LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Lithuanian president signs banking solidarity contribution bill into law
- Twenty-six irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
- Lithuanian formin to meet Japanese counterpart, attend conference in Tokyo
- Vilnius-Klaipeda trains halted due to repairs this week
- At EU sports council, Lithuania to raise issue of Russians' participation in competitions
- Global shifts give boost for ties with Indo-Pacific region – Lithuanian formin
- Lithuania reports 10 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
- Latest Delfi/Spinter poll finds increased support for SocDems in Lithuania
- Lithuanian parlt speaker off to Rome to seek Italy's support for NATO summit decisions
- Vilnius plans to name garden square after Israel
- NATO jets in Baltics scrambled twice over Russian aircraft last week
- UNESCO tasks Lithuania to draw up Curonian Spit protection plan without Russia
- Bolt Drive launches operations in Lithuania's Kaunas
- Lithuanian govt to submit 2022 activity report to parlt
- Ukrainians distort growing inbound tourism figures in Lithuania – rep (expands)
- Man handed jail sentence in Lithuania for stealing Ukraine aid money
- Vilnius signs EUR 52 mln contract to buy 91 Skoda trolleybuses
- Lithuanian formin, in Japan, calls for reducing dependence on China
- Window of change may open in Belarus, opposition must be ready – Lithuania's MEP
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, May 16, 2023
Lithuanian president signs banking solidarity contribution bill into law
VILNIUS, May 15, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Monday signed the temporary banking solidarity contribution bill, adopted by the parliament last Tuesday, into law, the presidential office has confirmed it to BNS.
Such a levy was proposed as banks in Lithuanian are projected to earn more than 1 billion euros in profits this year, which is deemed unexpected as they profit from the European Central Bank's policy of raising interest rates.
Under the new law, the levy will amount to 60 percent of banks' net interest income that exceeds the average of four regular financial years by more than 50 percent.
The levy is expected to raise more than 400 million euros in revenue for the state. The money will be then used for defense and military and civilian transport infrastructure.
By Sniegė Balčiūnaitė
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Twenty-six irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
VILNIUS, May 15, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away 26 migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Monday morning.
Latvia reported 74 attempts at illegal border crossings on Sunday, and 83 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Saturday, according to the latest available information.
A total of 1,010 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year. Over 11,200 irregular migrants were turned away in 2022.
Lithuanian border guards have prevented around 20,300 people from crossing in from Belarus since August 3, 2021, when they were given the right to turn away irregular migrants. The number includes repeated attempts by the same people to cross the border.
The SBGS says that illegal migration to Lithuania and the EU is being facilitated by Belarusian officials.
Almost 4,200 irregular migrants crossed into Lithuania from Belarus illegally in 2021. However, the vast majority of them fled Lithuania once they were allowed to move freely.
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Lithuanian formin to meet Japanese counterpart, attend conference in Tokyo
VILNIUS, May 15, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis is leaving for Tokyo on Monday to meet with his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi.
As part of his two-day visit, Landsbergis is also to attend a Munich Leaders Meeting and meet with Japanese Digital Minister Taro Kono, and Hirofumi Nakasone, chairman of Japan-Lithuania Friendship Parliamentary League, and other parliamentarians, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said in a press release on Sunday.
Lithuania's top diplomat is also scheduled to meet with "companies of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and present business and investment opportunities in Lithuania", it said.
At the Munich Leaders Meeting, Landsbergis will speak on "Ukraine today might be East Asia tomorrow: How to respond to revisionist challenges".
Amid worsening relations between Vilnius and Beijing due to Lithuania's attention to Taiwan, the foreign minister has called Tokyo the most important partner in Asia.
The statement reflects the Lithuanian government's efforts to seek closer ties with liberal democracies in the Indo-Pacific region.
Landsbergis met with the region's top diplomats during last weekend's EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum in Stockholm.
