LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, July 2, 2025
2. Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
3. Lithuanian parlt's anti-corruption commission to hold meeting on PM's business ties
4. There's hope for Lithuania to have at least some of RRF millions unfrozen – Olekas
5. 6 out of 10 Lithuanians back full or partial state funding for abortion
6. Probe into desecration of partisan leader's monument completed in Lithuania
7. Forced to explain his old business dealings, Lithuania’s PM to take short vacation
8. FM: Lithuania will continue efforts to free all political prisoners in Belarus
9. Russia's GRU ordered desecration of Lithuanian partisan leader's monument – prosecutor (updates)
10. Hanner, BaltCap complete transaction for takeover of national stadium project in Vilnius
11. Lithuanian radio broadcasts drowned out by Russian-language radio in southern Lithuania
12. Govt gives nod to assessment of nuclear energy potential in Lithuania
13. Lithuania sends eight border guards to help Latvia protect its border with Belarus
14. Govt proposes Irnius as Lithuania's ambassador to Spain, Radikaite as ambassador to UK
15. Lithuanian FM to urge Europe to continue support as US suspends arms shipments to Ukraine
16. Lithuanian FM urges against politicizing border protection as Poland tightens controls
17. Lithuania's tax watchdog completes probe into PM's company, finds no irregularities
18. Lithuanian PM's adviser after tax watchdog’s probe: “Unfounded insinuations falling apart”
19. Lithuania's Special Investigation Service launches pre-trial probe into PM
20. Lithuanian PM’s adviser welcomes probe by Special Investigation Service
21. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, July 3, 2025
22. Govt takes break in deciding on postponing Lithuanian language requirement for Ukrainians

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, July 2, 2025

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, July 2, 2025:

THE PRESIDENT PALACE to host a press conference on childcare at 10 a.m., to be attended, among others, by Katarina Ivankovic Knezevic of the European Commission.

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

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Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus

VILNIUS, Jul 02, 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 Wednesday morning.

Latvia reported 85 illegal border crossing attempts on Tuesday. Poland denied entry to 111 irregular migrants on Monday, 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.

Lithuanian border guards have prevented around 23,800 people from crossing illegally from Belarus since the start of the migration crisis triggered by the neighboring country. The number includes repeated attempts by the same people to cross the border.

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Lithuanian parlt's anti-corruption commission to hold meeting on PM's business ties

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – The Lithuanian Seimas Anti-Corruption Commission is holding an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday to decide whether to start looking deeper into a business Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas owned more than a decade ago and his connections.

According to the commission's chair, Arvydas Anusauskas of the opposition conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats, the commission will have to decide whether or not to send questions to obtain additional information on the investigation carried out by the Siena Center for Investigative Journalism and Laisves TV.

"Since a pre-trial investigation has not been opened in this case, we can carry out our own investigation," he told BNS.

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.

Boh Vilcinskas and later Paluckas said 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.

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.

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.

After hearing the prime minister's explanations on the investigation, the opposition conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats and Liberal groups say he cannot in this position, adding that he "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".

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There's hope for Lithuania to have at least some of RRF millions unfrozen – Olekas

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – There's hope that the European Commission will approve Lithuania's tax changes and unfreeze at least some of the 400 million euros in the Recovery and Resilience Facility funds that are currently frozen, Social Democrat Deputy Speaker of the Seimas Juozas Olekas says.

"We still have hope that the Finance Ministry will manage to renegotiate with the Commission so that we can receive at least part of the funds and use them for the benefit of the Lithuanian people,” he told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Wednesday.

The EC froze 400 million euros of the RRF funds pending Lithuania's adoption of tax changes, notably the introduction of a universal property tax.

According to Olekas, Lithuania could rely on the fact that the tax changes will strengthen the progressivity of taxes and increase funding for national defense.

"The tax environment for next year will be approached with a certain degree of satisfaction that there will be additional revenue for the state budget, especially that we will be able to finance our defense obligations," Olekas said.

