LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Lithuania turns away 16 irregular migrants on border with Belarus
2. Lithuania’s formin to meet with Dutch counterpart in The Hague
3. Lithuanian president: we will offer Latvia assistance in combating irregular migration
4. Protest against PM Gintautas Paluckas, ruling coalition actions to be staged in Vilnius
5. Presidential office against Paulavicius' reinstatement before probe ends – advisor
6. Polish minister: controls at Lithuanian border to continue beyond August 5 - BNS EXCLUSIVE
7. Poland introduced border controls over domino effect, not real danger – advisor
8. Lithuania turns to EU for compensation for evacuation of Lithuanians from Israel
9. Location for new military training ground in Lithuania to be selected from four areas
10. Polish border checks will show true illegal migration situation – Lithuanian intermin
11. Remains of six freedom fighters found in Lithuania's Rokiskis District
12. Lithuanian border guards detain four irregular migrants from Latvia
13. Lithuanian authorities hope to speed up talks on 2nd phase of Rudninkai training area
14. Lithuanian president: Russia's aggressive intentions are not rhetoric, but reality
15. Lithuania can increase net defense spending by 6.1 pct this year, 5.2 pct by 2028 – ECOFIN
16. Lithuanian cynologist, service dog apprehend 11 illegal migrants in Latvia

Lithuania turns away 16 irregular migrants on border with Belarus

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have turned away 16 migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally over the past 24 hours, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Tuesday morning.

Latvia reported 52 illegal border crossing attempts on Monday. Poland denied entry to 57 irregular migrants on Sunday, according to the latest available information.

Lithuania has barred nearly 950 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’s formin to meet with Dutch counterpart in The Hague

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS – Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys will travel to The Hague on Tuesday to meet with his Dutch counterpart Caspar Veldkamp to discuss bilateral relations and support for Ukraine.

The Foreign Ministry reported that the two countries' top diplomats would discuss bilateral political and economic cooperation and further measures to mobilize and strengthen support for Ukraine.

During the meeting, the ministers will also discuss issues related to the strengthening of European security, European Union enlargement, and competitiveness, according to the ministry’s press release.

During his visit, Budrys will visit a memorial dedicated to the victims of the MH17 plane crash.

The plane crashed in 2014 over eastern Ukraine, and Moscow-backed separatists who had seized the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk and Donetsk are accused of shooting it down.

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Lithuanian president: we will offer Latvia assistance in combating irregular migration

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS – Lithuania intends to offer Latvia assistance in combating irregular migration, President Gitanas Nauseda has said.

“We are committed and, I would say, will even offer very friendly assistance to our northern neighbor Latvia, which is apparently still experiencing certain waves of that irregular instrumentalized migration, in order to reduce that flow after all,” Nauseda said in a video comment from the Curonian Spit resort of Nida.

He made the remarks on Monday after Poland reintroduced internal border controls with Lithuania temporarily. The president said that such restrictions within the Schengen area “are not very welcome.”

According to the country's leader, Lithuania is currently “not presented as an attractive spot” for illegal border crossings, so there are not many such attempts, but more intense movement is seen in other places.

“In other places, we are seeing much more intense attacks on the border, if I can put it that way. As a result, quite a few citizens who have crossed the Latvian border illegally and are then moving towards Germany via Lithuania and Poland are being detained,” Nauseda said.

“This is where the root of the problem lies. Once we deal with the root of the problem, these extraordinary measures will no longer be necessary,” he assured.

Poland re-introduced border controls on its borders with Germany and Lithuania temporarily on July 7 to stop illegal migration from Belarus. Vehicles are checked at 13 crossing points along the Lithuanian-Polish border, with controls carried out on a random basis.

Lithuanian Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic said over the weekend that border controls would be restored for a month, until August 5, but Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak later stated they would be continued longer.

Data provided to BNS by the State Border Guard Service on Monday night showed that no traffic jams had formed in the direction of Poland. According to the border guards’ representative, if Warsaw continues to apply the current methods of checks, it can be assumed that there will be no queues during the entire month when the restored controls are in place.

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Protest against PM Gintautas Paluckas, ruling coalition actions to be staged in Vilnius

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS – A rally will be staged on Tuesday in Vilnius' Independence Square against Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas' former and current business activities and the actions of the ruling coalition.

After the rally, participants of the protest will march to Vincas Kudirka Square, where the government is headquartered.

