LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
2. Lithuania: NATO border states’ exit from Ottawa Treaty shows resolve to defend themselves
3. Lithuanian defense minister visits Philippines to discuss strengthening bilateral ties
4. Flights between Vilnius and Tel Aviv partly resumed
5. Around 200 Belarusians in Vilnius demanded release of political prisoners in Belarus
6. Govt to establish defense advisor position at Lithuania’s embassy in Poland
7. Lithuania: Hanner, Naresta agree on national stadium, work to start soon
8. Lithuania: Mediatech acquires 22 pct stake in 15min Group owner 4 Bees
9. Lithuania's Seimas gives green light to State Road Fund
10. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar to visit Vilnius on Tuesday
11. Lithuanian PM in hot water over former business, links with businessman Darijus Vilcinskas
12. Lithuanian PM: Vilcinskas invited me to develop app for fishermen
13. Kaunas mayor hits man at pedestrian crossing while driving his car
14. Lithuanian PM says he will transfer management of his companies’ shares to lawyers
15. Lithuanian PM's explanations fail to convince opposition: prime minister must go
16. Lithuanian Finance Minister Sadzius among candidates for Eurogroup president
17. Govt to propose Irnius as Lithuania's ambassador to Spain, Radikaite as ambassador to UK
18. Lithuanian parliament approves EU presidency priorities
19. Lithuania's anti-corruption body to look into circumstances related to PM’s business ties
20. Border guards have no info as Polish PM speaks about possible border checks with Lithuania
21. Lithuania, the Philippines to step up security and defense cooperation
22. NATO jets in Baltics scrambled 3 times over Russian aircraft last week
23. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus

VILNIUS, Jun 30, 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 Monday morning.

Latvia reported 59 illegal border crossing attempts on Sunday. Poland denied entry to 138 irregular migrants on Saturday, according to the latest available information.

Lithuania has barred 890 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: NATO border states’ exit from Ottawa Treaty shows resolve to defend themselves

VILNIUS, Jun 30, BNS – The unanimous withdrawal of NATO border states from the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (Ottawa Convention) sends a message that they will defend themselves by all means, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry has said.

On Friday, Lithuania officially handed over its formal notice on its withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention to the United Nations Secretary-General.

The withdrawal will take effect six months after the formal notice is submitted.

"Lithuania, together with other NATO border countries, is implementing an unprecedented regional decision. Together with our regional partners, we have formed a defense coalition that sends an unambiguous message that NATO's eastern border is one and indivisible, and we will defend it together, with all necessary means," a press release from the ministry quoted Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene as saying.

According to the Defense Ministry, anti-personnel mines are an effective and affordable defense tool that can stop enemy infantry and form a strong and resilient defense line that can block invading forces.

According to Sakaliene, given the unstable security environment, it is necessary to have all measures in place “to strengthen our deterrence and defense capabilities”.

The Defense Ministry emphasized that even after denouncing the Ottawa Convention, Lithuania remains committed to the principles and norms of international humanitarian law governing the conduct of war and the protection of civilians.

In early May, the Lithuanian parliament voted to exit the Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the use, stockpiling and production of anti-personnel mines. 

In March, the defense ministers of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland issued a joint statement calling on their countries to exit the Ottawa Convention. They were later joined by Finland.

In late April, the Estonian government approved a proposal to withdraw from the convention, while the Latvian president signed into law a bill on the country's exit from the treaty. 

Leaving the convention would allow Lithuania to acquire, produce, stockpile, use, and transfer anti-personnel mines.

All European Union member states are currently parties to the Ottawa Convention, while China, Russia, the United States, India, and Pakistan are not.

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Lithuanian defense minister visits Philippines to discuss strengthening bilateral ties

VILNIUS, Jun 30, BNS – Lithuania’s Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene is visiting the Philippines on Monday, seeking to strengthen Lithuania's role in the Pacific region.

The agenda of the three-day visit includes planned meetings with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, the Defense Ministry said in a press release.