Finance Minister Rimantas Sadzius said earlier that he expected the EC to unfreeze the RRF after assessing the allocation of a part of the revenue from the property tax to defense, as well as other changes such as the taxation of some insurance contracts.

Lithuania will receive about 0.5 billion euros in additional revenue after the adoption of tax amendments by the Seimas, which is a strong argument when talking to the European Commission about the frozen Recovery and Resilience Facility funds, presidential advisor Vaidas Augustinavicius said earlier.

In June, Lithuanian lawmakers adopted amendments to the personal income tax, corporate income tax, real estate tax, introduced the so-called sugar tax and taxed non-life insurance contracts. The changes were later signed by President Gitanas Nauseda.

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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6 out of 10 Lithuanians back full or partial state funding for abortion

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS - Six out of ten Lithuanians support full or partial funding of abortion services for women from the budget of the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund, according to a Vilmorus poll for BNS.

30.2 percent believe that abortion should be funded in all cases, while 32.4 percent say it should be funded only in exceptional cases, such as in the case of a pregnancy after rape or in the case of medical indications.

24.1 percent had no opinion on this issue. The rest were against.

Those under 40, people living in large cities, people with higher education and women are more in favor of the proposal. And respondents with lower levels of education, pensioners and those living in smaller towns and cities are more likely to be against.

In May, Lithuanian lawmakers took their first step towards allowing abortion by law and making the service free of charge.

Currently, abortion procedures are defined by the health minister's order.

The new bill states that that the law should define the abortion procedure and state that in the absence of medical indications, a pregnancy may be terminated up to the 12 weeks, and up to the 22 weeks in the case of medical indications.

A termination could also be carried out up to 22 weeks after rape or in the case of pregnancy resulting from incest.

The bill stipulates that abortion can be carried out surgically or medically, and that the service of medically assisted termination can be provided remotely at a pregnant woman's request.

The bill proposes that abortion services be provided free of charge to women, with the costs reimbursed by the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund.

One of the people behind the bill, Social Democrat Birute Vesaite, told BNS that the results of the survey reflect the changes taking place in society.

"When I look at the survey data, I see that there are changes in society itself. And I see that there is more support from the younger age group. It is good to see that there is a change in society," she said.

Meanwhile, Lina Sukyte-Korsake, who voted against the amendments, said that the attitudes of the people who took part in the survey might change if there was more information about the possible medical complications and other consequences of the procedure.

"Getting a service for free is a god thing. But they don't think about how the free service might turn out," she told BNS.

The survey results:

The Vilmorus survey asked respondents: Should or should not the state reimburse women for abortion services from the budget of the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund?

The answers:

1. Yes, it should – 30.2 percent.

2. No, it should not – 13.3 percent.

3. Should only in exceptional cases, e.g. in case of a pregnancy after rape or for medical indications – 32.4 percent

4. I have no opinion – 24.1 percent.

Vilmorus conducted a representative public opinion poll on behalf of BNS from June 11 to 22 and interviewed 1,000 people across the country. The maximum margin of error is 3.1 percent.

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Probe into desecration of partisan leader's monument completed in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – Lithuania's law enforcement authorities have completed the pre-trial investigation into the desecration of the monument of partisan leader Adolfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas in Merkine, Agne Pociute of the Kaunas Regional Prosecutor's Office told BNS on Wednesday.

The investigation has been completed on the grounds of aiding another state to act against the Republic of Lithuania, the destruction or damage of property and the desecration of a grave or other place of public veneration.

In January last year, the monument in Merkine, the southern district of Varena, was covered with paint, and the Alytus police launched a pre-trial investigation into the destruction of or damage to property.

Another monument to Ramanauskas-Vanagas in Bielenai, Lazdijai District, was also covered with paint in May 2023, and the police have not identified any suspects in these incidents.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said in March last year that attacks on symbols of Lithuania's statehood - flags and monuments - are planned and coordinated outside Lithuania and that such incidents could happen again.