“The first six months of this coalition's rule have been marked by attacks on media independence, the legalization of corruption and dishonesty, and the undermining of national security,” according to a call to the protest made on social media.

According to Gabrielius Grubinskas, representative of the local authority of Vilnius, a permit has been issued for a rally with up to 4,000 participants.

“The guarantor of democracy – a free media – is being undermined by throwing mud at the journalists who expose corruption, threats to the national broadcaster with a politicized audit, and filling the LRT [national broadcaster’s] council with people close to the president,” the rally organizers said, criticizing the government.

“The coalition's motto has become ‘Let's not exaggerate.’ Enough! It's time to say, ‘Let's exaggerate,’” the organizers said.

They demand that Paluckas provide “clear and documented answers” about his past and present business activities, terminate the coalition with the Nemunas Dawn party, and halt all initiatives “aimed at easing the responsibility of politicians at all levels involved in the ‘receipt scandal’”.

They also claim that President Gitanas Nauseda should take responsibility for the situation and apologize.

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Presidential office against Paulavicius' reinstatement before probe ends – advisor

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS – An advisor to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says that reinstating Colonel Elegijus Paulavicius as head of the country's military intelligence before an investigation into his conduct towards his subordinates is completed would only further complicate the situation.

"No, it would probably only complicate the whole situation even more in this case. (...) Let the investigation be completed first and then decisions be made, not the other way around," Frederikas Jansonas told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Tuesday.

Last week, the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense recommended that Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene should reinstate Paulavicius as the director of the Second Investigation Department, but the minister refuses to do so.

The president and Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas consider this whole story to be an expression of emotions.

Jansonas hopes the investigation into Paulavicius' conduct to be "swift and clear", adding, however, that if the minister's suspicions about the unbearable working atmosphere at the SID are not confirmed, she will have to apologize.

"If they are not confirmed, I think the minister will find the courage within to apologize because we are talking about very serious matters involving very important state institutions," the presidential advisor said.

In his words, the president believes that everyone involved in this case should "take a breath, calm down and think about the country first".

As BNS reported earlier, Sakaliene signed an order to transfer Paulavicius to the Defense Ministry's temporary reserve of professional military service personnel without waiting for his term to expire in mid-August.

The minister told reporters that she was forced to take this step after receiving complaints from employees about "very serious irregularities" and added that Paulavicius could not continue working in this position with the investigation into his treatment of his subordinates ongoing.

In response to the minister's decision to ignore the recommendation, the CNSD will ask Sakaliene to submit three candidates to the committee for consideration, although the defense minister can unilaterally appoint a new head of the SID.

By Saulius Jakučionis

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Polish minister: controls at Lithuanian border to continue beyond August 5 - BNS EXCLUSIVE

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS – Controls reintroduced on Monday at Poland’s border with Lithuania due to secondary migration will continue beyond August 5, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak has said.

“We hope that through joint efforts we will be able to block this route. It is difficult for me to estimate now how long this will take, but it will definitely be longer than 30 days,” Siemoniak said in an interview with BNS and several foreign news agencies.

“The Schengen Borders Code, which we are relying on, states that such controls may be introduced for 30 days and then extended. Therefore, the order issued last Thursday on this matter refers to 30 days. However, it is clear to us that these controls should continue as long as the reasons for their introduction remain,” the minister said.

He made these remarks after Lithuanian Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic said over the weekend that border controls would be restored for a month, until August 5.

Under the Schengen Borders Code, if necessary, border controls may be extended for a maximum period of 30 days, but the total period cannot exceed six months.

Poland has announced that vehicles will be checked at 13 crossing points along the Lithuanian-Polish border, with controls carried out on a random basis.

Permanent additional checks are carried out at three border crossing points between Lithuania and Poland: Budzisko-Kalvarija (road), Lazdijai-Ogrodniki (road) and Mockava-Trakiszki (railway).

According to the Polish minister, this arrangement is optimal at present.

“We believe that we will simply respond to developments in the situation, but, as I said, the current configuration of border crossing points, in our opinion, is optimal,” Siemoniak said.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda earlier described the decision to temporarily resume checks on people crossing the Polish borders with Lithuania and Germany as a capitulation to irregular migration.

Germany has also introduced such checks, which have been in place since the end of 2023.

Siemoniak reiterated that Poland would abandon these checks if Berlin did so.

When asked whether Lithuania should follow Poland's suit and reinstate border controls with Latvia, he said he did not want to interfere in the internal politics of other countries.