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Vilnius-Klaipeda trains halted due to repairs this week
VILNIUS, May 15, BNS – No trains will run between Vilnius and Klaipeda from Monday through Saturday due to repairs on a bridge, Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, LTG) has said.
Trains will only operate between Vilnius and Siauliai on these days.
On the Vilnius-Klaipeda route, trains will run as normal on Sunday, May 21, but will only be available in the early mornings and evenings between May 22 and 25.
Normal train schedules will resume from May 26.
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At EU sports council, Lithuania to raise issue of Russians' participation in competitions
VILNIUS, May 15, BNS – At Lithuania's initiative, EU sports ministers on Monday are expected to discuss Ukrainian athletes' rights and Russian and Belarusian athletes' participation in international sports events, the Education, Science and Sport Ministry has said.
At the EU Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council's meeting in Brussels, Lithuania will underline "the importance of ensuring respect for human rights when organizing major international sporting events", it said in a press release.
"The return of representatives of aggressor countries to international sports arenas clearly violates the rights of Ukrainian athletes."
Vilnius calls for the protection of Ukrainian athletes' human rights, for ensuring that their dignity, values and mental health are protected, for the protection of their right to participate in sport without hindrance, and for the respect of the right of athletes from other countries not to compete with the aggressor countries' representatives, according to the press release.
Lithuania will be represented in Monday's meeting by Deputy Education, Science and Sport Minister Linas Obcarskas.
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Global shifts give boost for ties with Indo-Pacific region – Lithuanian formin
VILNIUS, May 15, BNS – Geopolitical changes in the world give a boost to bolster the EU's and NATO's partnership with the Indo-Pacific region, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has said after meeting with the region's officials.
Landsbergis met with Fiji's deputy prime minister and the foreign ministers of Singapore, India and Indonesia at Saturday's EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum in Stockholm.
"Global geopolitical shifts give impetus to strengthen the partnership of both the EU and NATO with the Indo-Pacific region," Lithuania's top diplomat told India's Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
"The establishment of the Indian embassy to Lithuania is a boost for economic, cultural, political and technological cooperation between our countries," he said.
In his meeting with Fiji's Deputy Prime Minister Manoa Kamikamica, Landsbergis said that "global security depends on Ukraine's victory over Russia and stability in the Indo-Pacific region".
"Despite the distance that divides Fiji and Lithuania, our respect for the international rules-based order unites us," he said.
In his meeting with Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Landsbergis said that "Ukraine's swift victory is only possible through the concerted efforts of the international community.
"This victory will also determine the kind of world we will live in – whether it is based on force or rules," he said.
Landsbergis also met with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Lestari Priansari Marsudi to discuss "the impact of Russia's war against Ukraine on geopolitical transformations, the European Union's cooperation with the Indo-Pacific region and opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation between Lithuania and Indonesia", according to the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry.
By Ignas Jačauskas
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Lithuania reports 10 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
VILNIUS, May 15, BNS – Lithuania has recorded ten new coronavirus infections and no deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Monday morning.
The 14-day primary infection rate has edged down to 35.3 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 10.6 percent.
The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals now stands at 65, including two ICU cases.
The daily number of new coronavirus cases remains well below the peak of over 14,000 reached in early February 2022.
Around 1.19 million people in Lithuania have tested positive with COVID-19 at least once.
Some 69.8 percent of people in the country have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab so far.
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Latest Delfi/Spinter poll finds increased support for SocDems in Lithuania
VILNIUS, May 15, BNS – The Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) continues to top the country's political party rankings, with support for the opposition party rising by around four percentage points in a month, according to the latest Spinter Tyrimai opinion poll published by Delfi on Monday.
The LSDP saw support grow from 12.9 percent in March to 17 percent in April, its best result in the current parliamentary term, according to the news website.
The ruling conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats stayed in second place with 12 percent, almost unchanged from 11.8 percent a month ago.
It was followed by two opposition parties: the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union with 9.9 percent, up from 8.6 percent, and the Democratic Union "For Lithuania" with 7.3 percent, down from 8.2 percent.
