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LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN, March 25, 2022

Mar 28 2022

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN


IN THIS ISSUE:

  1. Upcoming events for Friday, March 25, 2022 in Lithuania
  2. China's issue in Ukraine war remains relevant – Lithuania's Nauseda
  3. Not all countries are ready to stop imports of Russian resources – Lithuanian president
  4. Lithuanian intermin to meet with Interpol chief in Vilnius
  5. Lithuania's Food Bank to collect products for the needy, war refugees
  6. Lithuania turns 58 irregular migrants away on border with Belarus
  7. Lithuania reports 3,938 new COVID-19 cases, 13 deaths
  8. Lithuania registers 32,000 war refugees from Ukraine
  9. Vilnius railway station opens photo exhibition to attract Russian attention to war
  10. Vilnius railway station opens photo exhibition to attract Russian attention to war (expands)
  11. School-leavers from Ukraine to be able to take graduation exams in Lithuania
  12. Lithuanian PM congratulates people of Belarus on Freedom Day
  13. Orlen Lithuania plans to refine Saudi oil only – minister
  14. Lithuanian minister calls for Russia, Belarus to be expelled from Interpol
  15. Vilnius court closes MG Group reputation cases as parties reach amicable settlements - BNS SPECIAL
  16. Lithuanian leaders congratulate people of Belarus on Freedom Day (updates)
  17. Lithuanian president calls for immediate diversification of EU energy import sources
  18. Upcoming events for Monday, March 28, 2022 in Lithuania

Upcoming events for Friday, March 25, 2022 in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – The following events are scheduled for Friday, March 25, 2022 in Lithuania:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to attend a European Council's meeting in Brussels.

PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to meet with leaders of the parliamentary political groups at 10 a.m.; to meet with representatives of regional media outlets at 11.30 a.m.; to attend a meeting of the special commission supervising the construction of a physical barrier at the EU's external border with Belarus in Lithuania's territory at 1 p.m.

INTERIOR MINISTER Agne Bilotaite to meet with Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock at 10 a.m.

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China's issue in Ukraine war remains relevant – Lithuania's Nauseda

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS - European leaders have agreed to do everything possible to give China a chance to make up its mind on the war in Ukraine - to support Russia or to stand in solidarity with the West, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said in a video comment on Friday night after the European Council meeting in Brussels.

"The issue of China remains relevant and we agreed that we will certainly do our utmost to give China a chance to think carefully about its behavior, to assess all possible consequences and then to decide whether it is really ready to support Russia in this very unjust fight against Ukraine," Nauseda said. "Or will it join the rest of the world in solidarity with it."

The European Union's approach to Russia's war in Ukraine will be presented at the upcoming EU-China summit which will also be an opportunity to actively encourage China to contribute to stopping this war, the Lithuanian president said.

Nauseda also hopes this EU-China summit will be an opportunity to urge China to stop applying economic pressure against EU member states and to return to economic cooperation based on international agreements.

The global community's reaction Russia's war in Ukraine was also discussed with US President Joe Biden at the European Council meeting.

Nauseda pointed out it was a "rare case" that a US leader attended a meeting of European leaders, but it was also a "great opportunity" to underline the West's unity and attitude towards Russia's war in Ukraine.

"Much of the conversation revolved around Russia's responsibility for this bloody war and the international community's reaction," the Lithuanian president.

US officials have accused China of showing "willingness" to provide military and economic aid to Russia and say they will "watch very closely" whether Beijing will supply arms to Moscow.

China is yet to condemn Russia's actions in Ukraine.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday accused China of providing political support to Russia by spreading "blatant lies and misinformation" and warned against providing material support to Russia.

Beijing denies these accusations and calls it disinformation.

UN data shows that more than 3.6 million refugees have fled Ukraine in the space of one month since the war started, with more than 970 civilian casualties reported.

At the same time, Russia has been hit by a raft of international sanctions that have crippled its economy.

By Ramūnas Jakubauskas

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Not all countries are ready to stop imports of Russian resources – Lithuanian president

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS - European leaders have agreed to tighten the existing sanctions against Russia after it started the war in Ukraine, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says, adding, however, that some EU member states are not yet ready to stop imports of Russian resources.