“It is not our job to tell anyone what they should do or what steps they should take,” Siemoniak told BNS and foreign media.

“However, we believe that we should act on the basis of cooperation, and our offer of cooperation undoubtedly applies to you as well,” the minister added.

Siemoniak noted that he had recommended to the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, to allocate additional funds to Lithuania and Latvia for border protection.

“I recently spoke with the European Commission member responsible for national borders about how to provide financial support to Lithuania and Latvia in terms of strengthening their borders,” the Polish minister said.

“Together with Minister Kondratovic, we believe that this is a common problem and we will work together to solve it,” he added.

Data provided to BNS by the State Border Guard Service on Monday night showed that no traffic jams had formed in the direction of Poland. According to the border guards’ representative, if Warsaw continues to apply the current methods of checks, it can be assumed that there will be no queues during the entire month when the restored controls are in place.

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Poland introduced border controls over domino effect, not real danger – advisor

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS - Warsaw introduced border controls on the Polish-Lithuanian border because of Germany's decision to do so on its border with Poland, an advisor to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says.

"Even if Latvia has problems, in this case they are not of such a magnitude as to necessitate closing the borders. This is more of the same domino effect I mentioned than a real solution to a problem that does not exist," Frederikas Jansonas told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Tuesday.

Poland introduced border controls on its internal border with Lithuania on Monday. President Gitanas Nauseda has said that such restrictions in the Schengen area "are not very welcome".

Poland has announced that it will randomly check vehicles at 13 locations. Right now, additional controls are in place at three Lithuanian-Polish border crossing points: Budzisko-Kalvarija, Lazdijai-Ogrodniki and Mockava-Trakiszki.

Lithuanian Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic said at the weekend that controls would be reinstated for a month, until August 5. However, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak later said they would last longer.

Warsaw says border controls were re-introduced to stop secondary illegal migration where people from Belarus first enter Latvia and then move to Poland via Lithuania.

By Saulius Jakučionis

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Lithuania turns to EU for compensation for evacuation of Lithuanians from Israel

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS – Lithuania's Transport and Communications Ministry has turned to the European Union for compensation for a Chapman Freeborn flight to bring Lithuanians evacuated from Israel back to Lithuania.

"In accordance with the existing procedure, the Transport and Communications Ministry has submitted an application to the EU for compensation for the Chapman Freeborn evacuation flight,” the National Crisis Management Center, which coordinated the evacuation process, told BNS.

A decision on the compensation has not yet been made yet, pending an official assessment by the European Commission, which could take several months, the center said.

BNS reported earlier that Lithuania is seeking 75 percent in compensation, which would be around 140,000 euros. According to the NCMC, this is the standard EU reimbursement rate.

Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has assured that around 100 people flown back to Vilnius from Jordan's Aqaba airport will not have to pay for their evacuation.

"Lithuania expects the full amount requested will be financed as Lithuania believes that all the necessary conditions for receiving compensation have been met," the center said.

Chapman Freeborn, which operated the flight, is a charter company that is part of Avia Solutions Group, an aviation business group owned by businessman Gediminas Ziemelis.

The choice of this company has been criticized by some politicians and the public.

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Location for new military training ground in Lithuania to be selected from four areas

Rudninkai, Jul 08, BNS – The location for a new brigade-sized training ground in Lithuania is being selected from four areas, Deputy Defense Minister Orijana Masale confirmed to BNS on Tuesday.

“Our military is currently visiting specific selected locations. We have narrowed the list down to four, and after all the final inspections, we will make a decision,” she told BNS in Rudninkai, Salcininkai District.

According to Masale, the national defense system initially evaluated seven potential sites.

The Defense Ministry earlier said that Lithuania was seeking to establish not one but two new training grounds. One of them should definitely be brigade-sized, covering about 20,000 hectares. Decisions on the size of the other training ground are still to be made.

According to Masale, it would also be useful for the army to have more training areas – places where military equipment could maneuver but not fire – but the main goal now is to find locations for training grounds.

The deputy minister also said that representatives of the national defense system are continuing meetings with municipalities to agree on specific benefits for regions that allow training grounds to be established in their territory.

It is not yet clear how long it could take to set up the training grounds, but preliminary estimates suggest that it could take up to four years.

A site is being sought in Lithuania for a new brigade-sized military training ground with a view to creating a national division and in view of the growing number of allied troops, conscripts and reserves, and acquisition of new military equipment.