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Forced to explain his old business dealings, Lithuania’s PM to take short vacation

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – Lithuania’s Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, who has recently been forced to explain his business dealings from more than a decade ago, is taking a short one-day vacation.

According to a presidential decree, the head of government will be on vacation on Friday, July 4.

He will be substituted by Finance Minister Rimantas Sadzius during that time.

According to the decree, the prime minister requested the vacation on Monday.

“It has been planned for a long time, he wants to rest with his family,” the prime minister's adviser Justinas Argustas told BNS on Wednesday.

On Sunday, the Siena Center for Investigative Journalism and Laisves TV published an investigation raising questions about Paluckas' business dealings from more than a decade ago, loans received and not repaid by a company he co-owned, and his links with businessman Darijus Vilcinskas.

Following this journalistic investigation, 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.

A pre-trial investigation was opened earlier into possible credit fraud following reports that Garnis, a company co-owned by the prime minister received a soft loan from the national development bank ILTE.

The Seimas opposition maintains that Paluckas cannot continue as prime minister because of „the shadow of possible corrupt transactions and connections falling on him". The opposition conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats and the Liberals say undeclared loans, interests and connections could pose a risk to national security.

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FM: Lithuania will continue efforts to free all political prisoners in Belarus

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – Lithuania will continue its efforts to free all political prisoners in Belarus, Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys has said.

On Wednesday, he met with Belarusian democratic leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Vilnius and congratulated her husband Siarhei Tsikhanouski, who was released in late June.

During the meeting, they discussed the release of 14 political prisoners a couple of weeks ago.

According to a press release from the Foreign Ministry, Sviatlana and Siarhei Tsikhanouski thanked Lithuania for its principled position, which contributed to the recent release of the political prisoners and to the strengthening of Western political pressure on Belarus.

“A free, democratic neighboring Belarus that respects human rights is in Lithuania's best interest,” the minister emphasized.

According to Budrys, “as long as the criminal regime that has usurped power rules in the neighboring country, it is necessary to ensure the safety of Belarusian democratic forces and their families that have found refuge in Lithuania”.

The Lithuanian top diplomat noted that, although the release of Tsikhanouski is a significant step that gives hope to all unjustly persecuted dissidents, it is necessary to continue the fight for the unconditional release of all political prisoners.

According to Belarusian human rights defenders, more than 1,170 political prisoners are currently being held illegally in Belarusian prisons, and the actual number may be several times higher.

“Lithuania urges the international community to strengthen sanctions and pressure on the Belarusian regime until all political prisoners are released and real democratic reforms begin, as well as until this regime stops supporting the Kremlin regime, which is carrying out aggression against Ukraine and its people,” the ministry said in the press release.

Tsikhanouski, 46, was released on June 21 after spending five years in prison.

He had planned to run against Alexander Lukashenko, called Europe's last dictator, in the August 2020 presidential election, but was arrested and detained weeks before the vote. His wife, Sviatlana, then a political novice, ran in his place.

Tsikhanouski was sentenced in 2021 to 18 years in prison for "organizing riots" and "inciting hatred", and then to 18 months extra for "insubordination".

Belarus, ruled by Lukashenko since 1994, has outlawed all opposition movements and remains the only European country that retains the death penalty.

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Russia's GRU ordered desecration of Lithuanian partisan leader's monument – prosecutor (updates)

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS - Three foreigners, who acted on the orders of the Russian military intelligence GRU, have been accused of desecrating the monument to Adolfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas, a Lithuanian partisan leader, in Merkine, the southern district of Varena, the Kaunas Regional Prosecutor's Office said on Wednesday.

According to Rimas Bradunas, the chief prosecutor of the Kaunas Regional Prosecutor's Office, three foreign citizens - two persons with Estonian and Russian citizenship and a Russian citizen born in 1982, 1987 and 2005 - have been accused of desecrating the monument in January last year.

"The pre-trial investigation has established that these persons, acting in an organized group, in a group of accomplices, acted on the orders of the special services of the Russian Federation, specifically the GRU, with the aim of destabilizing the situation in the state,” the prosecutor told a press conference on Wednesday.

