LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, September 6, 2023
- Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
- Abducted child returned from Russia to Lithuania
- Lithuanian foreign minister to meet Baltic, Nordic counterparts in Latvia
- Girl returned from Russia to Lithuania has no health issues – child rights chief
- Lithuanian parlt should put Zemaitaitis impeachment on agenda in Sept – speaker
- Lithuania reports 144 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
- Lithuania to grant EUR 50,000 in support for expat non-profit organizations' events
- Lithuania plans to contest EC's decision to reduce agricultural support by EUR 13 mln
- Lithuanian first lady attends Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in Kyiv
- Lithuania to install antenna field near Butinge for communication with allied ships
- Lithuania falls to 13th position in digital quality of life rating
- Number of Wagner fighters in Belarus decreasing – Lithuanian minister
- Lithuania to contest EC's decision to reduce agricultural support by EUR 13 mln (updates)
- Lithuania to hold exercise in Sept to prepare for possible accident at Belarusian N-plant
- New CEO of Lithuanian Airports sees Madrid, Geneva destinations as strategically important
- Lithuanian body investigates if man who abducted daughter has Russian citizenship
- Girl handed over to Lithuanian mother as Russian officials summoned father for questioning (media)
- Lithuanian president calls to speed up Rail Baltica, Via Baltica, Via Carpatia projects
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, September 7, 2023
Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, September 6, 2023
VILNIUS, Sept 06, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, September 6, 2023:
PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to attend the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) Summit and Business Forum in Bucharest, Romania.
SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to appear on Pozicija (Position) on the Ziniu Radijas news radio at 8:05 a.m.; to make comments to the M-1 radio at 11:30 a.m.
PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to chair the Cabinet's regular meeting and sitting at 1 p.m.
FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to pay a working visit to Riga to attend an informal meeting of the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) Foreign Ministers.
OTHER EVENTS
Events to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liquidation of the Vilna ghetto to take place in Vilnius, including the opening of a dedicated exhibition at 6:30 p.m. and a concert of authentic ghetto songs at 7 p.m.
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Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
VILNIUS, Sep 06, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Wednesday morning.
Latvia reported 63 attempts at illegal border crossings on Tuesday, and 95 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Monday, according to the latest available information.
A total of 1,601 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year. Some 11,200 irregular migrants were turned away in 2022.
Lithuanian border guards have prevented around 20,900 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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Abducted child returned from Russia to Lithuania
VILNIUS, Sep 06, BNS – A girl abducted and unlawfully taken to Russia by her father has been returned to Lithuania, the National Crisis Management Center (NCMC) has confirmed.
"The girl is already in Lithuania," it said on Tuesday evening.
Social Security and Labor Minister Monika Navickiene later said that the girl and her mother were feeling well.
"This is really touching news and I am very grateful to all Lithuanian institutions," the minister told LRT TV.
"I think that today we can celebrate our victory, because the mother and the child have reached their homeland safely," she added.
Navickiene said she could not disclose the details of the girl's return to Lithuania, but noted that the operation had been complicated and involved many people and institutions.
President Gitanas Nauseda on Tuesday evening thanked the authorities for their work and efforts.
"Good news tonight: the girl who was unlawfully taken to Russia is already in Lithuania with her mother," the president posted on Facebook.
"I thank all the authorities for their sincere work and efforts to return the child to her homeland as quickly as possible!" he added.
Lithuania's law-enforcement bodies launched a pre-trial investigation into the suspected child abduction after the girl's mother, who has custody of the child, complained to the Klaipeda district police on August 27 that the 37-year-old man had taken their daughter and failed to return her at the agreed time.
Based on information available to the authorities, the man and his daughter crossed the Skirvyte River, which marks the state border between Lithuania and Russia, by boat on the same day.
A Lithuanian court last Friday issued an in absentia arrest warrant for the man on suspicions of child abduction and illegal crossing of the state border.
By Greta Zulonaitė
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Lithuanian foreign minister to meet Baltic, Nordic counterparts in Latvia
VILNIUS, Sep 06, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis is heading to Latvia on Wednesday for informal talks with his Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) counterparts on the strengthening of regional security and resilience, and support for Ukraine.