The Lithuanian minister plans to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and opportunities for cooperation in the defense industry.

Regional security challenges will also be discussed, including the activities of the shadow fleet and the security of underwater infrastructure.

According to the Defense Ministry, relations between Lithuania and the Philippines are becoming increasingly strategic, especially in the context of security and defense.

"In line with its Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific Region in the Fields of Security and Defense, Lithuania seeks to strengthen its ties with partners in the Indo-Pacific region in a targeted manner, based on the principles of mutual benefit, value-based cooperation, and strategic selectivity. In developing cooperation, the aim is to focus on the areas where Lithuania has an advantage and can form a meaningful partnership,” the ministry said in the press release.

In the Philippines, Sakaliene will also sign a bilateral memorandum on cooperation in the field of security and defense, in which Lithuania and the Philippines agree to strengthen cooperation in the areas of cyber security and defense, combating disinformation, and information exchange.

This is the first visit by a Lithuanian defense minister to this country.

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Flights between Vilnius and Tel Aviv partly resumed

VILNIUS, Jun 30, BNS – One of the three regular flights between Vilnius and Tel Aviv was resumed on Sunday night after the military conflict between Israel and Iran ended in a ceasefire, Lietuvos Oro Uostai (Lithuanian Airports, or LTOU), the airport operator in Lithuania, reported on Monday.

“Israir Airlines has resumed regular flights between Vilnius and Tel Aviv. The first flight after the break departed from Vilnius Airport yesterday at around midnight,” LTOU spokesman Tadas Vasiliauskas said in a comment sent to BNS. 

According to him, Ryanair and Wizz Air, which also operated flights on this route, have announced publicly that they will resume flights in fall.

In view of the open conflict between Iran and Israel and the exchange of fire between the two countries, Wizz Air, Israir Airlines, and Ryanair announced in mid-June that they were suspending flights between Vilnius and Tel Aviv.

By Lukas Juozapaitis

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Around 200 Belarusians in Vilnius demanded release of political prisoners in Belarus

VILNIUS, Jun 30, BNS - Around 200 Belarusians gathered outside the government office in central Vilnius on Saturday to demand the release of political prisoners from Belarusian prisons and vowed to continue fighting for their country's freedom.

"Change is possible and I will do my best to make it happen," said Siarhei Tsikhanouski, the husband of Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who was released from prison a week ago.

He spent five years in prison for running for president in 2020 against Alexander Lukashenko, Europe's last dictator.

This solidarity rally was organized by the Tsikhanouski and was intended to show that the struggle for a free Belarus continues. The rally featured songs and poems written in prison by Tsikhanouski, posters demanding that Lukashenko's regime stop its repression, and portraits of other political prisoners, including Ales Beliatski and Mikalai Statkevich.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya thanked the US, President Donald Trump and European politicians for her husband's release, saying that prison had failed to break her husband's will and determination.

Anatoly Lebedka, a former political prisoner and a member of the first independent Belarusian parliament, told BNS that the release of some political prisoners was a good thing in human terms, adding that Tsikhanouski's release had put the Belarusian cause back on the international agenda.

"This is a major achievement, we are back on the international agenda. In the short term, everything is good, but the question is what will happen next, how we keep the energy going and what we need to do to get others released," Lebedka said.

In his words, people like Tsikhanouski have a chance to unite the Belarusian opposition.

"This is his chance, his opportunity, but we all have to help him too because he cannot do anything alone. He has a chance if he is supported by international leaders and by us (the Belarusian diaspora - BNS) (...) What people can do? Just come to such rallies. There are tens of thousands of us in Lithuania, and when 20,000, 40,000 come, then everyone will see that not only he (Tsikhanouski - BNS) is in pain, that we are all in pain. Then both Lithuanian and international leaders will see that Belarusians care about them," Lebedka said.

The rally in Vilnius comes exactly one week after Tsikhanouskis was released from prison along with 13 other political prisoners following a meeting between Lukashenko and the US president's Special Envoy Keith Kellogg in Minsk.

