LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, June 20, 2025
- Lithuania turns away 2 irregular migrants on border with Belarus
- Lithuanian, Cypriot presidents to discuss bilateral ties, European security
- Lithuanian parlt speaker heads to Brussels for NATO security talks
- International maritime exercise BALTOPS concludes in Baltic Sea region
- Bribery case involving Polish national, Enefit Green goes to court in Lithuania
- Vilnius to remove stone commemorating 650th anniversary of its founding from main square
- Udovickij's Gargzdu Gelezinkelis sues Lithuanian state for EUR 62.5 mln
- Ombudsperson: over half of migrants who sought to enter Lithuania last year not identified
- President invites Cyprus to open embassy in Lithuania
- EU plan to ban Russian gas imports has loopholes – Lithuanian minister
- Lithuanian parlt speaker urges NATO allies to spend 5 pct of GDP on defense
- EIB approves EUR 540 mln loan for Lithuania’s military campus in Rudninkai
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Monday, June 23, 2025
Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, June 20, 2025
VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Friday, June 20, 2025:
PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to meet with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides at 10.30 a.m. followed by the presidents' statements to the press at 11.30 a.m.
SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Saulius Skvernelis to attend a meeting of the parliamentary leaders from NATO countries in Brussels and is scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart Ruslan Stefanchuk.
INTERIOR MINISTER Vladislav Kondratovic is meeting with regional ministers responsible for internal security in Tallinn to discuss border security issues.
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Lithuania turns away 2 irregular migrants on border with Belarus
VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have turned away two migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally over the past 24 hours, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Friday morning.
Latvia reported 47 illegal border crossing attempts on Thursday. Poland denied entry to 54 irregular migrants on Wednesday, according to the latest available information.
Lithuania has barred 870 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, Cypriot presidents to discuss bilateral ties, European security
VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS –Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda is set to host his Cypriot counterpart, Nikos Christodoulides, in Vilnius on Friday to discuss bilateral relations and the security situation in Europe.
The two leaders will also discuss "Russia's war in Ukraine, support for Ukraine and priorities for Cyprus' upcoming presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2026," Nauseda's office said in a press release on Thursday.
Lithuania and Cyprus established diplomatic relations in December 1992.
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Lithuanian parlt speaker heads to Brussels for NATO security talks
VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – Saulius Skvernelis, the speaker of the Lithuanian parliament, is heading to Brussels on Friday to meet with his NATO counterparts for talks on boosting the Alliance's resilience to potential threats.
According to Skvernelis' communications adviser Ramune Muzikeviciute-Narmontiene, the meeting at Belgium's Chamber of Representatives will also cover NATO and member states' security and defense policy priorities, as well as efforts to strengthen NATO security measures in the Baltic Sea region.
As part of his visit to Belgium, Skvernelis is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Ruslan Stefanchuk.
The meeting of NATO parliamentary speakers is being held to discuss key defense issues and political-military support among allies ahead of the NATO summit in The Hague.
This is the third meeting in the format: the first took place in Vilnius in 2023, followed by a second in Washington in 2024.
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International maritime exercise BALTOPS concludes in Baltic Sea region
VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – Baltic Operations 25, or BALTOPS 25, an international maritime-focused military exercise which also involved the Lithuanian Navy, concluded on Friday.
According to the Lithuanian Armed Forces, the 54th iteration of the exercise took place from June 3 to 20. The exercise stood out for its focus on new technologies, with the training extensively integrating unmanned surface and underwater platforms used in various operations, from reconnaissance to mine neutralization.
The BALTOPS exercise involved more than 50 warships, over 25 aircraft, and about 9,000 troops from 16 NATO countries, including Lithuania, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom, Latvia, Poland, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, France, Finland, Sweden, Turkey, and Germany.
During the exercise, the troops trained by simulating real crisis scenarios, operating in multinational formations, and strengthening their overall readiness for collective defense, the Lithuanian Armed Forces said in a press release.
The first part of the exercise focused mainly on increasing the combat capabilities of the Navy and elements of anti-mine force integration. During this part, Navy units, together with their allies, performed ship maneuvers, prepared for mine detection and destruction, search and rescue, ship survival, replenishment of ship supplies, and other elements of integration drills.
The units also successfully completed complex firing exercises at the Danish Multipurpose Sea Range.
According to the Armed Forces, the exercise also included firing at stationary, moving, and remote-controlled targets.
The Lithuanian Navy’s minesweeper M54 Kursis carried out mine clearance drills with the assistance of mine clearance divers from the Underwater Operations Team of the Harbor Protection and Coastal Defense Unit.
This year, Lithuania sent three naval vessels to the BALTOPS exercise: the command and supply ship N42 Jotvingis, the minesweeper M54 Kursis, and the patrol ship P12 Dzukas.