Some 7.3 percent of those polled in April said they would vote for the Liberal Movement, a member of the ruling coalition, slightly up from 6.8 percent in March.
Some 20.3 percent of respondents said they would not go to the polls, up from 13.1 percent a month ago, and 7.6 percent were undecided or did not answer the question, down from 15.7 percent.
When asked who they saw as best-suited to be prime minister, 11.9 percent of respondents chose Ingrida Simonyte, the incumbent head of government, compared to 12.2 percent in the previous poll.
MEP Vilija Blinkeviciute, the LSDP leader, came in second with 9.8 percent, up from 7.4 percent.
Further down the list was Saulius Skvernelis, the Democratic Union's leader and a former prime minister, with 7.5 percent (7.8 percent), followed by Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, the speaker of the parliament and leader of the Liberal Movement, with 5.5 percent (4.3 percent).
When asked about the current government's performance, 62.5 percent of those polled in April gave a negative opinion or rather a negative one (65.9 percent a month ago), and 32.3 percent said their opinion was positive or rather positive (29.1 percent).
In the representative survey commissioned by Delfi, Spinter Tyrimai polled 1,014 people aged 18 to 75 years between April 18 and 27. The results of the poll have an error margin of 3.1 percent.
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Lithuanian parlt speaker off to Rome to seek Italy's support for NATO summit decisions
VILNIUS, May 15, BNS – Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen is going to Rome on Monday for a working visit and is scheduled to meet with the leadership of the Italian Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. She will seek Italian colleagues' support for the decisions of the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius.
"Strong national ties, united decisions and approaches are crucial for Europe at this time. Our meetings planned for this working visit will be aimed at strengthening parliamentary cooperation between Lithuania and Italy, as well as seeking our Italian colleagues' support for the decisions of the NATO summit and agreements on support to Ukraine, as well as further deterrence of Russian aggression," the Lithuanian speaker was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Seimas press service.
Vilnius will host a NATO summit on July 11-12.
Cmilyte-Nielsen will also address a joint meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Italian Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, and also meet with members of the Lithuanian community in Italy.
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Vilnius plans to name garden square after Israel
VILNIUS, May 15, BNS – Vilnius is planning to name an unnamed garden square in the capital's central Naujamiestis neighborhood after Israel.
The decision by the municipal Historical Memory Commission has yet to be approved by the full City Council.
"It was a long process. The Israeli embassy was consulted, the administration looked for a suitable place and finally the decision was made," Kamile Seraite, the future head of the commission, has told BNS.
The garden square is located in Algirdo Street.
"No alternative names were considered, because we looked for a location specifically for Izraelio Skveras," said Seraite.
"I don't remember where the request came from, maybe from the embassy. We consider all the initiatives that come to the commission," she added.
By Augustas Stankevičius
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NATO jets in Baltics scrambled twice over Russian aircraft last week
VILNIUS, May 15, BNS – NATO's fighter jets policing Baltic airspace were last week scrambled twice to intercept Russian aircraft flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea in violation of flight rules, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Monday.
Both alert scrambles were conducted on Saturday.
NATO's jets took off to identify two SU-27 fighters flying in international space from Russia's Kaliningrad region and back, and an AN-72 transport plane on its way from mainland Russia to the exclave.
The second alert scramble was carried out over another two SU-27s flying the same route as the previous two.
The AN-72 was the only of the five Russian aircraft to use its onboard transponder and maintain radio communication with the Regional Traffic Control Center. However, like the four SU-27s, it had no pre-filed plan.
The NATO Baltic air policing mission is carried out from air bases in Lithuania and Estonia.
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UNESCO tasks Lithuania to draw up Curonian Spit protection plan without Russia
VILNIUS, May 15, BNS - Lithuania will draw up a value protection plan for the Curonian Spit, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, without Russia after the prior requirement for the two countries to jointly prepare such a plan for the entire Baltic Sea peninsula was changed because of the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The UNESCO-required plan is aimed at protecting the region's unique values, Ausra Feser, head of the Curonian Spit National Park authority, told BNS.