Tsikhanouski, 46, spent a total of more than five years in prison. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison in 2021.

Ruled by Lukashenko since 1994, Belarus has all opposition movements banned and is the only European country with the death penalty still in place.

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Govt to establish defense advisor position at Lithuania’s embassy in Poland

VILNIUS, Jun 30, BNS – A defense advisor position will be established at the Lithuanian Embassy in Poland starting in July of this year on the initiative of the Defense Ministry.

The Cabinet has already approved the ministry’s decision to this effect.

According to the ministry, a defense advisor in Poland is needed to strengthen bilateral and regional cooperation in the fields of security and defense.

Currently, Defense Attaché Vilmas Satas and his deputy Darius Kaleda work at the embassy in Warsaw, and they are accredited to Poland, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovakia, and Hungary.

According to the ministry, the defense advisor would focus primarily on cooperation with the Polish Defense Ministry, while the defense attaché and his deputy would give priority to cooperation with the Polish military leadership and military intelligence agencies.

“It is expected that with the new position of defense advisor created, Lithuania's defense attaché will have more opportunities to focus on other countries of accreditation,” the ministry said.

According to the ministry, the position of defense advisor is also particularly relevant in preparation for Lithuania's presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2027.

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Lithuania: Hanner, Naresta agree on national stadium, work to start soon

VILNIUS, Jun 30, BNS – Lithuanian real estate development company Hanner has completed negotiations with construction company Naresta on the national stadium project in Vilnius.

Hanner owner and CEO Arvydas Avulis told BNS that Naresta, which has already completed the demolition of the remains of the previously started and unfinished stadium in 2023, will construct the main stadium, two football pitches and install the main engineering networks in the entire territory for 70 million euros. 

The contract with both Naresta and investment company BaltCap will be signed this week, and the construction of the national stadium is expected to resume within a week, Avulis said.

"We should start the construction work within a week. (...) It is not always the case that you sign a contract and then the next day the equipment and people are already on their way there. The main thing is that we are determined to start the work immediately, but we need to take the circumstances into account and give people at least a week to prepare," Avulis told BNS.

The company is also getting close to an agreement with another contractor to develop the rest of the project, the Hanner CEO added.

BNS reported that last week Hanner had completed negotiations with BaltCap on the takeover of the national stadium project in Vilnius. 

In late May, the European Commission gave its final approval to amendments to the concession agreement for the stadium project, which provides for state aid to the project.

The Vilnius authorities and the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport signed a 25-year concession contract with Vilniaus Daugiafunkcis Kompleksas (Vilnius Multifunctional Complex) in October 2021, Naresta started construction in the fall of 2023, which is currently on hold.

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuania: Mediatech acquires 22 pct stake in 15min Group owner 4 Bees

VILNIUS, Jun 30, BNS – Mediatech, a digital media company, completed the acquisition of 22.18 percent of shares in 4 Bees, 15min Group's managing company, in June becoming its minority shareholder, the Lithuanian-owned media and digital business group reported on Monday.

The Competition Council gave its clearance for the deal in May.

Mediatech, a Lithuanian company, is part of the Tesonet group of tech companies. It operates a number of global media projects, the largest of which is Cybernews.

The 15min Group includes the 15min.lt news website, radio stations M-1, M-1 Plius, Lietus, M-1 Dance, Laluna, magazines Zmones, Ji, Legendos, the BNS news agency, and the home cinema platform Zmones Cinema.

4 Bees and its partners also operate the Manodaktaras.lt health services platform and the subscription booking platform Prenumerata.lt.

Other shareholders of 4 Bees include Tomas Balzekas, Martynas Basokas, Gabriele Burbiene and Tomas Bindokas.

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Lithuania's Seimas gives green light to State Road Fund

VILNIUS, Jun 30, BNS – Lithuanian lawmakers on Monday approved the establishment of a State Road Fund from next year. This special fund should generate around 400 million euros in additional funds for roads, bringing the total funding for roads to almost 1 billion euros.