"The aggressor must be treated as an aggressor. And such a brutal aggressor must be treated accordingly. So, sanctions must be tightened and we have agreed on that", the Lithuanian president said in a video comment on Friday night after a European Council meeting in Brussels.

"Yes, we have to admit that some countries are not yet ready to disconnect from the Russian energy taps in the very near future," he added.

In his words, European leaders discussed what can be done about both coal and oil imports.

"We can only be glad that Lithuania has done a lot here and could be a role model for other countries," the president said.

He suggests including into the EU's 5th package extensive sanctions on Russia's energy and transport sectors, blocking Russian and Belarusian banks not yet on the sanctions list, and banning Russian ships from EU ports.

The importance of sanctions was also stressed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky when he addressed EU leaders on Thursday, Nauseda said.

"President Zelensky appealed for our unity, he appealed from the Ukrainian side. The fact that we support and back him wholeheartedly, his wish is that this should be reflected in our decisions, that those decisions should be decisive and help Ukraine not tomorrow, not the day after tomorrow, but today," Nauseda said.

"First of all, it's military aid (...) He also talked about sanctions, about the fact that sanctions against Russia are necessary simply because the resources we are acquiring are becoming a resource to finance the war, which is unacceptable, and people are dying as a result of it", he added.

UN data shows that more than 3.6 million refugees have fled Ukraine in the space of one month since the war started, with more than 970 civilian casualties reported.

At the same time, Russia has been hit by a raft of international sanctions that have crippled its economy.

By Ramūnas Jakubauskas

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Lithuanian intermin to meet with Interpol chief in Vilnius

VILNIUs, Mar 25, BNS – Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite is meeting with Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock in Vilnius on Friday.

"Three main topics will be discussed during the meeting, including the risk of abuse of Interpol channels, the situation in Ukraine and security challenges," Mindaugas Bajarunas, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, told BNS.

The minister will present Lithuania's proposals that could contribute to achieving the main objective of Interpol cooperation, which is maintaining law and order, he said.

The meeting participants will also visit one of the six registration centers for Ukrainian war refugees in Lithuania, located in Vilnius.

Several weeks ago, Interpol announced its decision restrict Russia's ability to enter information directly into the global police organization's vast network as it was decided that reports must first be verified by the general secretariat based in Lyon, France.

Amid the ongoing war between its two members, Interpol issued a statement underlying the organization's commitment to neutrality.

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Lithuania's Food Bank to collect products for the needy, war refugees

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS - On Friday and Saturday, volunteers from Lithuania's NGO Food Bank will collect food products for Ukrainian war refugees and the needy in Lithuania in major supermarkets.

"Food donations during this campaign are desperately needed. We are asking people to do what they can to help, as NGOs have run out of long shelf-life food and the number of those in need is still growing and it could even double", Simonas Gurevicius, head of the Food Bank, said.

As food prices are rising rapidly, the number of people asking for food aid is increasing, he said.

"It is also likely that the 143,000 Lithuanian residents who get regular food aid might soon be joined by Ukrainian war refugees who, for various reasons, will not be able to work, including disabled people, seniors, and families with large families. Therefore, food donated by the public during the Food Bank campaign on March 25 and 26 will be vital for tens of thousands of people," Gurevicius said, adding that people will be able to donate food in 69 cities and towns across Lithuania.

This year, 330 organizations are helping the Food Bank by collecting donations for people in their care, such as low-income families, the unemployed, the disabled or the elderly.

The Food Bank has already distributed more than 26,000 food packages to Ukrainians in Lithuania, and sent 17 vans with water, flour, canned food, porridge, sweets, baby food and animal feed to Ukraine.

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Lithuania turns 58 irregular migrants away on border with Belarus

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned 58 migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Friday morning, pointing out it was the highest number of push-backs this year.

SBGS officers have prevented a total of 860 irregular migrants from entering Lithuania so far this year. This number is much higher in Latvia and Poland.

Lithuanian border guards sent more than 8,100 people back to Belarus between last August, when they were given the right to deny entry to irregular migrants, and December. 