Last fall, the Seimas decided to establish training areas in the districts of Taurage and Silale, where shooting will not be permitted.

There are nine training grounds in total in the country.

By Paulius Perminas, Saulius Jakučionis

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Polish border checks will show true illegal migration situation – Lithuanian intermin

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS - Poland's resumed checks on its borders with Lithuania and Germany will reveal the true situation around illegal migration, Lithuanian Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic says.

"Of course, it's bad that have these checks because the spirit of Schengen is about free movement. But perhaps one of the instruments is to check and to make sure that there are no such flows here, and to show Germany that these are not the numbers that are causing Germany to experience an influx of illegal migration, and perhaps that will help them to make a decision to end their resumed checks on their border with Poland," the minister told BNS on Tuesday.

He pointed out that year 352 illegal migrants were detained in Lithuania in the first six months of this year after entering Latvia illegally from Belarus and they then tried to reach Western Europe, mostly Germany, via Lithuania and Poland.

According to the State Border Guard Service, this flow of illegal secondary migration from Latvia has increased 2.5 times in the first half of this year, compared to the same time last year.

"Approximately two people per day. It may not seem like a big number. I do hope this flow will not turn out to be much higher because we can see that there are a lot of attempts to cross the border, sometimes up to 100 per day in Latvia," Kondratovic said.

Lithuania has sent 24 officers with service dogs and mobile teams to help the Latvians guard their border, the minister said, adding that Latvia has not requested any other assistance.

Poland restored border controls on its border with Lithuania on Monday.

According to the interior minister, the first day of border checks did not cause any congestion. Lithuania was not informed of the detention of any illegal migrants were detained during the first day of checks.

Kondatovic does not rule out that border checks might last more than a month. Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak has also hinted at this.

"(...) We know that Germany has had these resumed border checks for a long time, as far as I have heard, and Poland's decision on these checks will depend on Germany," he said.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Remains of six freedom fighters found in Lithuania's Rokiskis District

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS - The remains of six post-war partisans have been found in Juzintai, in Lithuania's northeastern district of Rokiskis, the Genocide and Resistance Research Center of Lithuania said on Tuesday.

The remains were found near the old cemetery, a few hundred meters from the former KGB headquarters in Juzintai.

According to the report, the remains were fund in three separate pits. Archaeologists are carrying out archaeological research expect to find more remains in the third pit, and the work will continue until July 9.

"Some of the remains were covered with barbed wire and large stones from the dismantled cemetery fence, as the occupiers were trying to prevent the relatives from digging up and giving a dignified burial to their relatives," the statement said.

Anthropological research and identification of these remains is set to start soon to reveal the exact death circumstances, the fatal wounds, the ages of the dead, etc. Preliminary examination shows that there were both shots and blows that could have caused the death of the freedom fighters.

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Lithuanian border guards detain four irregular migrants from Latvia

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS – Lithuanian border guards from Siauliai have detained four illegal migrants in Joniskis District after they entered the country from Latvia and were being driven by two Estonian nationals, the State Border Guard Service said on Tuesday.

Just before midnight from Saturday to Sunday, the border guards stopped a Honda CR-V car with Estonian license plates, which had just entered Latvia, near the village of Kalviai in Joniskis District. 

According to the SBGS, there are no permanent checks in that locations as its close to the EU internal border, but border guards an randomly checks vehicles, looking for illegal migrants.

"The Honda CR-V female driver, 37, presented documents issued to non-citizens. These are usually former Soviet Union citizens who have the right to reside in Estonia but have not acquired citizenship of Estonia or any other country," the service said.

There were five passengers in the car, including an Estonian resident, 42, and four Eritrean and Ethiopian nationals, aged between 19 and 23. They had no documents.

According to preliminary data, these irregular migrants illegally crossed the border from Belarus to Latvia and then planned to reach Western Europe via Lithuania and Poland.

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Lithuanian authorities hope to speed up talks on 2nd phase of Rudninkai training area

RUDNINKAI TRAINING AREA, Salcininkai District, Jul 08, BNS – With the initial developers of the Rudninkai training area and military campus announcing their intention to complete the first phase of development of the site ahead of schedule, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry says it will make efforts to speed up the selection of companies for further construction.

Eika Construction (formerly Eikos Statyba), which is implementing the first phase of construction at the training area under a contract worth 125 million euros, says it intends to complete it six months earlier than planned.

