclear development sites, because it was necessary to stop them," Jauniskis told Ziniu Radijas in an interview aired on Tuesday.
"Undoubtedly, it's not up to us to decide. Their intelligence services likely had certain information that led to these decisions," he added.
Jauniskis said the situation in the region needs to be closely watched to prevent the conflict between Israel and Iran from escalating into "broader action."
The ambassador said he believes Israel's concern about Iran getting closer to developing a nuclear weapon is widely seen as justified across NATO.
Israel and Iran have been exchanging fire since last Friday, stoking fears that long-standing tensions could spiral into a full-blown war.
Israel struck first, 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 against Israel.
By Saulius Jakučionis
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Search underway for Russian man who jumped off Kaliningrad train in Lithuania
VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Lithuanian police are looking for a Russian citizen who jumped off the Adler-Kaliningrad transit train on Tuesday morning.
According to the Police Department, the Kybartai railway border crossing was notified before 6 a.m. that a Russian citizen born in 2004 had jumped off the moving Adler-Kaliningrad transit train.
Border guards responded but failed to find the person.
According to initial police data, about 25 minutes before the train reached the Kybartai railway station, an attendant noticed an open train door when the train was moving between Pilviskiai and Kybartai, through which the person could have jumped.
Information about the missing Russian national has been passed on to all police teams and a search for him is underway.
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Lithuanians won't need to pay for evacuation from Israel – PM
VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS - As the evacuation of Lithuanian citizens from Israel began in Tel Aviv on Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas says they will not have to pay for their evacuation.
"No, they will not have to pay," he told reporters at the Seimas on Tuesday. "Those who have registered, and there are over 150 of them, are currently traveling by bus to Jordan, some 70-80 people. And they will be flown back to Lithuania."
The group also includes Latvian citizens as well, Paluckas added.
"There are also Latvian citizens, but there has been no official request for cooperation," he said. "Each country deals with these issues on its own. Some are more active, others see it as a normal process because the borders are not closed and foreigners can leave Israel their own ways."
BNS reported earlier that Lithuanian authorities decided to evacuate citizens on a chartered civilian flight from Jordan, even though a Spartan military transport aircraft had also been deployed to the region.
More than 100 people, mostly Lithuanian citizens, have registered for the evacuation.
Officials have said the distance to the airport is about 350 kilometers, meaning the overland journey could take around four hours. The passengers are expected to depart from Aqaba International Airport in Jordan.
Lithuania has not received any evacuation requests from Iran so far.
By Karolina Ambrazaitytė
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Lithuanian defense ministry initiates reform of service member pensions
VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – The Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that it is initiating changes to the state pension system for service members, aiming to enhance their financial security and strengthen motivation to remain in military service.
The ministry said in a press release that it is currently analyzing best practices from NATO countries and preparing proposals for the parliament.
Potential changes include increasing the pension replacement rate for 25 years of service, guaranteeing a minimum pension of at least 50 percent of the former net salary, ensuring proper indexation, including all service-related bonuses in pension calculations, setting a pension floor, and addressing discrepancies between pensions granted under previous and current rules.
According to the ministry, a growing number of experienced service members, particularly those with more than 20 years of service, are opting not to renew their contracts, citing an insufficient expected pension as a key reason for leaving the armed forces for the civilian labor market.
Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene noted that most NATO countries have already adopted much more favorable models that ensure a higher pension replacement rate, adding that Lithuania must keep pace.
"If we fail to ensure a decent pension for service members who have dedicated their lives to serving Lithuania, we will lose experienced professionals who are costly and difficult to replace," Sakaliene said in the press release.
"Lithuania must value its troops not just with words but with tangible, competitive guarantees, just as our NATO allies do. Our goal is to create a competitive and fair system for our service members," she added.
Deputy Defense Minister Karolis Aleksa said that Lithuanian service members currently receive a state pension amounting to just 25 to 30 percent of their former salary. He added that the system fails to provide adequate support during the period before military personnel become eligible for old-age pensions from the state social insurance fund Sodra.