Almost 4,200 irregular migrants crossed into Lithuania from Belarus last year.  Western countries accuse the Minsk regime of orchestrating the unprecedented migration influx, calling it "hybrid aggression".

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Lithuania reports 3,938 new COVID-19 cases, 13 deaths

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 3,938 new coronavirus infections and 13 deaths, including one child under 9, from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Friday morning.

Some 3,314 of the new cases were primary, 619 were secondary and five were tertiary.

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals remains fairly unchanged at 1,282, including 66 ICU cases.

The 14-day primary infection rate now stands at 1,901 per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 42.1 percent.

The daily count of new infections had been rising at a rapid pace since late 2021, but took a downward turn in early February after hitting a new high of over 14,000 cases.

Some 69.7 percent of the Lithuanian population have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab so far.

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Lithuania registers 32,000 war refugees from Ukraine

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – Lithuania has so far registered 32,000 war refugees from Ukraine, including 13,800 minors, official statistics showed on Friday.

The largest number of refugees, 10,551, has been registered by the registration center in Vilnius, followed by Alytus with 3,158, Kaunas with 3,158, Klaipeda with 3,021, Siauliai with 1,629, and Marijampole with 1,535 people.

Out of the Migration Department's ten territorial units, the largest number of refugees has been registered by the Vilnius unit, 1,837, followed by the Klaipeda unit with 1,403, and the Siauliai and Kaunas units have registered 1,098 and 1,096 with people respectively.

Some 1,700 refugees, including 787 minors, have been registered in the past 24 hours alone.

Of the total number of war refugees registered so far, 3,733 are children under the age of six.

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Vilnius railway station opens photo exhibition to attract Russian attention to war

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – A photo exhibition was opened on a platform at Vilnius railway station on Friday, aimed to attract Russian citizens' attention to their country's ongoing war in Ukraine.

The exhibition of war photographs was set up on the platform where transit trains from Moscow to the Kaliningrad region stop, Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, LTG), the country's state-owned railway company, said.

The Lithuanian Press Photographers' Club helped to select photos for the exhibition.

The photos, which show people injured during the war, mourning people, as well as buildings destroyed, also bear inscriptions in Russian: "Today, Putin is killing the peaceful population of Ukraine. Do you approve of this?"

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Vilnius railway station opens photo exhibition to attract Russian attention to war (expands)

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – A photo exhibition was opened on a platform at Vilnius railway station on Friday, aimed to attract Russian citizens' attention to their country's ongoing war in Ukraine.

The exhibition of 24 war photographs was set up on the platform where transit trains from Moscow to the Kaliningrad region stop, Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, LTG), the country's state-owned railway company, said.

The photographs are displayed at a height where they can be seen by the passengers of transit trains from Moscow to Kaliningrad and back.

"We see a great sense in using the LTG space to host an exhibition that reflects the images of the Russian government's war against Ukraine. We would like to thank our partners, the press photographers who willingly and gratuitously contributed to this initiative. Ukraine's ongoing struggle for freedom at a heavy price needs the support of all of us, and this exhibition is a symbolic part of that support," Egidijus Lazauskas, CEO of LTG, said.

The Lithuanian Press Photographers' Club helped to select the photos for the exhibition.

"With this exhibition, we aim to spread the message about the war waged by the Russian government. We have selected images that emotionally convey the harsh reality that the people of Ukraine are currently facing," Jonas Staselis, president of the Lithuanian Press Photographers' Club, was quoted as saying in the LTG statement. "With this exhibition, we want to spread the message as widely as possible that it is impossible to escape from reality in a free country."

He thanked photographers Maxim Dondyuk and Evgeniy Maloletka who sent photos from Kyiv and Mariupol.

The photos, which show people injured during the war, mourning people, as well as buildings destroyed, also bear inscriptions in Russian: "Today, Putin is killing the peaceful population of Ukraine. Do you approve of this?"

Transit trains from Moscow to Kaliningrad and back run every day. There are also transit trains from Adler and Saint Petersburg to Kaliningrad and back.