"This is our obligation in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the plan is an agreement between various institutions on who is responsible for what to ensure the protection of values of universal and exceptional value, including natural formations, cultural heritage, material heritage," she told BNS.
The initial plan also aimed at improving cooperation between Lithuanian and Russian institutions responsible for the protection of the peninsula and concluding joint agreements on future actions. According to Feser, preparations for joint work were in place a few years ago but the war disrupted everything and cooperation has now broken down.
Juste Zavisaite, a UNESCO specialist at the authority, said the decision to end cooperation with Russia's Kurshskaya Kosa National Park, which protects the spit on the Russian side, was not made in Lithuania after the war.
"There were many high-level discussions as we were not the decision makers, the decision was made in response to the current situation. Last year, when the war broke out, cooperation with the Kurshskaya Kosa National Park in Russia was terminated", Zavisaite told BNS.
Having received permission for a separate plan, the Lithuanian authority last week started consultations with market players on the preparation of a management plan.
The Curonian Spit was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000. The Lithuanian authority reports to the organization on the situation in the protected area every six years.
The Curonian Spit is 98 km long, including 52 km in Lithuania.
By Valdas Pryšmantas
Editor: Roma Pakėnienė
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Bolt Drive launches operations in Lithuania's Kaunas
VILNIUS, May 15, BNS – Bolt, a car sharing platform that has so far been available only in Vilnius, is on Monday expanding to Kaunas, Lithuania's second-largest city, with 100 Bolt Drive cars and plans to have 300 vehicles by the end of the year.
Svajunas Aliukonis, Bolt Drive's operations manager in Lithuania, says the company's plans to launch its services in other cities in the near future.
Bolt Drive services have been available in Vilnius since February, and they were earlier launched in Riga, Tallinn and Lyon.
In Lithuania, Bolt also provides ride-hailing, e-scooter rental and food delivery services.
Two other car-sharing platforms, CityBee and Spark, also operate in Lithuania.
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Lithuanian govt to submit 2022 activity report to parlt
VILNIUS, May 15, BNS - The Lithuanian government on Monday approved its 2022 activity report that will be submitted to the country's parliament.
The report states that Russia's war on Ukraine last year was the key event that has so far had a long-term impact on Lithuania and will continue to do so in the future.
"Mobilizing the will to confront this existential threat to our country and the necessary resources and capabilities to do so was the government's most important task in 2022," Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte was quoted as saying in the report.
In her words, last year the government accelerated work on upgrading the existing and buying additional weapons, installing military infrastructure for the development of NATO's forward presence forces in the country, as well as strengthening border protection, intelligence, civil and cyber security.
The report also states that geopolitical sensitivities and global economic uncertainties mean that Lithuania's economy will not avoid slowdown this year, which makes the government make adjustments to the government's start-of-term plans.
The report points out that strengthening national security was a key issue last year, with 2.45 percent of GDP allocated to national defense, persistent rotation of US troops until the middle of 2025, and the strengthening of Lithuania's border with Belarus by means of a physical barrier. The report also stresses the importance of energy independence from Russia's energy systems and energy sources.
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Ukrainians distort growing inbound tourism figures in Lithuania – rep (expands)
VILNIUS, May 15, BNS – As the latest figures show the number of incoming foreign tourists more than doubled in Lithuania last year, the head of the country's Tourism Association says one should not be overjoyed as the statistics do not reflect the real situation.
According to Milda Plepyte-Rainiene, the statistics are distorted by refugees from Ukraine who are counted as tourists.
"Ukrainians, who are treated as tourists, distort the figures, therefore, we see inbound tourism figures going up, but we can also see those incoming Ukrainians who are probably not coming to Lithuania for recreation purposes," she told a press conference on Monday.