As BNS reported earlier, in January last year, the monument in Merkine, the southern district of Varena, was covered with paint, and the Alytus police launched a pre-trial investigation into the destruction of or damage to property.

By Dominykas Biržietis

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Hanner, BaltCap complete transaction for takeover of national stadium project in Vilnius

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – Lithuanian real estate development company Hanner, which is taking over the development of the national stadium in Vilnius, and investment company BaltCap have completed the transaction to take over the project concessionaire's shares, the Verslo Zinios news portal has reported.

Hanner Board Chairman Arvydas Avulis told the portal that on Wednesday, the buyer of the project will pay BaltCap 2.8 million euros – part of the 6-million-euro loan previously obtained by Vilniaus Daugiafunkcinis Kompleksas (Vilniaus Multifunctional Complex), the stadium project's concessionaire – and will buy 98 percent of shares in the concession company's shareholder Venetus Capital for one euro.

“Now we will provide Vilnius City Municipality [Administration] with all the necessary guarantees and letters confirming our financial capacity, as well as a letter of financing from the bank. The amendment to the concession agreement will then come into force after indexation, and we will acquire all the rights and obligations to implement this project,” Avulis told the news portal.

BNS reported on Monday that Hanner had also completed negotiations on the national stadium project in Vilnius with construction company Naresta, which will build the main stadium, two football pitches and install the main engineering networks in the entire territory for 70 million euros. 

According to Avulis, construction of the national stadium is set to resume within a week.

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Lithuanian radio broadcasts drowned out by Russian-language radio in southern Lithuania

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – A case was reported in southern Lithuania on Wednesday where a car radio receiver would only pick up a radio broadcast in the Russian language.

The Communications Regulatory Authority (RRT) confirmed this to BNS, saying that it had received a report from a driver traveling from Alytus to Varena that Lithuanian radio stations were drowned out by a Russian-language radio broadcast.

According to the authority, it is too early to say what caused the incident.

“The situation is known, it was reported by a person traveling in a car. At this time, we cannot say exactly why the radio receiver picked up a broadcast in Russian – it could have been caused by either broadcast disruptions or equipment malfunction. We need to find out more details,” Jorune Mikulenaite-Bausiene, head of the electronic communications resource management group at the authority, told BNS.

According to her, hot weather cannot be ruled out as a cause, either.

“Sometimes, especially on very hot days, radio wave propagation anomalies can occur, causing signals to travel very long distances,” she said.

The authority has launched an investigation, and RRT specialists have been dispatched to the scene.

A video posted on Facebook by online TV presenter Ruta Janutiene showed a driver selecting various Lithuanian radio stations on his car's display, but a poor-quality sound of a Russian radio broadcast could only be heard instead of the expected stations.

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Govt gives nod to assessment of nuclear energy potential in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – The Lithuanian government on Wednesday approved the Energy Ministry's proposal to assess the potential for developing nuclear energy in the country.

The ministry will set up a special working group for this purpose.

“We are essentially talking about small modular nuclear reactors,” Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas said at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

According to the ministry, taking into account the challenges of climate change and energy security, nuclear reactors with a capacity of 1.5 gigawatts (GW) could be installed in Lithuania.

It is estimated that electricity demand will grow in the future, potentially reaching 24 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2030, 48 TWh in 2040, and 74 TWh in 2050.

“In order to ensure adequate electricity generation capacity and reliable accessible power supply for electricity needs, it is necessary to consider new, clean, and controllable electricity generation capacities in Lithuania,” the ministry said.

Until 2010, Lithuania operated the Soviet-built Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant with Russian reactors, which Lithuania committed to closing when it joined the European Union. A subsequent referendum on the construction of a new nuclear power plant was unsuccessful.

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Lithuania sends eight border guards to help Latvia protect its border with Belarus

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS - Eight Lithuanian border guards are going to Latvia to help their counterparts secure Latvia's border with Belarus, the State Border Guard Service said on Wednesday.