Vilnius railway station plans to slow these trains every now and then to allow passengers to see the photo exhibition.

The average number of transit trains to and from Kaliningrad stands at 100 on average.

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School-leavers from Ukraine to be able to take graduation exams in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – School-leavers from Ukraine who have been granted asylum in Lithuania will be able to take their graduation exams and acquire secondary education in Lithuania, Lithuania's National Education Agency said on Friday.

The latest date for students from Ukraine to lodge in their requests to take graduation exams is May 24.

"We wish that the Lithuanian secondary education certificate will not only become an important personal document or a biographical fact, but will also send them off to an independent life in Lithuania or, hopefully, in Ukraine after it becomes peaceful and free again," said Asta Ranonyte, deputy director of the National Education Agency.

If the application is submitted by April 1, school-leavers will then be able to take part in the main graduation exam session. If the application is submitted after April 1, students will take part in the re-sit of the graduation exams.

Ukrainian students may be exempted from the Lithuanian language and literature exam by school authorities. They will not have to take the Lithuanian language and literature exam, just as it's not required from all school-leavers who have lived in Lithuania for less than two years.

Based on official statistics, some, 32,000 war refugees from Ukraine, including 13,800 minors, have already registered in Lithuania.

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Lithuanian PM congratulates people of Belarus on Freedom Day

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte has congratulated the people of Belarus s they celebrate the Freedom Day on March 25.

In her message of congratulation, the prime minister wished freedom, harmony and peace in Belarus.

Simonyte conveyed her greetings to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the leader of the democratic society in Belarus, and expressed her hope that this day is celebrated in the future not only in the hearts and minds of free Belarusians but also in the towns and on the streets of a free and democratic Belarus.

"Unfortunately, today we witness an ultimate betrayal of the Belarusian nation by Lukashenko, who provides the territory of your beautiful and peaceful country as a bridgehead for Russia’s brutal assault on Ukraine. I commend the free people and the leaders of the free Belarus who did not hesitate to stand clearly and publicly in support of Ukraine and chose the side of good over evil. I am glad that today the hearts of our nations—Ukrainians, Lithuanians, and free Belarusians—are beating together, that we share Ukrainians’ grief, and celebrate their victories as our own," the Lithuanian prime minister's letter reads.

Simonyte urged Belarusians not to lose patience and faith in the victory of a free Belarus, and reassures them that Lithuania sees and supports the continuous fight of Belarusians for freedom, adding that the rightful demands to stop repressions, release and rehabilitate all political prisoners and arbitrarily detained persons in Belarus, and to organize free and fair elections in Belarus as soon as possible are voiced by Lithuanian officials at every opportunity and within all international forums.

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Orlen Lithuania plans to refine Saudi oil only – minister

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS - Polish oil group Orlen, which owns Lithuania's Mazeikiai-based oil refinery Orlen Lietuva (Orlen Lithuania), plans to use only oil supplied by Saudi Arabian oil company Saudi Aramco, Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys says.

"Orlen is renouncing Russian oil and plans to produce products only from Aramco's (Saudi Aramco - BNS) Saudi Arabian oil," Kreivys told reporters on Friday.

Up until now, most of Orlen Lietuva's refined oil has been Russian.

Earlier this week, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte also said Orlen planned to completely renounce Russian crude in the near future. 

Audrius Daugnora, deputy CEO at Orlen Lietuva, said earlier the company has been diversifying its crude sources since 2014 and refining not only Russian oil, adding that it would not be difficult for the company to give up Russian oil.

In his words, the refinery has normally processed about two-thirds of Russian oil in recent years, but now "the numbers are turning the other way". 

In early March, Orlen said it was taking steps to increase oil supplies from alternative sources, and also announced it had agreed with Saudi Aramco to buy five additional North Sea oil tankers, some of which will be used by the Mazeikiai refinery.

Poland's Orlen announced last year it was buying 57 percent of crude for its refineries from Russia under long-term supply contracts, and also acquiring around 8 percent from Saudi Arabia, and the rest coming from the spot market.

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Lithuanian minister calls for Russia, Belarus to be expelled from Interpol

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite on Friday called for Russia and Belarus to be expelled from the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).  