Aleksa also pointed to the issue of insufficient indexation, noting that many previously awarded state pensions have significantly lost value over time and that the gap between older and newer pensions continues to widen.
According to the Defense Ministry, in other NATO countries such as Poland, officers receive around 60 percent of their former salary after 25 years of service, and 75 percent for longer service. In France and Germany, maximum pensions exceed 70 percent of the service salary.
The ministry said it is working on the reform in coordination with the Social Security and Labor Ministry and in consultation with NATO partners.
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Lithuanian president convenes State Defense Council
VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda is convening the State Defense Council on Wednesday to discuss the regional security situation and the development of military infrastructure, his advisor Frederikas Jansonas told BNS on Tuesday.
The last time the SDC met was in April. At that time, it agreed to aim for around 20,000 troops to serve in the Lithuanian army by 2038.
In June, the SDC will meet a week before the NATO summit in The Hague.
With the United States pressing allies to allocate 5 percent of their GDP to defense, diplomats say NATO countries will seek to agree on a two-part commitment later this month, with defense-only funding rising to 3.5 percent of GDP and a further 1.5 percent of GDP earmarked for related needs.
Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene has told BNS that Lithuania is in favor of spending 5 percent of GDP for defense alone.
Lithuania plans to spend 5.25 percent of GDP on defense next year, up from over 4 percent of GDP this year.
By Augustas Stankevičius
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Lithuania MPs adopt part of tax changes, to vote on the rest on Thursday (corrects)
(corrects the last para)
VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS - The Seimas of Lithuania on Tuesday adopted part of the tax changes proposed by the government, with the rest to be approved later this week.
Lawmakers taxed almost all non-life insurance contracts at a 10 percent rate, increased the corporate tax rate to 17 percent, introduced a sugar tax and adopted VAT amendments.
The opposition conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats backed the bills that would generate revenue for the Defense Fund. Meanwhile, the opposition Liberals said on Tuesday morning that they would not support any tax increases.
"We have consistently held the view that this path will not bring significant benefits to defense funding, will slow the economy and we do not support the method chosen by the ruling bloc to transfer money from one pocket to another," Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, the leader of the Liberal Movement, told reporters at the Seimas.
For his part, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas called on lawmakers to support the proposed changed. "It is better to have 500 million euros in the Defense Fund than having none in the Defense Fund," he told reporters at the Seimas.
The government had estimated that the adoption of its proposed version of the tax changes would add around 280 million euros to the state budget as early as next year and 552 million euros in 2027. The bulk of these funds were promised for national defense, but these figures will change slightly as they have been adjusted in the parliament since the bill was presented.
2nd corporate tax increase in a year
The so-called security component, which will tax insurance contracts, was adopted by the Seimas with 104 votes in favor, 11 votes against and 15 abstentions.
Exemptions from the insurance tax will apply to insurance against civil liability for private cars, as well as to insurance against crops and plants and the health of farm animals.
The parliament also increased the standard corporate tax rate by 1 percentage point to 17 percent, and also raised the reduced rate by 1 percentage point to 7 percent.
The corporate tax rate was also increased from 15 percent to 16 percent last year.
96 lawmakers voted in favor of the amendments to the Law on Corporate Income Tax, 19 were against and eight abstained.
Tax on sweetened beverages, no reduced VAT rate on heating
On Tuesday, with 84 votes tin favor, 12 votes against and 30 abstentions, MPs also introduced a new tax on sweetened soft drinks.
Sweetened drinks containing 2.5-8 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters will be charged at 7.4 cents per liter, and 21 cents per liter if the sugar content exceeds 8 grams.
Tariffs of 1.05 euros per liter, or 4.3 euros per kilo, will be applied to concentrated drinks. Drinks containing natural sugars, such as those from fruit or milk, will not be taxed.
The Seimas also abolished the reduced VAT rate for district heating, hot water and firewood.
The reduced VAT rate has also been increased to 12 percent from the current 9 percent. This means that VAT will increase on accommodation, passenger transport, arts and cultural events, while VAT on heating will reach 21 percent from January. For books and non-periodicals, the VAT rate has been reduced from 9 to 5 percent.