97 Seimas members voted in favor of the bill today, there were no votes against and eight MPs abstained.

Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has said that taking part of funding for the new fund from other lines of the state budget will not reduce the capacity to finance overall spending.

Presenting the bill, Transport and Communications Minister Eugenijus Sabutis said that the establishment of the fund would improve the condition of national roads and increase funding for them.

The fund is expected to raise the most - up to 200 million euros - from the heavy transport toll information system, the so-called e-tolling, which will replace the current vignettes.

A further 60 million euros is expected to be raised from the car registration tax, 18 million euros will come from the same tax on goods vehicles, and another 30 million euros will be raised from fines for infringements of road traffic rules and non-payment of tolls and vignette fees. In addition, the fund could borrow around 100 million euros.

The Ministry of Transport and Communications estimates that the shortfall for national and local roads this year alone stands at around 1.27 billion euros. 583 million euros has been allocated to the road maintenance and development program for 2024-2025.

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar to visit Vilnius on Tuesday

VILNIUS, Jun 30, BNS – Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar will arrive in Lithuania on Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry announced.

Saar will meet with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys, and they are expected to discuss bilateral cooperation and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The two ministers will also discuss the situation in the Middle East. Saar's visit comes amid tensions in the region as the Jewish state continues its attacks in the Gaza Strip following a ceasefire agreed between Israel and Iran earlier this month.

The last meeting between the Lithuanian and Israeli foreign ministers took place in March 2023 in Israel.

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Lithuanian PM in hot water over former business, links with businessman Darijus Vilcinskas

VILNIUS, Jun 30, BNS - After more than a decade, Lithuanian Prime Minister and Social Democratic leader Gintautas Paluckas has found himself in hot water over his former business, loans it received and links with businessman Darijus Vilcinskas.

According to the latest investigation by Laisves TV and the Siena Center for Investigative Journalism, in 2013 Paluckas acquired and managed Sagerta, a recently established company that was carrying out the lake bed topography project MyLakeMap.

According to the investigation, the business was not a success, and the company was granted 180,000 euro in loans between 2013 and 2017, which the company eventually failed to pay.

The loans were allegedly given by Uni Trading, but the investigation has failed to establish who owned and managed the company. Neither Paluckas, nor Vilcinskas claimed to know this, although the latter represented Uni Trading's interests for some time, according to documents from Center of Registers.

Vilcinskas says that Uni Trading was in fact a shareholder in Sagerta from the first weeks of its operation, but due to a human error, this was not registered in the Center of Registers.

The investigators say that the management structure of Uni Trading - especially in the early years of the financing of Sagerta - raises many questions. At that time, the company was managed through another Lithuanian company, Amber Realty Investments, which in turn was controlled through a Cypriot company, Bitus Holdings Limited.

According to the investigation, Paluckas and Vilcinskas also had other links. In 2012, the politician purchased a 127 square meter apartment in Trinapolis Street in Vilnius from Verslo Investiciju Projektu Centras, a company headed by Vilcinskas.

According to the data Siena received from the Center of Registers to Sienai, the value of the transaction amounted to 223,000 euros. Both Vilcinskas and Paluckas claimed that the purchase was made using legitimate funds and a bank loan.

Moreover, in the summer of 2018, after Paluckas finally left Sagerta as a shareholder and became a vice mayor of Vilnius, the Vilnius authorities decided to take over the burnt-down Profsajungu Rumai (Trade Union Palace) in Vilnius for public purposes from VIPC Vilnius, a company linked to Vilcinskas, for almost 6 million euros.

The National Concert Hall is now being built in its place.

According to the investigation, in his written comments, Paluckas has repeatedly stated that he had no common business with Vilcinskas. The latter says that Paluckas is a family friend.

"I have no relationship with the Lithuanian prime minister. But we are family friends with Gintautas Paluckas for 15+ years and it is no secret," he said.