According to the military, the Baltic Naval Squadron (BALTRON) also played an important role in the exercise.
This international unit of the Lithuanian and Latvian naval forces, supplemented by ships from other countries, coordinates mine countermeasure operations in the Baltic Sea. In addition to its operational function, the BALTRON headquarters also serves as a training platform.
The BALTOPS exercise was led by the United States Naval Forces Europe-Africa.
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Bribery case involving Polish national, Enefit Green goes to court in Lithuania
VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – A criminal case in which a Polish national is charged with offering a 5,000-euro bribe to an Enefit Green project manager to help his company win a wind farm construction contract in Kelme District has been sent to court for trial, the Prosecutor General's Office said on Friday.
The pre-trial investigation was carried out by the Special Investigation Service (SIS).
Prosecutors say the man tried to bribe the Enefit Green manager – who is legally considered equivalent to a public official – in exchange for personal and corporate favors in the wind farm project, including approval of extra work, access to confidential company information and preferential treatment in future Enefit Green tenders.
The investigation was launched in 2023 after the Lithuanian subsidiary of Estonia's state-owned Enefit Green reported suspected bribery in its wind turbine procurement process to the SIS.
According to prosecutors, between August and October 2023, the Polish national, representing a company involved in wind farm construction, arranged several meetings with one of Enefit Green's project managers and offered him 100,000 euros to secure the Kelme contract and other advantages.
The Polish company had submitted a commercial offer worth more than 100 million euros in the tender.
In September 2023, the suspect visited Enefit Green's office in Lithuania, met with the project manager and handed him a cookie box containing 5,000 euros in cash, according to the investigation.
The defendant denies the charges.
Lithuanian and Polish officers cooperated during the investigation.
Prosecutors have set bail for the defendant at 75,000 euros as a measure of restraint.
The case, along with an indictment, has been sent to Vilnius Regional Court.
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Vilnius to remove stone commemorating 650th anniversary of its founding from main square
VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – The Historical Memory Commission of Vilnius has decided to remove the stone unveiled in 1973 to commemorate the 650th anniversary of the founding of the Lithuanian capital from Cathedral Square in the city center.
“The Vilnius Historical Memory Commission has decided to remove the stone from Cathedral Square,” Kamile Seraite-Gogeliene, chair of the municipal commission, wrote on Facebook on Friday.
“Agree – it neither commemorates nor gives meaning to anything, nor does it fit in with the architecture of Cathedral Square, and the desire to mark the 650th anniversary of Vilnius during the Soviet era seems somewhat irrelevant,” she added.
The name of Vilnius and the dates “1323–1973” are carved on the stone. According to the chair of the capital's Historical Memory Commission, it seems that the stone standing in Cathedral Square commemorates the birth and death of Vilnius.
“The dash between the numbers 1323 and 1973 on the stone is too reminiscent of gravestones,” Seraite-Gogeliene noted.
On January 25, 1323, Grand Duke Gediminas of Lithuania sent a letter to merchants, soldiers, craftsmen, farmers, and clergy from all over the world, inviting them to come and settle in Lithuania.
This date is considered the first time the name “Vilnius” was mentioned in written sources.
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Udovickij's Gargzdu Gelezinkelis sues Lithuanian state for EUR 62.5 mln
VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – Gargzdu Gelezinkelis, a Lithuanian railway services company owned by businessman Igor Udovickij, is suing the state for 62.45 million euros in damages for being denied access to public railway infrastructure capacity between 2017 and 2022.
The Regional Administrative Court, which received Gargzdu Gelezinkelis' lawsuit in March, told BNS that the company is seeking the claimed amount plus 6 percent in interest from the Transport Ministry, which represents the state in the case.
Gargzdu Gelezinkelis claims that the state acted unlawfully and discriminated against it by blocking its ability to meet contractual obligations, resulting in financial losses.
The court is scheduled to begin hearing the case on July 7.
In a separate case, the Lithuanian Supreme Administrative Court ruled on June 11 that the Lithuanian Transport Safety Administration's (LTSA) 2018–2019 decision to deny Gargzdu Gelezinkelis railway capacity for freight shipments from the Belarus border to Klaipeda was unlawful.
The LTSA told the court that its decision followed the rules and was based on a draft train schedule submitted by Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, LTG), the state railway operator. It also suggested that Gargzdu Gelezinkelis may be seeking to establish favorable precedents that it could use in its dispute with the state at the Regional Administrative Court.
Gargzdu Gelezinkelis is 85 percent owned by Swiss-based Hasenberg, which is wholly owned by Fortis Asset Management, a Latvian company controlled by Udovickij.
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Ombudsperson: over half of migrants who sought to enter Lithuania last year not identified
VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – More than half of migrants who attempted to enter Lithuania illegally last year were not identified, and their country of origin is unknown, according to data released on Friday by the Parliamentary Ombudspersons’ Office.