"We would like to see those people eliminated and then we could see the real situation. (...) The figures (on foreign travelers excluding Ukrainians - BNS) are not so nice and encouraging," she added.
It's difficult for Lithuania to attract foreign tourists because tour operators do not have enough funds to attend international tourism exhibitions, Plepyte-Rainiene said, adding that Lithuania's inbound tourism is hampered by poor connectivity with major European airports.
Earlier in the day, the State Data Agency reported that the number of foreigners' overnight stays jumped by 2.3 times to 2.17 million in Lithuania last year, while the number of same-day trips rose by 2.2 times to 2.56 million.
By Goda Vileikytė
Editor: Roma Pakėnienė
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Man handed jail sentence in Lithuania for stealing Ukraine aid money
VILNIUS, May 15, BNS – A Lithuanian court has handed a prison sentence of two years and three months to a man who stole funds raised for aid to Ukraine and used the money to buy a car, prosecutors said on Monday.
The man, identified by his initials G. M., is a Kaunas resident who has ten convictions, they said in a press release.
Last October, G. M. contacted, via an online messaging platform, a person helping Ukrainian volunteers and promised to buy and deliver 49 truck tires to Ukraine for 18,000 euros raised by the volunteers.
"The accused, by providing false and untrue data, issued an invoice and a receipt for (...) the 18,000 euros belonging to the Ukrainian charity organization, but he failed to purchase the tires and deliver them to Ukraine on the agreed date," the prosecutors said.
He did not return the money either.
It was established that the man used the charity money to buy a BMW car costing 13,000 euros.
According to the prosecutors, most of the embezzled money was returned to the Ukrainian charity during the investigation.
The Kaunas resident was also accused of stealing another car by posing as a buyer.
"About a month later, G. M. found an online advertisement for a BMW RADA 5 GT for sale, contacted the seller, arranged for the car to be inspected, and then drove off in the car," the prosecutors said.
The car was valued at 18,500 euros, according to the press release.
The Kaunas District Court's ruling can be appealed within 20 days.
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Vilnius signs EUR 52 mln contract to buy 91 Skoda trolleybuses
VILNIUS, May 15, BNS – Vilniaus Viesasis Transportas (Vilnius Public Transport, VVT) has contracted to purchase 91 Skoda 32Tr low-floor trolleybuses from the Czech manufacturer for 52.3 million euros by 2025.
Vilnius City Municipality, VVT and Skoda signed the contract in Vilnius on Monday.
Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas says that the capital's public transport fleet is being upgraded on such a large scale for the first time ever
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and its partners have provided a loan of 38.23 million euros to VVT to help finance the purchase of the trolleybuses.
The EBRD is lending up to 30.58 million euros of its own funds, with a further 7.65 million euros coming from Taiwan's International Cooperation and Development Fund. VVT has also secured a further 10 million euros under the Climate Change Program.
Darius Aleknavicius, the municipal public transport company's CEO, told BNS that talks are currently underway with the EBRD on the remaining funds.
The first new Skoda trolleybuses, which cost almost 575,000 euros each, are expected to reach the Lithuanian capital in late summer 2024, with the rest to be delivered in the first half of 2025.
This year, VVT will launch another tender for the purchase of 68 three-axle trolleybuses. This will bring the total number of new trolleybuses to 159 by 2026.
By Giedrius Gaidamavičius
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Lithuanian formin, in Japan, calls for reducing dependence on China
VILNIUS, May 15, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, who is visiting Japan this week, on Monday called for assessing threats posed by China and reducing dependence on Beijing.
"Eliminating risks could be the right step for the moment, but we must be prepared for a scenario where, as in the case of Russia, China's trajectory will again leave us with no choice but to distance ourselves," Landsbergis said at the Munich Leaders Meeting.
"We must swiftly adopt measures to combat the economic and political violence that many countries have faced and will face," he said. "We must ensure that the rules-based international order remains fair and attractive to the rest of the world."