In late May, Siena and Laisves TV reported that Garnis, a company co- owned by Paluckas, which plans to produce battery systems, had received a loan of 200,000 euros at a preferential interest rate from the national development bank ILTE.

Law enforcement authorities are now investigating whether the loan was obtained legitimately and whether it was used for its intended purpose.

The Chief Official Ethics Commission is also investigating whether Paluckas did not find himself in a conflict of public and private interests when he made decisions related to the national development bank ILTE, even though Garnis had received a loan from it.

The prime minister says that he is not involved in the day-to-day activities of Garnis and denies any conflict of interests.

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Lithuanian PM: Vilcinskas invited me to develop app for fishermen

VILNIUS, Jun 30, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas says he was invited to develop an app for fishermen more than a decade ago by entrepreneur Darijus Vilcinskas, adding that he did not receive any benefit from this business.

"I was invited to implement a nice idea to create a system for renting bathymetric maps, and I was invited by Darijus Vilcinskas to implement this project," the prime minister told reporters at the Seimas on Monday, adding that he and Vilcinskas have been friends for 15 years.

The Social Democrat leader said his business plan to create MyLakeMap, a lake bed map project and an app for fishermen to know fish-rich areas, failed.

"Users did not want to pay for them and the business plan basically failed," Paluckas said. "I did not receive any benefit from Sagerta, in any form, neither myself nor my relatives, except for the minimum wage during the period of my management."

According to the latest investigation by Laisves TV and the Siena Center for Investigative Journalism, published on Sunday, in 2013 Paluckas acquired and managed Sagerta, a recently established company that was carrying out the lake bed topography project MyLakeMap.

According to the investigation, the business was not a success, and the company was granted 180,000 euro in loans between 2013 and 2017, which the company eventually failed to pay.

The loans were allegedly given by Uni Trading, but the investigation has failed to establish who owned and managed the company. Neither Paluckas, nor Vilcinskas claimed to know this, although the latter represented Uni Trading's interests for some time, according to documents from Center of Registers.

"This is speculation. I don't know and I can't know who is involved. The investor and lender, Uni Trading, represented at the time by Darius Vilcinskas, certainly did not give me any doubts. Therefore, additional questions about who are the deeper beneficiaries or even links to sanctioned persons from Belarus are simply taken out of air," Paluckas said on Monday.

In his words, it is normal that loans are not repaid once the money has been spent for the intended purpose and the project has failed.

"If there is money to repay the loans, then there is repayment of the loans and continuation of the project. In this case, as I said, unfortunately the project has not been a commercial success," the prime minister said.

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Kaunas mayor hits man at pedestrian crossing while driving his car

KAUNAS, Jun 30, BNS – Kaunas Mayor Visvaldas Matijosaitis hit a man at a pedestrian crossing while driving his car on Monday afternoon.

The man was taken to hospital, Odeta Vaitkeviciene, spokesperson of the Kaunas County Police Headquarters, confirmed to BNS.

“We received a report at 12:04 p.m. from a passerby that a Rolls-Royce driven by the city mayor hit a 30-year-old pedestrian at a pedestrian crossing on Pramones Avenue, according to preliminary data,” she said. 

The pedestrian was taken to a medical facility due to the injuries sustained.

“According to the available information, the pedestrian's life is not in danger, and the mayor was driving sober,” Vaitkeviciene said.

“Officers are still working at the scene and it will take a little longer to complete the traffic accident report. They are still working on it,” she said when asked if the police had launched an investigation into the incident.

In winter 2018, Matijosaitis also hit and injured a pedestrian while driving his car.

The mayor’s car then knocked down an 80-year-old man near the crosswalk in Sv. Gertrudos Street in downtown Kaunas, Lithuania's second-largest city. The injuries sustained by the pedestrian were not serious.

Matijosaitis promised at the time that he would no longer drive during working hours.

In addition, in the fall of 2016, the mayor was involved in an incident when he allegedly failed to yield to a pedestrian crossing the street. A witness then said he saw a man standing on the crossing, leaning against a black car and banging on the bonnet, angry at the driver.