"It is planned that this group of Lithuanian border guards will carry out border surveillance, prevention of illegal migration from Belarus and other actions related to the protection of the border in the most problematic sections, coordinated by their Latvian counterparts," the statement said.

The Lithuanian border guards will work on the Latvian border with Belarus for two weeks, and then further decisions on such assistance will be made depending on the situation on the Latvian-Belarusian border.

Eight Lithuanian police officers have already started working in Latvia.

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

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – The Lithuanian government on Wednesday submitted to President Gitanas Nauseda the nominations of 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.

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

Irnius says that the current geopolitical reality is bringing countries back to defense cooperation.

"And it's really good. We know that Spain is actively involved in air policing missions, which is really encouraging because Spain's geopolitical situation is a bit different from ours," Irnius said.

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.

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.

According to the diplomat, Lithuania's goal has always been the closest possible ties between the EU and the UK, which is particularly relevant in the current geopolitical situation.

The government is also proposing 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.

Skripkaite says that the two Baltic states have close relations based on historical memory and shared values.

Janukonis, who previously served as Lithuania's ambassador to Ukraine, would take up his post in Turkey on September 15.

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.

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Lithuanian FM to urge Europe to continue support as US suspends arms shipments to Ukraine

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS - Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys has vowed to urge European countries to continue their active support to Ukraine after the White House announced that the United States will suspend some arms supplies to Ukraine.

"Lithuania has supported, is supporting and will support Ukraine, and we will encourage others to do the same because it is the right thing to do, it makes sense in terms of our interests and in general, in terms of morality and on all other grounds. We will do so both as Lithuania, (...) and I will urge other partner countries and the European Union to do so at the next Foreign Affairs Council meeting," the minister told reporters on Wednesday.

The US announced on Tuesday that it was halting some important arms shipments to Ukraine, which the Biden administration had promised would be used to help Kyiv fight the Russian invasion.

The Pentagon says that stocks of some of the ammunition previously promised have become too low and that some planned shipments will not be sent, said one US official speaking on condition of anonymity, according to Politico, the first to report the suspension of military aid.

The US aid is critical, Lithuania's top diplomat said.

"The support that is being provided is extremely important, and we will continue to talk about it with the US that there are certain weapons systems, certain resources that Ukraine very much needs, in terms of air defense, in terms of missiles for the air defense system, and in terms of other areas as well," Budrys said.

Following the Washington reports, a senior source within the Ukrainian army said that the country would struggle to defend itself against attacking Russian forces without US assistance.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met Trump at the NATO summit in the Netherlands last week and appeared to receive a vague response from the US leader to a request for Patriot air defense systems.

By Paulius Perminas

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Lithuanian FM urges against politicizing border protection as Poland tightens controls

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – With Poland tightening controls at its borders with Lithuania and Germany, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys calls to avoid politicizing border protection measures.

“In this whole situation, and this is both my call and the call of Lithuania, we should avoid politicizing border protection measures in response to various political tensions, because this is not the right tool for that,” Budrys told reporters on Wednesday.

He noted that decisions on border controls are not solely national and are related to the Schengen agreements, which must be complied with.

“This is what we are already working on here and in Brussels, so that all procedures are followed and decisions are based on factual data and needs. They must be proportionate, precisely targeted, and not politically motivated,” the foreign minister said.

Asked whether he saw politicization in Warsaw's decision, Budrys said he wanted to “be sure that it is based on hard data, and not soft assumptions or some kind of internal situation”.

According to Budrys, the data shows that the number of migrants who have entered Lithuania and Poland illegally is growing. Yet the minister stressed that this is not related to Lithuania's border security problems, but to so-called secondary migration, when migrants reach Lithuania and Poland from Belarus via Latvia.

According to data released on Tuesday by the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service (SBGS), a total of 352 irregular migrants who entered Latvia from Belarus and then attempted to reach Western Europe via Lithuania and Poland were detained in the first half of 2025.