"We respect Interpol's neutrality and appreciate its efforts to introduce stricter control over the National Central Bureau in Moscow," Bilotaite said after meeting with Juergen Stock, the organization's secretary general, in Vilnius.

"It is understood that Interpol's constitution does not contain any provision for suspension or expulsion of a member country. But I am sure that a legal solution can be found if the international community agrees," the minister said.

"There is no sense in Russia, which has no respect for any rules of international law and order, being a member of Interpol. The same applies to Belarus," she added.

A couple of weeks ago, Interpol said it was restricting Russia's ability to enter information directly into the organization's vast network, deciding that communications must first be checked by the general secretariat in Lyon, France.

Interpol stressed in a statement that it was maintaining its pledge of neutrality amid the war between two of its members, triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

However, the organization said that "heightened supervision and monitoring measures" of Moscow's National Central Bureau were needed “to prevent any potential misuse of Interpol's channels", such as targeting individuals in or outside Ukraine.

Stock said Interpol must remain neutral, otherwise it could become a political tool.

It is in the international police organization's interests to keep certain channels with Russia and Belarus open so as to be able to prevent or detect serious international crimes, according to the secretary general.

Stock said further action would be taken if new violations were found on the part of Russia or Belarus.

He noted that individual member states may take political decisions not to cooperate with Russia or Belarus and not to exchange data with them.

At the meeting in Vilnius, the Lithuanian minister expressed concern that Interpol channels could be used by Russia and Belarus to persecute opponents of the political regimes.

In response, Stock called on Interpol's member countries to step up their efforts to provide information directly to the organization, especially in such sensitive cases.

Interpol, the world's largest international police organization with 195 member countries, will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year. 

 

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Vilnius court closes MG Group reputation cases as parties reach amicable settlements - BNS SPECIAL

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – Vilnius City District Court has this week closed two business reputation disputes involving MG Group, one of Lithuania's biggest business groups, after the parties reached amicable settlements. 

The group's litigation against the state and MP Vytautas Bakas had been going on for several years, dating back to a 2018 parliamentary investigation into suspected unlawful influence by businesses on political processes.

In the dispute against the state, MG Group and others tried to prove, among other things, that the State Security Department had provided false information to the parliamentary inquiry and violated the presumption of innocence, and that the Seimas had unlawfully made public the intelligence agency's reports.

Following the investigation, the parliament concluded that the group, then named MG Baltic, posed a threat to Lithuania's national security. The business group called the probe "a political farce".

In the other dispute, MG Group contested statements by Bakas, who then headed the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense, that the company's activities bore signs of an organized criminal group and that it had caused around 500 million euros in damage to the state.

Vilnius City District Court approved the amicable settlement agreements on Thursday and Friday, thus closing both cases, Aurimas Zukauskas, the court's spokesman, told BNS. 

The court's rulings can be appealed within seven days. 

Earlier this year, Vilnius Regional Court finished hearings in MG Group's political corruption case, with the verdict to be handed down on April 4.

 

By Saulius Jakučionis

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Lithuanian leaders congratulate people of Belarus on Freedom Day (updates)

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – Lithuanian leaders on Friday congratulated Belarusian people on Freedom Day, March 25, wishing them strength to continue their struggle.

"Our neighbor Belarus today is facing an increasingly serious risk of losing its last vestiges of independence. Moreover, it is being dragged into a senseless and bloody war against Ukraine. For the peaceful nation with close historical and cultural ties with Ukraine and Ukrainians, this would be a real disaster," President Gitanas Nauseda wrote on Facebook. 

In such a situation, the national consciousness of Belarusians becomes more important than ever, according to the president. 

"No matter how hard hostile forces try to crush the dignity of the Belarusian people, they retain the will to fight for freedom," he wrote. "We saw this a year and a half ago, when Belarusian civil society stood united in defense of its rights, and it was only the brutal actions of the power structures that prevented the country's peaceful return to democracy."

Nauseda wished Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the leader of the Belarusian democratic movement, and "all the free people of Belarus" determination, patience and strength to continue "their difficult but extremely important struggle".