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Lithuanian PM says he will transfer management of his companies’ shares to lawyers

VILNIUS, Jun 30, BNS – Gintautas Paluckas, Lithuania’s prime minister and Social Democratic Party leader, says he intends to transfer the management of companies’ shares in his possession to lawyers.

“Yes, a contract has been prepared, an agreement is being finalized with one of the law firms, and once these matters have been formalized, the public will certainly be informed,” he told reporters in the Seimas on Monday.

He said he would not yet disclose which law firm would be entrusted with managing the shares.

The government leader is a shareholder in the companies Emus and Garnis.

Paluckas said in early June that President Gitanas Nauseda had urged him to transfer the management of shares in the companies partly owned by him and admitted considering the proposal seriously.

Saulius Skvernelis, the speaker of the parliament, has also called on the prime minister to distance himself from the companies. 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.

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 the national development bank ILTE after Paluckas had already taken office. 

Law enforcement agencies are investigating whether this loan was obtained legitimately and whether the funds are being used for their intended purpose.

Moreover, the Chief Official Ethics Commission is investigating whether Paluckas confused public and private interests when the prime minister made decisions related to ILTE despite the loan received by Garnis from the national development bank.

The prime minister denies any conflict of interest and says he is not involved in his companies' day-to-day operations.

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Lithuanian PM's explanations fail to convince opposition: prime minister must go

VILNIUS, Jun 30, BNS - After hearing Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas' explanations on the recently published journalistic investigation, the opposition conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats and Liberal groups say he cannot in this position and call on the president to take a principled look into this situation.

"The prime minister, who is under the shadow of possible corrupt transactions and connections, undeclared loans and conflicts of interest, and the risk of those connections to national security, cannot continue to hold the office, and we call on the president to assess the situation in a principled manner and to demand the political responsibility from the PM," the two groups said in a joint statement on Monday.

They said that the prime minister's answers failed to dispel doubts, but "revealed an even greater lack of transparency and unwillingness to take responsibility", the statement says, adding and that the information provided "raises serious doubts as to Paluckas' suitability to hold the highest office in the state".

For his part, the prime ministers told lawmakers today that journalistic investigations, like in his case, are a form of business, adding that answers to questions will not help those who do not want to hear them and who will in any case be left with doubts.

Even before the prime minister's explanations, the opposition called for a confidence vote in the prime minister and said they were waiting for the president's reaction.

President Gitanas Nauseda plans to meet with the prime minister and discuss the latest journalistic investigation on Tuesday.

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Lithuanian Finance Minister Sadzius among candidates for Eurogroup president

VILNIUS, Jun 30, BNS - Lithuanian Finance Minister Rimantas Sadzius is among the three candidates for the post of Eurogroup president.

"There are currently three candidates and the nominations were put forward and announced on Friday evening," Sadzius told the vz.lt business news website on Monday.

Besides Sadzius, the group's incumbent president, Irish Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe, and Spanish Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo are also in the race.

The new Eurogroup president will be elected on July 7. 

The Eurogroup chair is tasked with making sure EU countries that use the euro coordinate national financial policies -- a job whose significance was on full show during the 2008 global financial crisis.

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Govt to propose Irnius as Lithuania's ambassador to Spain, Radikaite as ambassador to UK

VILNIUS, Jun 30, BNS – The Lithuanian government is set to propose that President Gitanas Nauseda appoint Tomas Irnius, Lithuania’s former consul in Valencia, as the country’s ambassador to Spain and permanent representative to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, and Asta Radikaite, Lithuania's incumbent ambassador to Denmark, as ambassador to the United Kingdom (UK).

Irnius would start work on August 25, replacing Lyra Puisyte-Bostroem, who will hold these positions until August 22. 

Radikaite, who currently serves as ambassador to Denmark and Iceland, would begin her work as Lithuania's representative to the UK, Northern Ireland, and Portugal on August 8.

It is proposed that she be recalled from her current position on August 7.

