On 24-25 February, the first summit of the European Union and the League of Arab States (LAS) took place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. During the event, high-level representatives discussed opportunities for cooperation between both organizations and a possible response to common challenges: security, armed conflict, illegal migration, humanitarian crises, and climate change.

L. Linkevičius highlighted the importance of constructive dialogue and the need for European and Arab countries to take a more active role in resolving the crises in the region, a growing threat from cyber-attacks, and Lithuania's readiness to share its experience in the field of cyber security.

On 26 February, Lithuania’s Ambassador to Spain Skaistė Aniulienė presented her letters of credence to the President of Argentina Mauricio Macri in Buenos Aires.

Following the ceremony, the Lithuanian Ambassador and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship Marcelo Faurie discussed prospects for the development of bilateral relations, the enhancement of cooperation, and the strengthening of business ties. In Buenos Aires, the Lithuanian Ambassador also met with the delegation led by the Deputy Secretary of the Argentinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship Pablo Bentramin and discussed bilateral agreements that were being prepared for signature, economic cooperation issues, and the situation in Venezuela.

February 28, (Košice) – President Dalia Grybauskaitė attended the summit of nine Baltic and Central Europe states, also known as Bucharest 9, focusing on the further strengthening of regional security, defense and deterrence. Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General, and the presidents of Latvia, Estonia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria also arrived to the summit.

The President stressed the need to enhance response to cyber threats. According to the President, we are closely interconnected in the cyber space, the number of attacks targeting strategic sectors increase by 10 percent annually, therefore protection of the cyber space becomes as important as border protection. Lithuania demonstrates leadership in this particular area: it has launched an initiative to establish the EU cyber rapid response team and set up a regional cyber defense center in Kaunas in cooperation with the US.

Lithuania's lifesciences production is exported to over 100 countries, 16 research centers cooperate with both domestic and foreign biotechnology companies and universities. Current spotlight of research pointed to bioinformatics.

Vilnius-founded mobility platform Trafi has announced the launch of a new multimodal mobility app called Jelbi in partnership with BVG, the main public transport company in Berlin. The app is expected to launch in early summer this year.

Jelbi will allow urban travellers to switch between different modes of transportation — such as public transport, shared e-scooters and bikes, taxis, and car-sharing solutions — without having to jump between different apps. Available for iOS and Android, Jelbi is a white-label solution powered by Trafi’s technology and branded under the BVG flag.

Lithuania ranks #5 in the Greenest Countries of EU index. 

Data was focused on general environmental factors, such as air quality, freshwater abundance, greenhouse gas emissions per capita, energy consumption per capita, share of energy from renewable sources, waste generation per capita, recycling rates and share of natural forests. Data was gathered from several reputable sources including Eurostat, the European Environmental Agency, the World Health Organization and the World Bank.

During the three-day event, the central squares of the major cities of Lithuania are painted with the beautiful colours of verba (Easter palms), adorned with pottery and wood carvings, and filled with the delicious scent of riestainiai (bubliks).

Taking over the streets of the Old Town, the fair cherishes some of Vilnius’ ancient traditions while also embracing modern ones, making for an adventure that is both dynamic and unique. From culinary heritage and innovative food experiments, traditional performances and modern entertainment, to archaic crafts and contemporary design pieces – there’s so much to explore.

Since Vilnius’ most beautiful places can be discovered on foot, Go Vilnius, the city’s official development agency, has compiled a list of 23 new walking routes for travellers to explore on their own. Filled with commentaries, approximate walking times and even step counts, the Walkable Vilnius website is available for everyone planning their trip.

Lithuania’s capital was once known throughout the world as the Jerusalem of the North. During the interwar period, almost a third of its population was made up of Jewish families. It was a real golden age for Yiddish culture: Jewish scholars and rabbis lived in the city, and it was home to over 100 synagogues.