Lithuania has learned from its long history of relations with Russia to recognize warning signs, according to the minister.
"But don't we see these signs in today's Asia? However, the problem is usually not about missing the signs. As in Russia, the biggest challenge is to have the will and the courage to act before it's too late," he said.
Lithuania's top diplomat told the conference that to prevent the current aggression from becoming the new norm, Ukraine must win the war, which requires further military assistance from all allies.
"For Ukraine's victory to be sustainable, the only organization that can give it effective security guarantees is NATO. Vilnius is hosting NATO's summit on July 11-12, which is where a path to Ukraine's membership has to be paved," he said.
On the sidelines of the Munich Leaders Meeting, Landsbergis also met with Wolfgang Schmidt, Germany's federal minister for special tasks and head of the Federal Chancellery, with Japanese Digital Minister Taro Kono, and with the foreign ministers of the Philippines and the Maldives.
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Window of change may open in Belarus, opposition must be ready – Lithuania's MEP
VILNIUS, May 15, BNS – As Belarusian regime leader Alexander Lukashenko's health deteriorates, a window of change may open in Belarus and democratic forces must be ready to take over power, says Lithuanian Social Democrat Juozas Olekas who leads the EP's delegation for relations with Belarus
"Time might come in Belarus when the regime changes and new forces are needed to lead Belarus down the path of democracy. The Belarusian people do not support the regime, they are just oppressed and cannot change it, but if something changes, the democratic forces in Belarus must be ready for both new elections and taking over power," Olekas told reporters at the Lithuanian Seimas on Monday after a meeting with lawmakers and representatives of the Belarusian opposition.
Speaking about possible scenarios related to Lukashenko's health, Olekas noted that if the regime was left without its leader, the situation would change fundamentally. But one should also not forget Russian President Vladimir Putin's factor as he's seeking to maintain his influence, he said.
"We can see very clearly that since 2020, Lukashenko has chosen a very clear path to stay in power, helped by Russia's power, and all the deployment of Russian troops and the shelling of Ukrainian territory from Belarus are just to keep him in power. (...) Of course, Putin would like to have a union state and to maintain his influence on this territory," Olekas said.
Also speaking at the pres conference, Alexander Dobrovolsky, an adviser to Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, said it was necessary to prepare for a situation when the regime would be left without its key leader. The opposition's task, he said, would be to prepare for new elections, to ensure economic stability and to do this by negotiating with people in the government who would understand that Belarus was in crisis and who would be interested in getting out of that crisis.
The situation in Belarus is complicated not only because of the government's legitimacy but also because of the threat to independence, Dobrovolsky said.
"We know that Putin is not going to sit and look at what is going on in Belarus, without doing something against the democratic or European choice of Belarus. Our task is to mobilize people for the protection of our independence to receive support from the international community and to ask our military forces not to be a part of Russian aggression or not to be a part of repressions against protesters because people will protest, if we see that independence is under threat," the advisor said.
Asked what information he had about Lukashenko's health, the Belarusian opposition representative said the true situation is being kept secret even from regime members, adding that the opposition has information that it’s causing dissatisfaction.
Lukashenko felt unwell last week during the Soviet Victory Day celebrations in Moscow. A medical team was called in and he was rushed to Minsk.
Lukashenko has hardly been seen in public since early May and recently visited the presidential clinic. Based on media reports, Lukashenko has endocrine and heart problems. Moreover, professors have reportedly flown in from Moscow to treat Lukashenko.
By Milena Andrukaitytė
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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, May 16, 2023
VILNIUS, May 16, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Tuesday, May 16, 2023:
PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to travel to Reykjavik to attend a European Council meeting
SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to pay a visit to Italy.
CULTURE MINISTER Simonas Kairys to attend a meeting of EU culture ministers in Brussels.
JUSTICE MINISTER Ewelina Dobrowolska to attend a reception at the US Embassy at 8 p.m., held to mark the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia.
FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to pay a visit to Japan.
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