As regards the second phase, which will be implemented through a public-private partnership (PPP) model, companies were to be selected and contracts were to be signed by the end of the year, but Deputy Defense Minister Orijana Masale says it is possible to speed up this deadline if businesses are willing to cooperate.

On Tuesday, she made a presentation to journalists about the progress of the project at the Rudninkai training area in Salcininkai District.

“Negotiations, like tango, are a dance for two. At this point, if we do not have any legal disputes on the business side, if businesses come to the negotiations properly prepared, then yes, we are already working day and night on our side, our procurement committee is working day and night to be properly prepared for those negotiations,” Masale said.

“I won't hide it, even the ambition to have a contract by the end of the year is already very big. So if we manage to do it a little earlier, it will be another piece of good news for this project,” she added.

The second phase of development of the Rudninkai military campus has been divided into three parts. The construction cost of one part will amount to approximately 400 million euros, and the total commitments of the state may reach approximately 1.8 billion euros (including VAT).

A tender for the second phase ended in early June, but the ministry has not disclosed how many applications it received. Each company will be able to participate in no more than two of the three parts of the project.

Masale said that the ministry is already finishing evaluating all of the documents submitted, of which there are approximately 14,000 pages.

“The evaluation process is coming to an end, and comments are already being sent to companies asking them to provide certain information, make adjustments, correct technical errors if there are any, and so on. We hope to begin the negotiation stage as early as in July,” the deputy minister said.

According to her, negotiations with potential contractors are divided into three parts: technical, legal, and financial.

“Is it possible to do something faster, as businesses would like? It certainly is, if we are all properly motivated and seek the best solution for the Lithuanian state,” Masale said.

Hopes that Lithuanians will be allowed to train in Rudninkai

The Rudninkai military campus, which is important for German troops, is being built approximately one and a half kilometers from the village of Rudninkai, and the project is scheduled for completion by 2027.

Berlin has committed to deploying a brigade of troops in Lithuania by the end of 2027.

Masale said it is being discussed that both Lithuanian and all other allied troops could conduct exercises at the Rudninkai training area, although only Germans are planning to live there.

According to the deputy minister, it is expected that it will be possible to hold combat shooting exercises at the Rudninkai training area as early as by the end of this year or early next year.

During the first phase of development, Eika Construction will build part of the infrastructure for the future military campus, allowing part of the German brigade to move in before the completion of the entire campus. This phase also includes the development of shooting ranges, which will allow training to begin at the training area before 2027.

Almantas Cebanauskas, CEO of Eika Construction, reiterated that the company intends to complete the first phase of the project six months ahead of schedule.

According to him, one of the biggest challenges of the project is the pace and changing requirements during the course of the work.

“We sometimes joke with our colleagues that we are driving on a highway at 140 [kilometers per hour], and then something changes and we then have to keep the car on that road together with the customer because, in reality ... to both design and start construction within 11 months, it is really impossible to carry out the work in a consistent manner when one thing is done after another. Everything is going in parallel,” Cebanauskas told reporters at the Rudninkai training area on Tuesday.

“The biggest challenges are still certain specific requirements ... and needs are changing, too. Not fundamentally, but there are changes, and we need to respond to them in time,” he added.

Four billion euros worth of military infrastructure

Around 200 military infrastructure projects are currently being developed across Lithuania, and their total value will reach approximately 4 billion euros over the next four years.

According to Masale, the projects include construction in Rudninkai, the Siauliai Air Base, and elsewhere. Military logistics facilities are also being built throughout the country.

In order to manage the large number of projects, the Defense Ministry’s Infrastructure Management Agency (IMA), which is responsible for the development of military infrastructure, is currently being reorganized.

“We want to bring together professional managers who, of course, have extensive knowledge of construction, engineering, and project management. But just as important to us are experts who know public procurement, who know the law, who know finances. After all, the people who will be working here will be working with ensuring transparency, because that is also an important aspect,” Masale said.

According to her, it is planned that over the next eight to nine months, the IMA staff will grow from 80 to 140 people, the agency will be reorganized, and its budget will reach approximately 11 million euros per year.

“For instance, strategic departments and divisions are being created and they are dedicated solely to the German brigade projects, to the projects of Lithuania’s national division, and to electronic security systems, because it is equally important to ensure the security of such buildings. In short, this is a huge reform,” the deputy defense minister said.

