Weekly News from Lithuania, January 15

Jan 16 2021

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POLITICS

Ambassador Audra Plepytė elected as the President of the UNICEF Executive Board Bureau

On 12 January, the Ambassador Audra Plepytė, Permanent Representative of Lithuania to the United Nations, was elected as the President of the Bureau of the Executive Board of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Lithuania's Presidency will focus on protecting children’s rights and well-being, mitigating the negative consequences of COVID-19 on children worldwide, as well as distance learning, the use of new technology and innovations to promote children’s well-being, the prevention of bullying, keeping children safe in cyberspace, and ensuring equal opportunities for girls and children with disabilities.

On 12 January, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis received a letter from Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who requested replacing the official Lithuanian name 'Baltarusija' with a form that would be more similar to the one used in the Belarusian language.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya argues in her letter that by changing the name of the country Lithuania would show respect for the sovereignty of its neighbour and would support the linguistic and cultural identity of the Belarusian people.

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Lithuanian and Israeli Foreign Ministers discussed opportunities for cooperation

On 11 January, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis had a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi and discussed good relations between Lithuania and Israel. The Foreign Ministers expressed their belief that bilateral political and economic cooperation would be further strengthened.

On 14 January, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis announced the laureate of Global Lithuanian Awards 2020 for lifetime achievements.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania has given the award posthumously to the sociologist, educator, social activist, Honorable Chair of the Lithuanian Community in Germany, founder of the Lithuanian Cultural Institute in Lampertheim-Hüttenfeld, Germany - Dr. Vincas Bartusevičius (1939-2020).

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BUSINESS & SCIENCE

Biomatter Designs Raises €500k to Develop AI For Generative Protein Design

Vilnius-born startup Biomatter Designs that pioneers the technologies for generative protein design, has raised €500,000 in seed funding led by Practica Capital, accompanied by 70V and angel investors. The raised capital will be used to further develop the company’s protein design technology and product pipeline.

Having grown one and a half times over the past year, cybersecurity solution company Tesonet is expanding its offices in the Green Hall 1 business centre in Vilnius and has signed a contract for letting a further 800 square metres of premises. The rapidly growing IT company’s offices at the Green Hall business valley are increasing in size by fifty per cent, reaching almost 2,400 square metres.

While the world is still getting used to the idea of 5G and how it will shape the new age of tech, ambitious Lithuanian engineers are already making their way through developing the technology behind the 6G wireless.

With the deployment of the fifth generation network, Lithuanian scientists have already kicked-off the groundwork for the sixth-gen network. It will be based on high frequency terahertz waves, which are presumed to correct the flaws of 5G’s mmWave network, and contribute to heightened development of artificial intelligence, holographic communications and high precision manufacturing.

The year 2020 will go down in history of the Port of Klaipėda as the most successful year throughout the lifetime of the Port of Klaipėda. According to preliminary data, last year 47.74 million tons of cargo were handled in the Port of Klaipėda. The best result so far was achieved in 2018 when 46.58 tons of cargo were handled in the port.

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CULTURE & HISTORY

Jonas Mekas: Filming Independence | Credits @ The Brooklyn Rail

Day of the Defenders of Freedom marks its 30th anniversary

The 30th anniversary of the defense of independence of Lithuania was marked under unusual circumstances. For the first time ever after 1991, the Seimas did not hold a traditional solemn commemoration. Instead, it called on the people of Lithuania to pay tribute to the defenders of freedom by lighting candles in their homes and to view the recorded broadcast of the commemoration of the Day of the Defenders of Freedom and the Freedom Prize award ceremony.

Lithuania has approved "Sakartvelas" (Sakartvelo) as its official name for Georgia, meaning that it has to be used in all official Lithuanian-language documents.

"Sakartvelas is the official name now," Audrys Antanaitis, chairman of the State Commission of the Lithuanian Language (VLKK)

The European Film Promotion (EFP) has announced that Lithuanian actress Žygimantė Elena Jakštaitė has been shortlisted among the ten talented newcomer actors selected for the European Shooting Stars 2021!

For her first leading role in Andrius Blaževičius’ second feature film Runner, which was presented as part of the online Karlovy Vary Eastern Promises programme, Žygimantė Elena Jakštaitė from Lithuaniareceived high praise from the experts: ″Elena proves a force of nature, full of passion and raw energy that virtually leaps off the screen”.

A new generation of Lithuanians has grown up since the country declared independence and defended it from Soviet troops 30 years ago. People who were kids in 1991 recall how they experienced the events of January 13 – and what it means to them today.

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Winters like this are a real treat for those longing for fairytale-like views. Snow-covered forests and hills, frozen lakes and white meadows. | Credits @ Lithuania. Real is Beatiful