The foreign ministers of Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Finland and Sweden will also discuss closer NB8 cooperation and other important regional issues at their meetings in Riga and Cesis, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry has said.
The NB8 is an informal regional cooperation format that brings together the five Nordic and three Baltic states.
The countries rotate each year to coordinate the NB8's activities and to organize and host that year's meetings. Latvia coordinates the NB8 cooperation this year and Lithuania did so last year.
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Girl returned from Russia to Lithuania has no health issues – child rights chief
VILNIUS, Sep 06, BNS – The girl who was returned from Russia to Lithuania on Tuesday evening has not suffered any health problems, Ilma Skuodiene, director of the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service, said on Wednesday morning, adding that the authorities will continue to keep in touch with her mother for any necessary assistance.
"The girl is really safe and there seems to be no real health problems or other things," she told LRT TV.
The girl was unlawfully taken to Russia by her father on August 27. On that day, her mother contacted the police to report that Algirdas Svanys, 37, had taken their daughter and had not returned her at the agreed time.
The search revealed that the man and his daughter had crossed the Skirvyte River, which marks the state border between Lithuania and Russia.
Russian officials said that Svanys holds both Russian and Lithuanian passports, which complicated the return of the child.
The girl's mother travelled to Russia on Tuesday to take her daughter back home.
According to Skuodiene, this experience has been an extraordinary shock for both the mother and the little girl, so they will continue to receive all the necessary assistance.
"Today, we agreed to stay in touch to see what assistance the girl and her mother need," she said. "The most important thing now is that they get some rest and we are ready to help as much as we can."
The official said Russia's child rights authorities had collaborated with Lithuanian agencies "from the very beginning", providing the necessary information and "actively participating in providing assistance and in reuniting the girl with her mother."
Skuodiene said she had no information on how the girl's father would proceed and whether he was planning to return to Lithuania.
A Lithuanian court has issued an arrest warrant for the man on suspicions of child abduction and illegal crossing of the state border.
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Lithuanian parlt should put Zemaitaitis impeachment on agenda in Sept – speaker
VILNIUS, Sep 06, BNS – The Seimas should put the issue of initiating impeachment proceedings against MP Remigijus Zemaitaitis over his anti-Semitic comments on its agenda in September, Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, speaker of the Lithuanian parliament, said on Wednesday.
"I think the text will be drafted in the near future, and it would be worthwhile to include this issue in the agenda at the beginning of the session, in September," Cmilyte-Nielsen told the Ziniu Radijas radio station.
"There is no need to postpone it," she added.
The speaker said it "is hard for me to predict now" how many MPs would support the impeachment motion.
The MP's remarks and rhetoric "which certainly goes beyond the boundaries of just risky talk in the Seimas hall" requires an assessment and the parliament will make it, according to Cmilyte-Nielsen.
Zemaitaitis posted several anti-Semitic remarks on his Facebook page in June, expressing his anger over Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte's visit to Israel and accusing Jews of deporting and killing Lithuanians.
Commenting on the demolition of a Palestinian primary school by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, the MP likened Israel to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is waging war in Ukraine, and quoted an anti-Semitic folk counting-out rhyme.
His remarks were condemned by Lithuanian leaders and foreign diplomats.
The remark about the demolition of the Palestinian school prompted the board of the Lithuanian Freedom and Justice Party to suspended Zemaitaitis' membership of the party.
The MP insists that his statements about Jews are based on material found in archives.
Following Zemaitaitis' remarks, the Lithuanian Prosecutor General's Office in late June opened a pre-trial investigation based on the Criminal Code's article on public contempt and incitement to hatred against any national, racial, ethnic, religious or other group of people.
The prosecutors said they would take further decisions after receiving expert opinions.
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Lithuania reports 144 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
VILNIUS, Sep 06, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 144 new coronavirus infections and no deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Wednesday morning.
The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals stands at 31.
The 14-day primary infection rate has risen to 40.1 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 21.4 percent.
The number of new coronavirus cases hit the peak in Lithuania in early February 2022 when more than 14,000 new infections were recorded daily.
Around 1.19 million people in Lithuania have tested positive for COVID-19 at least once.
Some 68.5 percent of people in the country have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab so far, according to the statistics.