As reported previously, Lithuania, which is increasing its defense funding, is investing not only in the hosting of German and other allies, but also in the expansion of its own army.

By 2030, the army plans to develop a division and, to achieve this goal, tanks will be purchased for the first time in the history of independent Lithuania as well as other heavy equipment.

In 2026-2030, Lithuania's defense funding should reach about 5-6 percent of gross domestic product.

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Lithuanian president: Russia's aggressive intentions are not rhetoric, but reality

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS – It is necessary to convince allies that Russia's aggressive intentions are not rhetoric but reality, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said during a meeting with the country’s diplomats on Tuesday.

“We could feel truly dignified at the recent NATO summit in The Hague, where the Alliance's historic commitment to increase defense spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035 was confirmed. Lithuania is moving at its own pace: we will reach 5 percent of GDP for defense next year,” the president said.

“We must continue convincing our allies, especially those further west and south, that Russia's aggressive intentions are not rhetoric but reality, and that no European country can feel safe if it is unprepared,” Nauseda noted.

During the meeting with the heads of Lithuanian diplomatic missions, Nauseda paid particular attention to issues of national security and defense, the presidential office said in a press release.

Much attention was devoted to support for Ukraine and Lithuania's role in international organizations.

“Europe will have to take greater responsibility for Ukraine's future. Lithuania is ready to continue to set an example,” the country's leader said.

The president called on diplomatic missions to strengthen diaspora policy, expand cultural and scientific diplomacy, and prepare adequately for the presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2027.

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Lithuania can increase net defense spending by 6.1 pct this year, 5.2 pct by 2028 – ECOFIN

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS - The European Union's Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) on Tuesday endorsed the European Commission's recommendations on the application of the so-called national escape clause, meaning that the average annual growth of Lithuania's net spending should not exceed 5.2 percent between 2025 and 2028, including 6.1 percent this year alone, the Finance Ministry said today.

"The Council's decisions on spending limits and the approved defense clause are very important for us in shaping Lithuania's fiscal policy over the upcoming years," Finance Minister Rimantas Sadzius was quoted as saying in the statement. 

Under the proposal, Lithuania should maintain the maximum rate of net expenditure growth.

During its negotiations with the EC, the Finance Ministry managed to secure a faster net expenditure growth than foreseen in the Commission's initial guidelines for Lithuania.

The national escape clause has been approved for 15 countries. For example, Latvia will be able to increase its spending by an average of 4.1 percent over four years, Estonia by 4.8 percent and Poland by 4.6 percent.

The national escape clause covers a period of four years (2025-2028) and a maximum of 1.5 percent of GDP in flexibility. In practice, this activation means that the Commission and the Council may decide not to open a new excessive deficit procedure for these 15 member states, even though they exceed the maximum net expenditure path as approved by the Council, provided that this excess is due to increased defense spending.

Thereafter, member states commit themselves to staying within the 3 percent of GDP deficit limit set by the EU's fiscal discipline rules.

In March, the EC proposed relaxing the bloc's fiscal rules and allowing countries to spend much more on defense. The 1.5 percent GDP clause could free up 650 billion euros over four years.

Lithuania plans to spend an additional 12-13 billion euros on defense by 2030, which would raise defense spending to 5-6 percent of GDP. This is to be done by borrowing first and then covering part of the costs through tax increases and economic growth.

Lithuania aims to increase defense funding to develop an army division by 2030.

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuanian cynologist, service dog apprehend 11 illegal migrants in Latvia

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS – A German Shepherd from the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service and its handler have apprehended 11 illegal migrants in Latvia after they entered the country from Belarus.

Cynologist Artur Mavlev and his four-year-old dog are currently working at the Silene Border Police Guard Station, helping Latvian border guards to deal with illegal migration. They were within the border section protected by this station on Tuesday morning when the dog smelled tracks and started leading his handler and another border guard deep into Latvia where a group of people was found about ten kilometers away.

The people did not resist, did not run away and obeyed Mavlev and his Latvian colleague's demand to lie down on the ground.

The 11 detained migrants were all adults, according to initial data, and the group included five women and five men who identified themselves as Somali nationals, and another man claimed to be a Syrian national.

They were escorted to the nearest village where they were intercepted by Latvian officials.

Currently, eight Lithuanian border guards, including two cynologists with service dogs, are working in Latvia.

In total, almost more than 6,000 irregular migrants have been refused entry to Latvia this year.

 

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