77 MPs voted in favor of the amendments, 19 were against and 16 abstained.
Prime Minister Paluckas said on Tuesday that the abolition of the reduced VAT rate on heating would mean that the most vulnerable would still receive compensation as they have so far and that more people would be able to benefit from it.
Vote on remaining tax changes on Thursday
The Seimas is set to adopt property and personal income tax changes on Thursday.
The latest version of the property tax, among other changes, foresees that the primary residential property would be taxed from 450,000 euros of its value, while all other properties would be taxed from 50,000 euros.
Lawmakers will also vote on the government's proposal to introduce an intermediate personal income tax rate of 25 percent for higher income earners, in addition to the current 20 and 32 percent rates.
The same law also includes President Gitanas Nauseda's proposal to apply an additional amount of non-taxable income for families, which was dropped in 2018.
Paluckas said earlier that the personal income tax changes could come into force in 2027 instead of 2026, when the positive effect of the tax changes on the state budget would be fully felt.
Lithuania intends to spend an additional dozen or so billion euros on defense by 2030 to develop an army division. According to the government, this will require spending between 5 percent and 6 percent of GDP on national defense between 2026 and 2030.
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Lithuanians evacuated from Israel reach Jordanian border
VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Lithuanians evacuated from Israel arrived at the Jordanian border on Tuesday afternoon, the 15min news website reported.
About 80 people, including citizens of other EU countries, were transported from Tel Aviv to the border by three buses.
They will later head to Aqaba airport for a direct flight to Vilnius, scheduled for around 7 p.m.
As previously reported by BNS, the evacuation of Lithuanian citizens from Israel began in Tel Aviv on Tuesday morning. Among those evacuated are also Latvian and Estonian citizens.
Lithuanian authorities decided to evacuate citizens on a chartered civilian flight from Jordan, even though a Spartan military transport aircraft was deployed to the region earlier this week.
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Lithuanians evacuated from Israel cross Jordanian border (updates)
VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Lithuanians being evacuated from Israel crossed the Jordanian border on Tuesday afternoon, a 15min journalist on the ground confirmed to BNS.
They will fly to Lithuania on a chartered flight from Aqaba airport in Jordan. The flight is scheduled for around 7 p.m.
About 80 people, including citizens of other EU countries, were transported from Tel Aviv to the Jordanian border by three buses.
As previously reported by BNS, the evacuation of Lithuanian citizens from Israel began in Tel Aviv on Tuesday morning. Among those evacuated are also Latvian and Estonian citizens.
Lithuanian authorities decided to evacuate citizens on a chartered civilian flight from Jordan, even though a Spartan military transport aircraft was deployed to the region earlier this week.
By Augustas Stankevičius
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Russian likely jumped off train in Lithuania as it slowed, motives unclear – minister
VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – After a Russian citizen left a transit train traveling from Adler to Kaliningrad on Tuesday, Lithuanian Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic said the individual likely jumped off when the train slowed down, adding that the reason for the action remains unclear.
"There were no special stops when the incident occurred last night, but trains naturally slow down in certain places and the person most likely took the opportunity to jump off," he told reporters.
Kondratovic said there was currently no information indicating the Russian national had been found.
"A search is underway. Our services are actively responding. The standard protocols for such situations have been activated. Border guards, police and the Public Security Service are all involved," he told BNS.
The minister said the person's identity and travel destination are known, adding that law enforcement has no information suggesting any intent to cause harm.
"Passengers and what they are carrying are checked, so I don't think he had anything (dangerous). But it's hard to say what the purpose of leaving the train was," he said.
Kondratovic said that the ministry is responding calmly to the situation. While such incidents involving transit trains to Kaliningrad are rare, they do occur.
"Our goal now is to find (the Russian citizen) and ensure this doesn't happen again. Some steps have already been taken. I won't go into details, but our services are responding and know what they're doing," the minister said.
"Today's incident probably shows that we need to implement additional measures into our system to prevent such incidents from happening. We'll analyze it. I believe this isn't only our responsibility. The rail infrastructure is mostly in another country, not Lithuania, but I believe decisions will be made and recommendations followed," he added.