In her message of congratulation, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte expressed her hope that in the future, March 25 will be celebrated "not only in the hearts and minds of free Belarusians, but also in the towns and on the streets of a free and democratic Belarus".

"Unfortunately, today we witness an ultimate betrayal of the Belarusian nation by Lukashenko, who provides the territory of your beautiful and peaceful country as a bridgehead for Russia’s brutal assault on Ukraine," the prime minister's letter reads.

"I commend the free people and the leaders of the free Belarus who did not hesitate to stand clearly and publicly in support of Ukraine and chose the side of good over evil. I am glad that today the hearts of our nations—Ukrainians, Lithuanians, and free Belarusians—are beating together, that we share Ukrainians’ grief, and celebrate their victories as our own."

Simonyte called on Belarusians "not to lose patience and faith in the victory of a free Belarus" and reassures them that "Lithuania sees and supports the continuous fight of Belarusians for freedom", her office said in a press release.   

She added that "the rightful demands to stop repressions, release and rehabilitate all political prisoners and arbitrarily detained persons in Belarus, and to organize free and fair elections in Belarus as soon as possible are voiced by Lithuanian officials at every opportunity and in all international fora".

Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, the speaker of the parliament, used the occasion to express her support for Belarusians. 

"I stand in solidarity with Belarusians who mark their Freedom Day today," she tweeted.

Freedom Day is an unofficial holiday celebrated on March 25 to commemorate the 1918 declaration of independence by the Belarusian Democratic Republic, which existed briefly until the Bolsheviks took power in early 1919.

The regime of Alexander Lukashenko forbids the celebration of Freedom Day in Belarus and does not recognize it. The country's official Independence Day is marked on July 3, the day in 1944 when Nazi German troops left Minsk and Soviet troops took the city.

 

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Lithuanian president calls for immediate diversification of EU energy import sources

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has called on EU leaders to immediately diversify energy import sources amid Russia's continued military invasion of Ukraine, his office said on Friday.

At the European Council's meeting, Nauseda said that "the EU's disconnection from Russia's energy supply should take place without delay by diversifying energy import sources, ensuring sufficient gas reserves in the EU and enabling mechanisms for price control and the security of energy sources", it said in a press release.

"We are financing the Kremlin's war against Ukraine by buying Russian gas and oil," the Lithuanian leader said. "Reducing our energy dependence on Russia is a step that the EU had to take a long time ago." 

"Today we have a great opportunity to diversify energy sources, to ensure their reliability and security as well as to have more leverage to control energy prices," he added.

On Wednesday, the European Commission proposed that the EU jointly purchase natural gas and ensure that its storage facilities are filled.

It is believed that the EU, as a large buyer, could negotiate lower prices.

The bloc's leaders discussed the issue on Friday as well.

On Lithuania's initiative, they decided to create conditions for three associated Eastern Partnership countries to participate in the EU's joint oil and gas purchases, according to the press release, 

In early March, the Commission outlined a plan to reduce the EU's dependence on Russian gas by two-thirds by the end of 2022 and to make the bloc fully independent from Russian gas, oil and coal by 2030.

 

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Upcoming events for Monday, March 28, 2022 in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – The following events are scheduled for Monday, March 28, 2022 in Lithuania:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to meet with DEFENSE MINISTER Arvydas Anusauskas and CHIEF OF DEFENSE Valdemaras Rupsys at 1:30 p.m.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to arrive in Ljubljana Joze Pucnik Airport at 1 p.m., to attend the opening session of the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliaments at 2 p.m., to attend the first session of a conference on parliaments' role  in emergency politics at 2:30 p.m., to meet with Irene Kalin, president of the Swiss National Council, at 3:30 p.m., and to  attend an official dinner hosted by Igor Zorcic, speaker of Slovenia's National Assembly, and Alojz Kovsca, president of the National Council, at 8 p.m. 

PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to visit NATO's enhanced forward presence battalion in Pabrade at 11 a.m. and to provide comments to the media at 12:40 p.m.

INTERIOR MINISTER Agne Bilotaite to take part in an extraordinary meeting of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council.

 

 

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