Compared to the first half of 2024, when 140 such migrants were detained, the flow of irregular secondary migration from Latvia increased by two and a half times in January-June this year.

Poland said on Tuesday it would impose temporary checks from July 7 on its borders with Germany and Lithuania to stop irregular migrants crossing.

Meanwhile, the Lithuanian Interior Ministry said that eight Lithuanian border guards were going to Latvia to help their counterparts secure Latvia's border with Belarus. However, it did not specify what additional measures Poland intends to take.

By Dominykas Biržietis, Paulius Perminas

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Lithuania's tax watchdog completes probe into PM's company, finds no irregularities

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – Lithuania's State Tax Inspectorate has completed its checks of Garnis, a company co-owned by Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, and has not found any irregularities, the tax watchdog told BNS on Wednesday.

"Following swift checks of Garnis, the State Tax Inspectorate has found no tax violations," Ruta Asadauskaite, head of the Strategic Communication Unit at the State Tax Inspectorate, told BNS on Wednesday.

Checks of Garnis, which is 49-perent owned by Paluckas, was initiated by the tax watchdog in the middle of June following a request from Laurynas Kasciunas, chair of the opposition conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats.

"The swift inspection looked into whether the client had kept its accounts in compliance with all the requirements," Asadauskaite said, adding that the STI only checked the financial accounting procedures of Garnis, which did not include another company, Emus, also co-owned by Paluckas.

A journalistic investigation into the 200,000 euro soft loan granted to Garnis by the national development bank ILTE sparked theories that the money lent to Garnis might have flowed to Emus.

In May, the Siena Center for Investigative Journalism and Laisves TV reported that Garnis, which plans to produce battery systems, had received a soft loan from Paluckas while he was already Prime Minister.

Questions were then raised in the public domain as to whether Garnis had been set up as a sham in order to obtain the loan, and whether the company was using the loaned funds for their intended purpose.

The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) and the Financial Crimes Investigation Service (FICIS) are conducting a pre-trial investigation into possible credit fraud in this story.

Meanwhile, 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.

Last Sunday, the Siena Center for Investigative Journalism and Laisves TV published a follow-up to its investigation raising questions about Paluckas' business dealings from more than a decade ago, loans received and not repaid by a company he co-owned, and his links with businessman Darijus Vilcinskas.

By Lukas Juozapaitis

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Lithuanian PM's adviser after tax watchdog’s probe: “Unfounded insinuations falling apart”

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – Checks of Garnis, a company co-owned by Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, that have just been completed by Lithuania's State Tax Inspectorate (STI), which has found no irregularities, show that the prime minister's business is transparent and that critics are spreading “unfounded insinuations”, an adviser to Paluckas has said.

“Unfounded insinuations that were published about the companies in which the prime minister has shares are falling apart,” Justinas Argustas told BNS on Wednesday.

“As we can see, the checks have been completed and no irregularities have been found, so the doubts spread by our Conservative and Liberal opponents that something is wrong with the companies' finances have been dispelled,” he added.

The STI told BNS earlier on Wednesday that the tax watchdog had completed its checks of Garnis, a company co-owned by Paluckas, and had not found any irregularities.

According to the STI, the swift inspection looked into whether Garnis had kept its accounts in compliance with all the requirements.

Checks of Garnis, which is 49-perent owned by Paluckas, was initiated by the tax watchdog in the middle of June following a request from Laurynas Kasciunas, chair of the opposition conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats.

“It is obvious that fantasies and lies were being spread, a bubble is being blown up and a fuss is being made,” Argustas said.

The Siena Center for Investigative Journalism 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 as prime minister. 

The politician 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 formally been part of the same company group as Emus.

This has sparked public speculation that Garnis could have been created as a front to obtain the loan and doubts about whether the company is using the funds as intended. 

The European Public Prosecutor's Office and the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FCIS) are conducting a pre-trial investigation into possible credit fraud in this case.

Meanwhile, 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.