The minister noted that when a Kaliningrad-bound transit train stops, authorities respond by arriving at the scene. In higher-risk areas, such as the bridge at the Kaunas Hydropower Plant, the train is escorted.
According to the Police Department, the Kybartai railway border checkpoint received a report at around 6 a.m. on Tuesday that a Russian citizen born in 2004 had left the moving Adler–Kaliningrad train.
Police said about 25 minutes before the train was due to reach the Kybartai railway station, an attendant noticed an open train door when the train was moving between Pilviskiai and Kybartai, through which the person could have jumped.
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Excise duty policy is being assessed and reviewed – Lithuanian PM
VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – The existing excise duty policy in Lithuania is being reviewed and may be adjusted in the fall, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas says amid businesses' fears over fuel excise duty increases and calls to postpone them.
"The excise duty policy is indeed being assessed and reviewed. And it is possible that we will make some decisions in the fall," Paluckas told reporters on Tuesday.
Fossil fuel excise duties now include a CO2 component since the beginning of this. As a result, excise duties on petrol increased by 10.1 percent, rose by 26.7 percent on diesel, jumped by 41.7 percent on labeled diesel, and went up by around 22 percent on LPG.
In addition, the excise duty on petrol, diesel, farmers' diesel, petroleum gas and other energy products has been increased by 6 cents per litrer (excluding VAT) since January, following the adoption of the Defense Fund Law by the previous parliament.
Due to the amendments adopted by the previous Seimas, a further increase in fuel excise duties is planned for next year, which could further worsen Lithuania's competitive position, and businesses and residents will stop filling up their tanks in the country.
"We have a working group in the government and it is currently working on this issue and assessing the possibility of such a solution," the prime minister added.
Businesses are already seeing the signs of the so-called "fuel tourism", and they proposed on Tuesday to suspend the planned increase in fuel excise duties as of next year, and to compensate the price difference between the price of fuel in Lithuania and in neighboring countries in order to encourage haulers to refuel in Lithuania.
Lithuania's state budget is projected to receive only half of the planned revenue from excise duties, and market players are also calling on the government to coordinate its excise duty plans with other countries.
Speaking earlier in the day, Deputy Finance Minister Kristupas Vaitiekunas said that the end of the summer and the beginning of the fall would show whether the excise duty policy should be adjusted.
In his words, the most worrying thing so far is that if Lithuania continues to increase the excise duty on diesel, it will be the only country to have a higher excise duty on diesel than that on petrol.
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Lithuanian PM says 'seriously considering' transferring company shares after probes
VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said on Tuesday that President Gitanas Nauseda had urged him to transfer the management of his shares in Garnis after ongoing probes into a soft loan granted to the company, which he partly owns, by the national development bank ILTE.
"The president has advised me that, once all the issues related to the investigations are resolved, I should consider handing over the non-property rights to the shares to a lawyer or law firm, to avoid even the appearance of involvement in the company's activities," Paluckas told reporters after his meeting with Nauseda at the Presidential Palace.
"I'm seriously considering the proposal, yes," he added.
The meeting was the first between the two leaders since the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FCIS) launched a pre-trial investigation into ILTE's soft loan Garnis, in which Paluckas holds a 49 percent stake.
The prime minister had previously said he had no intention of handing over the company's shares to anyone, arguing that such a move would amount to hiding behind lawyers.
Saulius Skvernelis, the speaker of the parliament, has also called on the prime minister to distance himself from the company. He said that if the investigations' findings are favorable, the prime minister could make decisions to separate his political career from even indirect involvement in business.
In addition to the FCIS probe, Garnis is also under scrutiny by the State Tax Inspectorate, the Chief Official Ethics Commission and the Special Investigation Service.
The prime minister insisted that the investigations were not interfering with his work.
"I'm doing my job and fulfilling my responsibilities. I see no reason to be nervous," he said.
The investigative journalism center Siena (Wall) and Laisves TV reported in late May that Garnis, which plans to produce battery systems, received a 200,000-euro soft loan from ILTE after Paluckas had already taken office.