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Lithuania to grant EUR 50,000 in support for expat non-profit organizations' events
VILNIUS, Sep 06, BNS – The Economy and Innovation Ministry said on Wednesday it will grant 50,000 euros to Lithuanian expatriate non-profit organizations to support their "economic diplomacy" events.
Economy and Innovation Minister Ausrine Armonaite said in a press release that Lithuanians living abroad represent and promote their homeland and contribute to its progress.
Organizations can apply for support for events and related activities such as attracting talent and foreign investment, and promoting exports and encouraging inbound tourism.
The maximum amount per project is 10 000 euros.
Applications will be accepted until the funding allocated to the scheme is exhausted.
Only projects due for implementation by December 10 will be eligible for funding.
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Lithuania plans to contest EC's decision to reduce agricultural support by EUR 13 mln
VILNIUS, Sept 06, BNS – Lithuania plans to appeal to the General Court of the European Union as it seeks to partially annul the European Commission's decision to reduce support for the country’s agriculture by more than 13 million euros.
The government will decide on the issue on Wednesday.
On July 3, the Commission decided to withhold 13.132 million euros in EU funding for livestock and crop production, but Lithuania is seeking to reduce the sanction, which Vilnius says is disproportionate.
"The Lithuanian authorities propose to bring an action and ask the General Court to annul the contested decision insofar as it concerns the imposition of a disproportionately high financial correction on Lithuania," according to Lithuania's position paper drafted by the ministries of agriculture and justice.
According to the document, non-compliance with the Community’s cross compliance requirements led to a sanction of 7.6 million euros (the so-called financial correction) for Lithuania in 2019 whereas non-compliance with the requirements for voluntary coupled support for livestock resulted in a sanction of 5.5 million euros in 2020.
Lithuania seeks to reduce the amount of the financial correction to 2.2-4 million euros and 2.5 million euros, respectively.
The ministries of agriculture and justice intend to file an action for annulment of the EC decision by September 13.
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Lithuanian first lady attends Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in Kyiv
VILNIUS, Sept 06, BNS – First Lady of Lithuania Diana Nausediene is visiting the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on Wednesday to attend the third Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, the presidential office said in a press release.
She was invited to the event by Olena Zelenska, the spouse of the president of Ukraine.
The theme of this year’s summit is "Mental Health: Fragility and Resilience of the Future".
The first lady of Lithuania will take part in the session "War and Mental Health", which will focus on the mass impact of war on individual and societal psyche, on post-traumatic syndromes, and on the choice of the Ukrainians to fight against the ideology of aggression and cruelty, thus demonstrating the strength of their mentality to the whole world.
"I am happy to be able to visit free and proud Kyiv again. Together with extraordinary people who will not be defeated by any tyrant or aggressor. Who will stand against all odds in a free and independent Ukraine," the press release quoted Nausediene as saying.
On Wednesday, she will also visit the Ukrainian Book Institute and Borodyanka, a town close to Kyiv.
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Lithuania to install antenna field near Butinge for communication with allied ships
VILNIUS, Sep 06, BNS – Lithuania is planning to install an antenna field in the Baltic Sea resort of Palanga, near Butinge, to ensure secure communication with allied ships.
The government on Wednesday is expected to add a plot of land in Palanga to the list of military infrastructure needed to provide host nation support.
The Defense Ministry says in its explanatory note that the list will be "supplemented with military infrastructure for the installation of elements of a system of communication with allied vessels in Lithuanian territorial waters".
"The system of communication with ships at sea is called BRASS (Broadcast, Rear-Link And Ship-Shore)," the ministry said. "The aim of this system is to provide high quality, encrypted communications services to all allied ships operating in Lithuanian territorial waters, even in electronic warfare conditions."
"This communication system is an alternative to costly and vulnerable satellite communications," it added.
According to the ministry, most NATO countries, including Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Norway and others, have such communication systems and its eastern member states, including Lithuania, are currently installing them.
"The need for the implementation of this communication system has been expressed by Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE)," the ministry noted.
SHAPE has allocated funds for the project.
The military infrastructure will be built on an area of about 13 hectares of state land which is undeveloped and non-urbanized and has no protected zones or natural and cultural heritage sites.
The Defense Ministry says the nearby Butinge oil terminal and the communication system will not affect each other's operation.
