Weekly News from Lithuania, December 18

Dec 18 2020

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POLITICS

Lithuania's Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis: Lithuania’s foreign policy and diplomacy must respond to the new challenges faced by the world today

On 11 December, after taking the oath of office at the Seimas (Parliament), the incoming new Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis, says that Lithuania’s foreign policy must continue to be based on the principle of national consensus, while maintaining our strategic geopolitical attitudes. However, we also need new instruments, increased activity and a strengthened diplomatic service in order to be able to respond to the new challenges faced by the world today and to better defend Lithuania’s national interest.

President Gitanas Nausėda participated remotely in the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the signing of the OEDC convention. The leaders of OECD member countries discussed organization’s achievements, state of affairs in the world economy, long-term trends, and the specific contribution of the OECD to shape “better policies for better lives”.

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Lithuania awards Hope of Freedom Prize to Belarusian journalists

Five Belarusian reporters have been awarded the Hope of Freedom Prize from Lithuania for their tough work during the anti-government protests in the neighbouring country, the Lithuanian Union of Journalists said

Ekaterina Borisevich and Elena Tolkachova, who work for the independent news website Tut.by, Tatiana Korenkova of BelaPAN, and Ekaterina Andreeva and Darya Chulcova from the Warsaw-based TV channel Belsat will receive 1,000-euro prizes established by the Lithuanian Union of Journalists and the Lithuanian Journalists’ Society.

On 17 December, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis had a telephone conversation with his Norwegian counterpart Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide, Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Ann Linde, and the Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod, and discussed the COVID-19 situation in the region, important issues of bilateral cooperation, as well as support to democratic forces in Belarus.

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BUSINESS & SCIENCE

The first-ever Alter State Nordic-Baltic Women Innovation Sprint has announced three winners

On December 10, the top 15 teams presented their innovative ideas during the virtual Alter State Nordic-Baltic Women Innovation Sprint final event. After the tense and competitive pitch session, 3 teams were selected by the international jury board. The first-place winner was the "Know Your Food" team, which develops a solution to inform customers about the sustainability indicators of the food products.

Startup Wise Guys together with EIT Digital have launched their 3rd annual Baltic Startup Scene report, the largest to-date. For the first time ever, Baltic startups saw a reduction in total funding in 2019. Despite this, survey insights along with funding data for 2020 reveal that investor and startup optimism is rebounding, with 2020 H1 significantly outperforming 2019 H1 in terms of funding, even with the onset of a pandemic-induced economic downturn.

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Lithuania’s AI Lab Aims At Making a Leap In AI Progress. Invites Startups to Create

Lithuania is widely known as a global fintech hub, however, its growing AI potential is hard to ignore with multiple AI startups emerging in recent years and a wide range of companies actively executing AI solutions. A country of roughly 2.5 million people currently hosts over 40 mature AI companies and 100 startups developing AI solutions. To further maximise Lithuania’s artificial intelligence potential, business and academia partnered at establishing a country’s own AI Laboratory.

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EU-Startups Podcast / Episode 11: Interview with Milda Mitkute – Co-founder of Vinted

For episode 11 of the EU-Startups Podcast we interviewed Milda Mitkute, the Co-founder of the Lithuanian unicorn Vinted – Europe’s leading online marketplace for second-hand fashion. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Vilnius, Vinted today counts over 34 million members across 13 markets. Vinted’s mission is to make second-hand the first choice globally. A team of over 500 people across Vinted’s offices in Vilnius, Berlin, and Prague develop and support the platforms continued growth.

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CULTURE & HISTORY

Video presentation of Skuodas region | Credits @ Skuodas region municipality

MO Museum in Vilnius Creates Outdoor Installation to Inspire Citizens

When the global pandemic caused massive shutdowns, artists and museums were forced to find new ways to display their pieces and invite people to experience art in a safe way. MO Museum in Vilnius, Lithuania, decided to bring the art outside to soothe and inspire citizens.

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Listen to the Echotecture of Kaunas

Listening to the recording is a novel tour around buildings of different architectural styles and uses.

ECHOtektūra, or echotecture, is a long-term project by Kaunas-based scholars, artists and architects. Today, the project is available in the shape of a music album but contains much more. Its name originated from a conjugation of two concepts: echolocation and architecture; the project is dedicated to representing architectural spaces and aesthetics to the visually handicapped.

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Until December 29

Virtual Concert Hall Festival

Lithuanian Union of Composers invites to unique experience of virtual concert hall with newest music of Lithuanian composers.

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Until January 3, 2021

The Art of Feeling Christmas

The Art of Feeling Christmas is an art installation outside Modern Art Museum MO in Vilnius. Architecture and outdoor spaces will lit up in a new perspective.

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