The ambassadorial position in London has been vacant since mid-April last year when then Ambassador Eitvydas Bajarunas, earlier accused of mobbing and abuse of office by embassy staff, was removed from office.

The Lithuanian Embassy in London is currently headed by temporary representative Lina Zigmantaite.

Radikaite has previously led the Foreign Ministry's European Union Department and worked as a counselor at the Lithuanian Embassy in France.

The government also intends to propose new ambassadors to Estonia and Turkey – Gitana Skripkaite and Marius Janukonis, respectively.

Skripkaite, a diplomat, would begin work in Tallinn on August 11, replacing Raimonda Murmokaite, who is being recalled on July 17.

Janukonis, who previously served as Lithuania's ambassador to Ukraine, would take up his post in Turkey on September 15. Ricardas Degutis, who currently holds this position, will leave his post on August 25.

The government also proposes to appoint Arnoldas Pranckevicius, Lithuania's ambassador to France, as the country's representative in Morocco, too, starting from August 18.

In Lithuania, ambassadors are appointed and dismissed by the president on the proposal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and with the approval of the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs and the government.

By Karolina Ambrazaitytė

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Lithuanian parliament approves EU presidency priorities

VILNIUS, Jun 30, BNS - The Seimas of Lithuania on Monday approved the main tasks, priorities and responsibilities of Lithuania's EU presidency in 2027.

The resolution confirms that the main objective of the presidency is to ensure the efficient and smooth work of the Council, combining the interests and political priorities of the presidencies of Ireland, Lithuania and Greece and the EU as a whole.

Lithuania will hold the rotating EU presidency in the first half of 2027, and will draw up a joint presidency program with Ireland and Greece. The former will precede and the latter will follow Lithuania.

The Seimas resolution stipulates that Lithuania's EU presidency will focus on the security of the European area, defense issues, EU enlargement, competitiveness, internal security, including migration, the preservation of historical memory and social security.

Priority areas include strengthening the security and defense of the EU and the Euro-Atlantic area, ensuring full support for Ukraine and adequate defense funding, the competitiveness and economic resilience of the bloc, and a multiannual EU budget that responds to needs.

Lithuania will hold the EU presidency for the second time after holding it in 2013. Poland currently holds the presidency and Denmark will take over from July.

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Lithuania's anti-corruption body to look into circumstances related to PM’s business ties

VILNIUS, Jun 30, BNS – Following the latest journalistic investigation into Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, the Prosecutor General's Office announced on Monday that it had instructed the Special Investigation Service (SIS) to clarify the circumstances related to the prime minister's previous business activities and ties with business representatives.

“Following reports in the public information domain about the businesses developed by Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, his connections with other business representatives, and possible benefits obtained in a non-transparent manner, the Deputy Prosecutor General ... has today instructed the SIS to clarify these circumstances and take a procedural decision in accordance with the procedure established by the Code of Criminal Procedure,” the Prosecutor's Office said in a press release.

The SIS reported that after clarifying the circumstances, it would decide whether to launch a pre-trial investigation.

After more than a decade, Paluckas has found himself in hot water over his former business, loans it received and links with businessman Darijus Vilcinskas.

According to the latest investigation by Laisves TV and the Siena Center for Investigative Journalism, in 2013 Paluckas acquired and managed Sagerta, a recently established company that was carrying out the lake bed topography project MyLakeMap.

Paluckas said in comments on the said investigation that such investigations are a “form of business”. Meanwhile, opposition representatives claim that the prime minister cannot continue in his position and call on the president to take a principled look into this situation.

President Gitanas Nauseda plans to meet with the prime minister and discuss the latest journalistic investigation on Tuesday.

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Border guards have no info as Polish PM speaks about possible border checks with Lithuania

VILNIUS, Jun 30, BNS - Warsaw may introduce checks on its border with Lithuania, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Monday.

Meanwhile, spokesman for Lithuania's State Border Guard Service says Lithuanian officials have not been informed of such plans.