The Seimas ombudspersons are therefore calling on the government to reassess the need to continue the emergency situation declared in the country due to the migration crisis and to review its turn-back policy to ensure that it is in line with Lithuania's commitments in the field of human rights and asylum law.
According to data from the State Border Guard Service (SBGS), 1,002 people who attempted to cross the Lithuanian border with Belarus were turned back in 2024.
According to the Seimas ombudspersons, in most cases, these people did not enter Lithuania or returned to Belarus themselves when they saw officers patrolling the border.
As a result, the country of origin of 592, or 59 percent of persons who attempted to cross into Lithuania remained unknown, as did other data that could help identify them.
Among the 410 persons whose country of origin data was collected, the majority of those who attempted to enter Lithuania were citizens of Iran, Afghanistan, Cuba, Iraq, and Somalia.
The Seimas ombudspersons noted that those turned back included 16 Syrian citizens, who are granted international protection in the European Union (EU) in 88 percent of cases.
“Since the identity of the majority of persons refused entry to Lithuania in 2024 remained unknown, it becomes much more difficult or even impossible to help their relatives in the event of their disappearance,” the ombudspersons stressed in the press release.
In addition, according to the ombudspersons, the health of the persons being turned back is at risk. Last year, 115 humanitarian aid kits were distributed in turn-back cases, which were received by slightly more than a tenth of the migrants.
According to the ombudspersons, 43 foreigners who crossed the border with Belarus in a non-designated place had their asylum applications accepted, but the State Border Guard Service was unable to specify the reasons why they were given the opportunity to submit applications, as border guards do not collect such data.
“The decision not to collect personal data is based on the aim of ensuring the application of the General Data Protection Regulation, which should in principle strengthen the legal protection of individuals, but in this case has the opposite effect,” the ombudspersons noted.
The Ombudspersons’ Office emphasized that the practice of turning people back is incompatible with Lithuania's international obligations and those arising from its membership in the EU. As the ombudspersons recalled, Lithuania has received reprimands from local and international human rights organizations.
Therefore, the Seimas ombudspersons recommend that the government reassess the need to continue the emergency situation and review the turn-back policy to ensure its compatibility with Lithuania's commitments in the field of human rights and asylum law.
It is also proposed to define armed conflicts, where the fleeing persons would not be subject to non-admission to the territory of Lithuania, thus protecting the rights of the most vulnerable groups.
The Parliamentary Ombudspersons’ Office issued the press release on June 20, World Refugee Day, which is meant to raise awareness about people who have had to leave their home countries because of economic reasons, persecution, war, or poor human rights situation.
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President invites Cyprus to open embassy in Lithuania
VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has invited Cyprus to open its Baltic embassy in Vilnius.
"I am informed about Cyprus' plans to establish an embassy in the Baltic region. I take this opportunity to invite you to consider opening your embassy in Vilnius to further strengthen our political and economic relations," he told reporters after meeting with his Cypriot counterpart, Nikos Christodoulides, in Vilnius on Friday.
Christodoulides is the first president of the Mediterranean island nation to visit Lithuania.
Nauseda's office said in a press release that the two leaders discussed bilateral relations, the security situation in Europe, Russia's war against Ukraine, continued support for Ukraine, and the priorities of Cyprus' presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2026.
"We have a strong foundation for our growing bilateral ties, and today we are also paving the way to further strengthen this relationship. I'm very encouraged by the growing Lithuanian investment in Cyprus, as well as the steadily increasing number of Lithuanian tourists to Cyprus – and, of course, vice versa," Christodoulides told reporters after the meeting.
"We are keen to do much more to facilitate these people-to-people contacts and also help Lithuanian businesses and services expand into the Middle East region," he added.
Nauseda noted that in recent years, Lithuania's service exports to Cyprus have grown 6.5 times, while imports have doubled.
"The growth of trade in services is truly impressive. With Lithuania positioning itself as a center of excellence in cybersecurity, e-business, e-government and fintech, I expect this trend to be mutually beneficial," he said.
Nauseda also said Cyprus' EU presidency will be particularly important in preparing for the bloc's 2028–2034 multiannual financial framework, which is expected to reflect the funding needs of both traditional and new priorities.
"Your leadership will be essential for advancing the European Union enlargement process, especially regarding Ukraine and Moldova," he said. "We hope that significant progress will be made in negotiations in all areas in 2026."
Christodoulides last visited Lithuania in 2021 as foreign minister.
Lithuania and Cyprus established diplomatic relations in December 1992.
By Paulius Perminas
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EU plan to ban Russian gas imports has loopholes – Lithuanian minister
VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – The European Commission's plan to phase out Russian gas imports by the end of 2027 has loopholes that could be exploited not only by Hungary and Slovakia, which are closer to the Kremlin diplomatically, but also by other countries, Lithuanian Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas said on Friday.