Last Sunday, the Siena Center for Investigative Journalism and Laisves TV published a follow-up to its investigation raising questions about Paluckas' business dealings from more than a decade ago, loans received and not repaid by a company he co-owned, and his links with businessman Darijus Vilcinskas.

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Lithuania's Special Investigation Service launches pre-trial probe into PM

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – Following the latest journalistic investigation raising questions about Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas' business dealings from more than a decade ago, loans received, and links with businessman Darijus Vilcinskas, Lithuania's Special Investigation Service (SIS) said on Wednesday that it had launched a pre-trial investigation.

The SIS, which began clarifying the circumstances surrounding these issues earlier this week, emphasizes that the pre-trial investigation has been launched because ten days – the time limit provided for in the law for clarifying circumstances – would not be sufficient to assess the information that has been published.

SIS spokesperson Renata Kebliene told BNS that the pre-trial investigation was launched under the article of the Criminal Code providing for liability for abuse of office.

“The Code of Criminal Procedure stipulates that the clarification of circumstances must be carried out within 10 days. Considering that it is not possible in this case to collect and analyze all the information necessary for an objective and comprehensive assessment within this time limit, further verification of the statements made and the circumstances referred to in the publications, which have caused a significant public reaction, will be carried out during the pre-trial investigation,” the SIS said in a press release.

“The pre-trial investigation has been launched to establish the facts and determine whether a criminal offense has been committed,” it added.

The investigation is being organized and led by the Organized Crime and Corruption Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General's Office.

Under the Criminal Code, “a civil servant or a person equivalent thereto who abuses his official position or exceeds his powers, where this incurs major damage to the State, the European Union, an international public organization, a legal or natural person, shall be punished by a fine or by arrest or by a custodial sentence for a term of up to five years”.

The Siena Center for Investigative Journalism and Laisves TV also reported in late May that Garnis, a company co-owned by the prime minister 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 as prime minister. 

The European Public Prosecutor's Office and the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FCIS) are conducting a pre-trial investigation into possible credit fraud in this case.

Meanwhile, the State Tax Inspectorate told BNS on Wednesday that it had completed its checks of Garnis’ accounts and had not found any irregularities.

In addition, 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 himself denies having done anything illegal, dismissing the journalistic investigations as unfounded accusations and saying he is awaiting the conclusions of the official probes.

By Saulius Jakučionis

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Lithuanian PM’s adviser welcomes probe by Special Investigation Service

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas’ adviser says he welcomes the decision of the Special Investigation Service (SIS) to launch a pre-trial investigation into the Lithuanian premier’s business dealings from more than a decade ago, loans received, and links with businessman Darijus Vilcinskas.

“It is good that professionals are taking on the investigation, I can only welcome this step. There have been many rumors and assumptions circulating in the public domain, so it is certainly good that the responsible institution will check what is fact and what is unfounded speculation,” Justinas Argustas told BNS on Wednesday.

“We have no doubt that the investigation will provide an objective answer and put an end to the discussions about what has been spread, because it is not headlines and speculation that will be assessed, but real facts... There can never be too much clarity and legal transparency, so let's wait and see,” he added.

The SIS said on Wednesday that it had launched a pre-trial investigation following the latest journalistic investigation.

The agency, which began clarifying the circumstances surrounding these issues earlier this week, emphasizes that the pre-trial investigation has been launched because ten days – the time limit provided for in the law for clarifying circumstances – would not be sufficient to assess the information that has been published.

SIS spokesperson Renata Kebliene told BNS that the pre-trial investigation was launched under the article of the Criminal Code providing for liability for abuse of office.

The investigation is being organized and led by the Organized Crime and Corruption Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General's Office.

Under the Criminal Code, “a civil servant or a person equivalent thereto who abuses his official position or exceeds his powers, where this incurs major damage to the State, the European Union, an international public organization, a legal or natural person, shall be punished by a fine or by arrest or by a custodial sentence for a term of up to five years”.

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

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 back.

