POLITICS
A better world can only be achieved through full participation of women
On 22 September, President Dalia Grybauskaitė delivered a speech at the 71st United Nations General Assembly, which focuses on boosting sustainable global development. The seventeen Sustainable Development Goals came into effect this year. They are aimed at ending poverty and hunger, ensuring quality education and health care, achieving gender equality, delivering growth and tackling climate change by 2030. In her address to the United Nations, the President underlined that the vision of a better world can only be realized with full participation of women. “Today’s greatest challenges – from migration, terrorism, military conflicts to climate change – can only be resolved with full participation of women. It is only by providing women with an equal voice in key political and business decisions, ensuring access to quality education, and protecting them from violence and discrimination that we will secure a truly sustainable future for the world,” the President said. More
Bratislava summit: fundamental discussions on EU’s future
President Dalia Grybauskaitė attended the EU-27 summit in Bratislava on 16 September. The meeting’s objective was to discuss the situation in Europe after the Brexit vote, to identify issues of concern to EU citizens and to start consultations on what the future community should be like after the United Kingdom leaves it. The President underlined that the European Union had reached the breaking point and needed to decide on the vision for its future, diagnose the main problem areas, remedy and improve them. According to the President, trust in the European Union will be restored only when European people become convinced that their expectations are heard and when they see concrete results achieved in overcoming the migration crisis, fighting terrorism, securing EU internal and external security, and boosting economic growth. In this moment of crucial importance, the President said, EU member states must maintain unity, focus on things that connect them and not allow divisions to develop. More
Minister Linas Linkevičius is attending the United Nations General Assembly
On 22 September in New York, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius participated in an event dedicated to the prevention of crimes against humanity on the margins of the general debate of the United Nations General Assembly, which was organized by Liechtenstein and Mexico. In his address to the UN, Linkevičius stressed the importance of conflict prevention and responsibility for crimes against humanity. More.
Read more about Linas Linkevičius’ visit to USA:
2. Linkevičius: To prevent conflicts, we must respond promptly to systematic human rights violations
3. U.S. Under Secretary of State confirms U.S. commitment to security of Baltic states
5. In New York, Linkevičius meets with Foreign Ministers of Palestine and Kosovo
6. Linkevičius attends a high-level Summit for Refugees and Migrants
ECONOMY
“Lithuanians make exceptional products” say Photonics Industry Experts
Lithuania is world famous for its exports of high-class lasers; however, they should be used more actively by various local enterprises as well. This would allow them to optimize their processes and produce even higher value-added, notices photonics industry experts. Carlos Lee, Director General of the European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC), says that Lithuania is definitely visible in the global laser market. It is not a coincidence that this is his fourth visit to Lithuania, and he has visited the country more than other EPIC countries. “You have strong universities and research and development centers,” Mr Lee said of Lithuania. “Moreover, you think globally. Lithuanian companies participate in exhibitions all over the world, and they are not oriented only towards the internal market. This gives them opportunities to be unbelievably successful”, Mr. Lee pointed out. “Last week I was in contact with 5 or 10 companies established over the last 3 years. Besides serious institutes and enterprises such as Altechna and Ekspla, there are also young companies showing their entrepreneurship and that wish to create new things. This means that we are not talking here about an outdated, static industry.” More
Presenting Vilnius Smart Park – the newest addition to the Lithuanian capital’s innovation ecosystem
Set in a lush forest area not far from the Vilnius University’s east-end campus, the Vilnius Smart Park – one of the largest technology park projects in Lithuania – opened with a presentation of the first several buildings, and plans for future development. Scheduled for completion by 2022, the Vilnius Smart Park will be the newest addition to the city’s burgeoning innovation ecosystem. Spanning 24 hectares of green space, it will promote the development of innovative products in health and biotech, robotics, IT and communications, and cleantech (energy and environment). The park is expected to create around 1,000 new jobs and attract at least 20 small-to-medium-sized tech companies. The project developers also hope to attract two research and academic institutions or their branches. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Lithuania’s Vice Minister for Economics, Marius Skarupskas, noted that Vilnius Smart Park will provide space for the development of businesses that create innovative technological solutions by applying the results of scientific research. More
Upcoming conference to boost Lithuania’s growing global FinTech profile
According to finance experts, Lithuania has the attributes to become a new hub for investments from financial technology (FinTech) companies, due to its excellent communications and information infrastructure, as well as specialists with novel ideas. On 6 October, the Ministry of Finance, the Bank of Lithuania and the City of London Corporation are holding a conference on FinTech for policy developers, regulators, academics and business representatives from the finance sector, plus anyone else interested in the development of the industry. The conference’s organisers expect that the event will serve as a platform for the discussion of global FinTech trends. It will also be a great opportunity to consider recent proposals designed to promote the development of the FinTech sector in Lithuania, which have been drafted by the Ministry of Finance in cooperation with the Bank of Lithuania. More
SOCIETY AND CULTURE:
Lithuania commemorates Jewish genocide victims
Lithuania is commemorating Jewish Genocide Memorial Day on 23 September. On Friday morning, a monument to the massacred children of the Vilnius ghetto was unveiled in the Brothers Garden of the sole Jewish school in Vilnius, the Sholom Aleichem ORT Gymnasium. A ceremony to celebrate victims of the Holocaust took place at the Paneriai Memorial later in the day. Lithuanian schools, tolerance centers and other educational institutions participate in a civil initiative, Road of Memory, which invites students and teachers to walk to the sites of mass massacres of Jews on the roads that Jews walked in the last journey. Lithuania has been marking the Jewish Genocide Memorial Day since 1994 to commemorate the destruction of the Vilnius ghetto on 23 September of 1943 when some of the inmates were murdered in Paneriai and the rest were taken to concentration camps in territories occupied by the Nazis.
Jewish Street in the heart of Vilnius decorated with Hebrew and Yiddish title
On 20 September, Vilnius Municipality unveiled the latest instalment of its foreign language street art series, by unveiling a plaque in Hebrew and Yiddish on Jewish Street (Žydų gatvė), which can be found in the former Jewish quarter in the heart of the Lithuanian capital’s Old Town. “I would like to thank our Jewish community for the role that it has played in making Vilnius the hospitable, friendly, and peaceful city that it is today,” said Vilnius Mayor, Remigijus Šimašius. According to historical records, Vilnius’ Jewish street was first mentioned in 1592, and the city was known as the “Jerusalem of the north” thanks to its status as Europe’s hub for Jewish spiritual and cultural life. More.
This year Balts’ Unity Day to be celebrated in Liepāja
This year, Lithuania will celebrate the already traditionalBalts’ Unity Day together with its closest neighbouring country – Latvia – on 24 September in Liepāja. An extensive cultural programme includes performances by folk groups of the two countries, a fair of traditional crafts, folk art and culinary heritage, exhibitions of modern photography and contemporary art, as well as screenings of a documentary film “Vėjų žemė” (Wind Earth) and an animation film “Aukso žirgas” (The Golden Horse). The participants will also have the opportunity to listen to public readings and participate in a discussion on literature, and in other events. More.
SUGGESTION OF THE WEEK:
WE SUGGEST: VILNIUS ON SCREEN
Information based on BNS, Delfi, Invest Lithuania, Press Service of the President, MFA, Vilnius city municipality.