Vaiciunas said the plan contains vague exemptions under which EU countries could keep buying Russian gas.
"One of the loopholes that had probably not been expected earlier is Article 15 of the regulation, which states that if there are supply security issues in one or more EU countries, the Commission may grant exemptions for Russian gas imports," the minister told BNS. "This is probably the most concerning provision, because there are no defined criteria."
"It's a rather abstract provision, but it potentially leaves a lot of room for interpretation. We understand perfectly well that some member states will try to use this option as broadly as possible," he added.
On Tuesday, the EU's executive body unveiled its proposal to completely ban Russian gas imports by the end of 2027, ending decades of dependence.
The Commission proposes prohibiting Russian gas imports under new contracts as of January 1, 2026 and imports under existing short-term contracts by June 17 next year.
All remaining imports would be banned by the end of 2027.
The plan relies on trade and energy laws – rather than sanctions – to ban imports from Russia, a move aimed at sidestepping potential opposition from Slovakia and Hungary.
The proposal still needs approval from the European Council and the European Parliament.
According to EU data, Russia supplied 19 percent of the bloc's gas last year, down from 45 percent before the war.
Last year, 32 billion cubic meters of gas entered the EU via the TurkStream pipeline, and another 20 billion cubic meters through liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments.
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Lithuanian parlt speaker urges NATO allies to spend 5 pct of GDP on defense
VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – Saulius Skvernelis, the speaker of the Lithuanian parliament, on Friday urged NATO member countries to commit to spending 5 percent of their gross domestic product on defense.
"I want to emphasize the importance of the upcoming NATO summit declaration. It will be our united message to Russia and other autocracies. We must invest in NATO's unity, commit to 5 percent of GDP for defense, and ensure continued support for Ukraine and a rapid and effective response to new threats," he said at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly summit in Brussels.
According to the Seimas' press release, Skvernelis also pointed out that the parliament has passed a resolution declaring that Lithuania does not and will never recognize, either de jure or de facto, the Ukrainian territories temporarily occupied by Russia, and called on all countries to follow Lithuania's lead.
As part of his visit to Brussels, Skvernelis also met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Ruslan Stefanchuk.
The meeting of NATO parliamentary leaders is being held to discuss key defense issues and political-military support among allies ahead of the NATO summit in The Hague.
This is the third meeting of its kind: the first was held in Vilnius in 2023, and the second took place in Washington, United States, in 2024.
The NATO Parliamentary Assembly's spring session is planned to be held in Lithuania next year.
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EIB approves EUR 540 mln loan for Lithuania’s military campus in Rudninkai
VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – The European Investment Bank (EIB) plans to lend 540 million euros for the construction of the Rudninkai military campus in eastern Lithuania, which will host a German military brigade, the finance ministry and the bank announced on Friday.
The EIB Board of Directors approved the loan at a meeting in Luxembourg on Thursday.
According to the bank, the endorsement paves the way for legal and financial negotiations over the loan that are expected to be completed in the coming months.
“The European Investment Bank plans to lend 540 million euros for Lithuania to build a military base south of the capital Vilnius, highlighting Europe's collective commitment to bolster its defense infrastructure and deterrence capacity,” the bank said in a press release.
According to EIB Group President Nadia Calvino, the loan is “a landmark step in how we (the bank) support Europe’s security”.
“By financing large-scale military infrastructure, we’re demonstrating our readiness to meet the region’s evolving defense needs. It reflects the EIB’s growing role in safeguarding stability across the European Union,” she said in Luxembourg where she met Lithuanian Finance Minister Rimantas Sadzius.
The approved EIB loan will be available to private sector partners to be selected by the Lithuanian defense ministry to implement the project.
“We are already seeing the results of financial diplomacy and we can confidently state that the EIB's involvement will contribute not only to Lithuania’s debt sustainability and stronger fiscal stance but also to the security of our country,” Sadzius said.
“This investment marks a historic milestone for Lithuania’s national security and NATO’s collective defense,” the press release quoted Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene as saying.
The Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) is also considering financing the Rudninkai military campus project.
Lithuania is building the Rudninkai military campus in the eastern district of Salcininkai as part of its plan to host the German brigade.
The project is being carried out in phases: the first phase is already underway through a construction contract with Eikos Statyba, while the second phase is expected to be implemented through a public-private partnership (PPP).
The campus will accommodate up to 4,000 military and civilian personnel, and will include the infrastructure to support the planned German brigade of up to 500 personnel.
The construction is scheduled to start in 2026 and the campus is expected to be operational by early 2028.
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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Monday, June 23, 2025
VILNIUS, Jun 20, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Monday, June 23, 2025:
PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to give an interview to Deutsche Welle at 2.30 p.m.
FOREIGN MINISTER Kestutis Budrys to take part in the Foreign Affairs Council session in Brussels, Belgium.
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