Tusk said at a press conference on Monday that the government had invested "a lot of effort, money, sweat and, unfortunately, some blood, to make the eastern border with Belarus air-tight", according to PAP.

He said "measures will be taken so that people who cross borders illegally do not come from the Lithuanian direction."

Tusk made the announcement in the context of the Polish-German border, where Poland may also introduce checks.

"We have informed the German side that if there are cases that we see as doubtful, we'll have to reinstate checks at the Polish-German border," Tusk said, referring to reports that Germany may be sending illegal migrants to Poland.

Such reports have spurred some right-wing groups in Poland to organise the so-called Civic Guard units, which 'patrol' the border crossings with Germany looking for attempts to enter Poland by illegal migrants.

Lithuania has not been officially informed about Warsaw's plans, SBGS spokesman Giedrius Misutis said, adding that if we are talking about the entry of irregular migrants from Lithuania to Poland, we are referring to so-called secondary migration.

"Those migrants who are apprehended by the Poles have illegally crossed the Belarusian-Latvian border, not the Belarusian-Lithuanian border," Misutis told BNS. 

In his words, more than 300 such people have already been detained this year. Most of them were caught in Lithuania. And the number of attempts to cross the border illegally in Latvia is also much higher than in Lithuania, he added.

"They (migrants - BNS) see where it is easier to cross the border, so they go there," he said.

A total of 890 illegal migrants have been refused entry into Lithuania this year. Last year, 1,002 attempts were made to enter the country from Belarus in non-designated areas.

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Lithuania, the Philippines to step up security and defense cooperation

VILNIUS, Jun 30, BNS – Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene and Secretary of National Defense of the Philippines Gilberto C. Teodoro have signed a bilateral memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation, which provides for closer cooperation between the countries.

"Strengthening bilateral defense relations between Lithuania and the Philippines is an important part of Lithuania's defense and security strategy in the Indo-Pacific region. The Philippines is an important partner for Lithuania in strengthening regional stability, societal resilience and defense capabilities," Sakaliene said.

"The signed agreement reflects our countries' common approach to emerging security threats. It is not only a symbolic step, but also a practical basis for joint projects that will strengthen the resilience of both countries," the minister said.

The document enshrines cooperation in areas such as maritime security, including threats posed by Russian and Chinese shadow fleets and the protection of both countries' undersea infrastructure, hybrid threats and disinformation campaigns targeting democracies and their societies, the Defense Ministry said on Monday. It also covers cyber security, intelligence sharing, military cooperation, including training, exercises and exchanges of experts.

According to the ministry, the memorandum also discusses cooperation in areas such as civil defense and crisis management to strengthen society's emergency preparedness, the defense industry, in particular ammunition production, and migration, with a view to analyzing the impact of this phenomenon on national security.

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NATO jets in Baltics scrambled 3 times over Russian aircraft last week

VILNIUS, Jun 30, BNS – NATO fighter jets policing Baltic airspace were scrambled three 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.

On June 25, NATO jets took off to identify a Russia passenger plane IL-18 flying in international airspace.

On June 26, NATO jets were scrambled to identify a Russian reconnaissance plane IL_20 and a SU24SM tactical bomber. On the same, a SU30SM fighter aircraft was also intercepted.

Two of the three Russian aircraft were flying with their onboard transponders off, without flight plans, and without radio communication with the regional air traffic control center.

The Alliance's Baltic Air Policing mission is carried out from Lithuania and Estonia.

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, July 1, 2025

VILNIUS, Jul 01, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Tuesday, July 1, 2025:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to meet with PRIME MINISTER Gintautas Paluckas at 1 p.m.

FOREIGN MINISTER Kestutis Budrys to welcome his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar: the two ministers to hold a joint press conference at the Foreign Ministry at 11.30 p.m.; to visit the Paneriai Memorial to honor Holocaust victims at 3 p.m.

INTERIOR MINISTER Vladislav Kondratovic to pay a working visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Monetengro.

 

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