The prime minister also owns 51 percent of another company, Emus, which would not have qualified for the loan because it has been operating for too long. Garnis would not have been eligible either if it had been formally part of the same company group as Emus.
Questions have been raised publicly about whether Garnis was created as a front to obtain the loan and whether the company is using the funds as intended.
The prime minister has denied all accusations of shady business practices, saying he does not take part in Garnis' day-to-day operations and has not placed himself in any conflict of interest.
By Karolina Ambrazaitytė, Paulius Perminas
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Ministries against proposal to postpone Lithuanian language requirement for Ukrainians
VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Some ministries and state institutions object to the Education, Science and Sport Ministry's proposal to postpone for another year the requirement for Ukrainians granted asylum in Lithuania to be able to speak Lithuanian when they start working in the country.
The Ministries of Culture, Social Security and Labor, Interior, as well as the State Lithuanian Language Commission and the State Language Inspectorate are not happy with the government resolution that's being tabled for the third time. And the Justice Ministry also has comments.
"The postponement for four years, I think, is not fully justified," Culture Minister Sarunas Birutis told BNS on Tuesday, adding that state institutions should work hard to make it possible for Ukrainians to learn Lithuanian and pass the qualification requirements.
He stressed that a good command of the Lithuanian language is linked to the strengthening of the Lithuanian state, citizenship and resistance to misinformation.
Under the draft government resolution submitted by the Education Ministry for further coordination, foreigners who have been granted temporary protection in Lithuania are exempted from the state language proficiency categories for recruitment for a period of four years from the date of granting of temporary protection, but no later than December 31, 2028.
Education, Science and Sport Minister Raminta Popoviene told BNS that the proposal is based on the fact that war refugees in Lithuania are protected until March 2026. In addition, the European Commission is also proposing a one-year extension of the right of Ukrainian refugees to remain in the European Union.
The aim is to create an effective system for teaching and examining the Lithuanian language during the grace period, she said, adding that the aim is also to reduce the required level of proficiency in the Lithuanian language.
"The main purpose of this postponement is to create a functioning system. We have discussed that the A2 level is too high, too difficult, and we have decided to develop the requirements for the A1 level. We will also budget for it. We are still discussing whether we will postpone it for a year or for six months, so that we can actually prepare and make the system work properly," Popoviene told BNS.
Other ministries and institutions objecting to the Education Ministry's proposal point out that the deadline for Lithuanian language proficiency has already been extended from two to three years.
The Social Security and Labor Ministry argues that the longer people are exempted from the requirement to learn the state language, the greater the risk that their participation in social life and the labor market will be limited, which could complicate their social situation.
The Interior Ministry calls for the current three-year deadline for learning the language not to be extended, saying that this is sufficient time for a foreigner to learn the national language and to acquire the language proficiency category required for their job functions.
According to the ministry, almost 50,000 foreigners who have received temporary protection currently have valid temporary residence permits in Lithuania, many of them working in the service sector.
For its part, the State Language Inspectorate says that foreigners are informed about language learning as soon as they arrive in the country: the importance of language proficiency is explained to them, they are provided with information on where to register for courses, and they are given access to websites where they can take tests to assess their language skills before the exam.
The language watchdog also points out that people in Lithuania are tired of hearing Russian all the time and of being surrounded by the Russian language, and there's been an increase in complaints from the public that Russian speakers do not want to speak Lithuanian in public and demand that other people talk to them in Russian.
The State Lithuanian Language Commission believes that a further postponement of the deadline undermines the efforts of some Ukrainians to learn Lithuanian once they arrive in Lithuania, and this will contribute to the growing public discontent about the increasing Russian-speaking environment.
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Lithuanian ruling parties oppose tougher rules on Russians buying property near key sites
VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – The ruling Social Democrats and Nemunas Dawn refused to support measures making it harder for Russian citizens to purchase property near strategic sites and facilities.
Conservative Mindaugas Linge's draft amendment failed to pass its first reading in the parliament, with 42 MPs voting in favor, seven against and 44 abstaining. It was returned for revision.