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Lithuania falls to 13th position in digital quality of life rating
VILNIUS, Sept 06, BNS – Lithuania has edged down by two places to the 13th position among 121 countries in the Digital Quality of Life (DQL) rating published for the fifth time this year.
In a scale of 0 to 1, Lithuania scored 0.7 points, up from 0.66 last year, according to a survey by Surfshark, a virtual private network service.
According to Gabriele Racaityte-Krasauske, head of communications at Surfshark, despite Lithuania's higher score, its lower position in the ranking means that not only Lithuania's overall index, but also that of many other countries, is rising rapidly every year.
After leading the Baltic countries last year, Lithuania this year has fallen behind Estonia, which has jumped from the 14th to the 7th place with a score of 0.72 points. Latvia has moved up to the 28th place, from the 33rd, with a score of 0.64 points.
Lithuania has found itself among the top 20 countries in terms of two out of five survey criteria: cybersecurity (sharing the 2nd place with Estonia, 0.99 points) and internet accessibility (18th place, 0.37 points).
In terms of e-government services, Lithuania ranks 30th (0.78 points), e-infrastructure – 25th (0.88 points), and internet quality – 23rd (0.46 points).
According to Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas, Lithuania's rapid improvement in cybersecurity, digital literacy, and e-infrastructure is helping to attract the missing technology talent to the country.
"It is planned that Europe's largest technology city, worth 100 million euros, will open its doors in Vilnius as early as next year and will be followed by a technology park, worth 3.7 billion euros, in 2033,” he said.
France has topped the ranking this year with 0.79 points, followed by Finland (0.748), and Denmark (0.738).
Surfshark is a cybersecurity company offering a variety of online privacy and security solutions, such as a VPN, Antivirus, Alert, Search, and Incogni. It is part of cybersecurity company Nord Security, which became Lithuania's second "unicorn" in 2022. Last year, the two companies merged under Cyberspace, a Dutch-registered holding company.
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Number of Wagner fighters in Belarus decreasing – Lithuanian minister
VILNIUS, Sep 06, BNS – The number of Wagner mercenaries in Belarus is decreasing, Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said on Wednesday.
"I can only mention from public sources that there is a dynamic decrease," Anusauskas told reporters.
"They are dispersing and moving to other territories, and some are leaving for vacations in Russia – or 'vacations' – as they are being recruited by other military companies," the minister said.
"The situation there is completely different from what it was three weeks ago," he added.
Lithuania and Poland said in early August that there were around 4,000 Wagner mercenaries in Belarus.
They started to relocate to Belarus after a failed mutiny in Russia.
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Lithuania to contest EC's decision to reduce agricultural support by EUR 13 mln (updates)
VILNIUS, Sep 06, BNS – The Lithuanian governmetn decided on Wednesday to ask the General Court of the European Union to partially annul the European Commission's decision to reduce support for the country’s agriculture by more than 13 million euros.
"Lithuania must seek to have the decision oveturned or amended in such a way that the financial correction applied to Lithuania is minimised to the maximum extent possible, while at the same time safeguarding Lithuania's financial interests," Deputy Agriculture Minister Vytautas Abukauskas said at the Cabinet's meeting.
On July 3, the Commission decided to withhold 13.132 million euros in EU funding for livestock and crop production, but Lithuania is seeking to reduce the sanction, which Vilnius says is disproportionate.
In Abukauskas' words, the EU's executive body violated the bloc's regulations when imposing the sanctions, failed to respect the principle of proportionality and the duty to cooperate while applying a flat rate correction to Lithuania, and did not take into account the calculations submitted by the country.
According to Lithuania's position paper drafted by the ministries of agriculture and justice, non-compliance with EU cross-compliance requirements led to a sanction of 7.6 million euros (the so-called financial correction) for Lithuania in 2019, and non-compliance with the requirements for voluntary coupled support for livestock resulted in a sanction of 5.5 million euros in 2020.
Lithuania seeks to reduce the amount of the financial correction to 2.2-4 million euros and 2.5 million euros, respectively.
The ministries of agriculture and justice intend to file an action for annulment of the EC decision by September 13.