The loans were allegedly given by Uni Trading, a co-owner of Sagerta, but the investigation 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.

According to the journalistic 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, the value of the transaction amounted to 223,000 euros. Paluckas claims he then purchased the apartment using proceeds from the sale of his previous property, as well as loans from natural persons and banks.

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.

Vilcinskas explained to journalists that he was no longer involved in the management of VIPC Vilnius in any capacity that year and did not benefit from the decision to take over the building.

Paluckas and Vilcinskas are long-time family friends.

The Siena Center for Investigative Journalism and Laisves TV also reported in late May that Garnis, a company co-owned by the prime minister 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 as prime minister. 

The European Public Prosecutor's Office and the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FCIS) are conducting a pre-trial investigation into possible credit fraud in this case.

Meanwhile, the State Tax Inspectorate told BNS on Wednesday that it had completed its checks of Garnis’ accounts and had not found any irregularities.

In addition, 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 himself denies having done anything illegal, dismissing the journalistic investigations as unfounded accusations and saying he is awaiting the conclusions of the official probes.

By Vilmantas Venckūnas

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, July 3, 2025

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, July 3, 2025:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to attend the opening ceremony of the XII World Lithuanian sports games in Palanga at 6 p.m.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Saulius Skvernelis to attend the opening ceremony of the XII World Lithuanian sports games in Palanga at 6 p.m.

SEIMAS to host a meeting between members of the parliamentary Provisional Group for Friendship Relations with Democratic Forces of Belarus and representatives of the Belarusian opposition at 11 a.m.

INTERIOR MINISTER Vladislav Kondratovic to continue his working visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Montenegro.

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Govt takes break in deciding on postponing Lithuanian language requirement for Ukrainians

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – The government on Wednesday took a break for the second time in deciding on a 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.

According to the Education, Science and Sport Ministry and the Culture Ministry, the decision was postponed at the latter's initiative.

“The issue has been postponed due to technical details that need to be finalized,” the Culture Ministry said in a response sent to BNS.

The Ministries of Culture, Social Security and Labor, and the Interior, as well as the State Lithuanian Language Commission and the State Language Inspectorate have all said they do not support this initiative. The Justice Ministry also had some reservations.

Culture Minister Sarunas Birutis previously told BNS that the postponement of the requirement was not fully justified. According to him, state institutions should work hard to make it possible for Ukrainians to learn Lithuanian and pass the qualification requirements.

Under a draft government resolution submitted by the Education, Science and Sport Ministry, foreigners who have been granted temporary protection in Lithuania shall be exempted from the state language proficiency categories for recruitment for a period of four years from the date of granting of temporary protection.

“We intend to revisit the issue in the near future, once we receive the revised version from the Culture Ministry,” the ministry told BNS.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Lithuanian government decided to grant temporary protection for one year to persons who had fled Ukraine. This protection is extended annually.

The Description of the Procedure for Determining Categories of Proficiency in the State Language and Their Application was amended at the time to stipulate that foreigners granted temporary protection in Lithuania are exempted from the state language proficiency categories for recruitment for a period of two years from the date of granting of temporary protection.

Early in 2024, this document was amended to specify a period of three years.

According to the ministry, there are practical problems with opportunities to learn Lithuanian and take state exams.

In order for a foreigner to obtain a certificate confirming their knowledge of the Lithuanian language, they must pass a state language exam.

For instance, last year, 890 people studied the language at the House of National Communities, of whom about 90 percent were Ukrainian citizens, but only 118 people who completed the courses passed the state exams.

“It should be noted that when checking whether employees have the required level of proficiency in the state language, the State Language Inspectorate does not check the fact of language proficiency, but the document confirming it. This means that even a foreigner who has completed language courses, learned the language, but failed the relevant exam and does not have a certificate ... must be punished by the inspectorate,” the Education, Science and Sport Ministry pointed out.

The ministry initially wanted to set a final deadline for the exemption – the end of 2028 – but abandoned this idea after comments from the authorities.

 

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