No MPs from the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party or Nemunas Dawn supported the proposal. The ruling Democrats were divided, with five voting for it and five abstaining.
Linge proposed amending the Law on Restrictive Measures Due to Military Aggression Against Ukraine to suspend the right of Russian citizens holding temporary or permanent residence permits in Lithuania to buy real estate located near facilities critical to national security or military training areas.
Under the proposal, the restriction would not apply if the person received clearance from the relevant authority confirming that the transaction does not pose a threat to national security.
Linge cited figures showing that Russian citizens have bought more than 3,000 properties in Lithuania since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
"Our proposal is not to ban these purchases outright, but to require an assessment from the competent authorities confirming that the transaction does not endanger national security," the conservative MP explained.
He noted that although Belarusian citizens outnumber Russians in Lithuania by almost four to one, they own fewer properties. Belarusians have purchased 1,963 properties over the past three years.
Linge said Russians own property near the Zokniai Air Base, Kairiai military training area, Kaunas combined heat and power plant, Pajuostis airfield, and other sites.
He added that individuals buying property near strategic sites are not subject to any background checks.
Arturas Zuokas, a non-attached MP, suggested focusing not on those who own property, but on those who rent it.
"The bigger problem is with renters, who are impossible to control. Maybe we should start restricting those cases first, rather than what's easiest for special services to control,” he said.
The Law on Restrictive Measures currently bans Russian citizens from buying property in Lithuania, but those holding permanent or temporary residence permits are still allowed to do so.
By Jūratė Skėrytė
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Lithuanian FM urges EU to make every effort to get Iran to resume nuclear negotiations
VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys has called on EU member states "to make every effort" to get Iran to resume nuclear negotiations.
During a virtual meeting of EU foreign ministers on Tuesday, Budrys stressed that Iran's violations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) pose an existential threat to Israel, neighboring countries and international security.
"We must make every effort to ensure that Iran resumes negotiations and immediately provides all information related to its nuclear activities, grants access to IEAE inspectors and resumes full cooperation with the IAEA," the minister said.
Budrys called on both sides to avoid further escalation and to take urgent measures to stabilize the situation in the region, adding that Iran's decision to resume nuclear negotiations and to address the violations of the NPT identified by the IAEA would be a decisive factor for stabilization.
Lithuania's top diplomat also condemned Iran's military support it has been providing to Russia for the past three years, and called for a stronger EU response.
During their meeting, EU foreign ministers also discussed coordinated action to assist European citizens wishing to leave Israel and Iran.
In 2015, Tehran and world powers reached a landmark agreement that eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program. However, the deal quickly collapsed and tensions rose again in 2018 after the United States unilaterally withdrew from it.
Efforts to revive the 2015 agreement between Tehran and the major powers on Iran's nuclear program remain stalled.
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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 18, 2025
VILNIUS, Jun 18, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 18, 2025:
PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to chair a meeting of the State Defense Council at 2 p.m.; to provide comment to the press with Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene at 4 p.m.
PRIME MINISTER Gintautas Paluckas to attend a meeting of the State Defense Council at 2 p.m.;
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Lithuania voices strong protest to Russia over attacks on Ukrainian civilians
VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Lithuania on Tuesday summoned a representative of the Russian Embassy in Lithuania to the Foreign Ministry to voice it strong protest over Russia's intensive shelling of Ukrainian cities overnight.
According to the Foreign Ministry, dozens of civilians were killed or wounded, and residential properties, educational and cultural institutions were destroyed and damaged.
"These attacks are part of a sustained and recently intensified Russian terrorist campaign against Ukrainian civilians, with the country being subjected to intensive daily Russian missile and drone attacks deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure," the ministry said in its statement.
"This systematic terror by Russia only proves once again that Russia is deliberately flouting all norms of international law, maliciously escalating and showing no interest in a ceasefire and peace, and that the international community must step up its pressure on Russia and ensure full support for Ukraine," the ministry said.
Residents of Kyiv, Odessa, Zaporizhzhia and other regions of Ukraine were affected by the recent strikes by the Russian Armed Forces, which may have involved the use of cluster munitions.
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