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Lithuania to hold exercise in Sept to prepare for possible accident at Belarusian N-plant
VILNIUS, Sept 06, BNS –A multi-functional exercise will be held on September 21 to prepare for a possible accident at the Astravyets nuclear power plant in Belarus, Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite has said.
"This is our regular work and it will not be the first exercise process organized by the Interior Ministry in connection with the preparation for a possible accident at the Astravyets nuclear power plant," the minister told reporters ahead of the government’s meeting on Wednesday.
"Different elements are being checked and also on the 21st of this month we have scheduled such an exercise where we will check how our plans are working, because it is extremely important to not only have plans, but also to see how our institutions are working in practice. This will not be, as I say, a table-top exercise, but a real exercise, where the real actions of the institutions are checked," Bilotaite added.
In July, Belarus launched the so-called power start of the second unit of its Astravyets nuclear power plant located close to Lithuania’s border and increased its power.
The launch of the second reactor started at the end of last year and in April its power was increased from the minimum controlled power (1 percent) to 40 percent of its nominal power. It was officially announced in May that the power was being increased to 50 percent.
Minsk plans to start commercial operation of the power unit in October.
On July 13, the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant said on its website that its second power unit was brought to 100 percent capacity for dynamic testing.
Earlier reports said that Belarus' first nuclear power plant in Astravyets would have two Russian VVER-type reactors with 1,200 MW capacity each.
Lithuania and international experts say that the Astravyets plant's construction was carried out in flagrant violation of technological and environmental standards.
Vilnius, in particular, handed in a diplomatic note to Minsk following the launch of the second unit of the Astravyets nuclear power plant.
Lithuania calls on Belarus not to operate the second unit until the identified safety problems have been resolved, the necessary safety improvement measures have been implemented, and international nuclear safety and environmental standards and requirements are strictly observed.
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New CEO of Lithuanian Airports sees Madrid, Geneva destinations as strategically important
VILNIUS, Sept 06, BNS – Simonas Bartkus, new director general of Lietuvos Oro Uostai (Lithuanian Airports, LOU), the operator of Lithuania’s airports of Vilnius, Kaunas and Palanga, says that possible new destinations of Madrid and Geneva would be of strategic importance for Lithuania's accessibility.
"If we were talking about increased frequencies [of flights], I would see Munich, Paris and Brussels first. If we are talking about new destinations, I would see Madrid, Geneva. Their appearance [on the flights map] could have a strategic significance for Lithuania's accessibility", Bartkus told BNS in an interview.
He said that a risk-sharing model could be used to promote these destinations. Under such a model, Lithuanian Airports launched a search for a carrier between Vilnius and London City at the end of May and the winner is expected to be announced soon.
"There has been interest, we do not have a final decision yet, but it seems that everything is moving in a positive direction and we will be able to announce who will be going there in the near future," Bartkus said.
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Lithuanian body investigates if man who abducted daughter has Russian citizenship
VILNIUS, Sep 06, BNS – The Lithuanian Migration Department is carrying out an investigation into whether the man who kidnapped his less-than-a-year-old daughter and took her to Kaliningrad Region also holds Russian citizenship.
"The Migration Department has launched procedures to clarify the circumstances, and once it is clear whether or not he has (Russian) citizenship and on what grounds he has it, then further steps will be taken," Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite told reporters on Wednesday.
"As you now, (...) if you acquire citizenship of another country, you must renounce Lithuanian citizenship or lose it," she said.
Russian officials say that Algirdas Svanys, the 37-year-old man who unlawfully took his daughter to the Russian exclave, holds both Russian and Lithuanian passports, which delayed the return of the girl to Lithuania.
It has also turned out that the father got an identity document issued for the girl without the knowledge of her mother, who has custody of the child.
Bilotaite called it a loophole in Lithuanian legislation that a parent can obtain an identity document for a minor child without the knowledge of the other parent.
"We have one status when the parents are married and their divorce triggers certain processes, and we have a different situation when unmarried parents stop living together and go their separate ways. Legal relationships are regulated differently then," the minister said.
"We are looking into this issue. All the institutions are looking at certain regulatory gaps and will come up with solutions for the future, so that such situations are carefully assessed and such things do not happen again," she added.
The girl's mother on August 27 complained to the police that Svanys had taken their daughter and had not returned her at the agreed time.
The search revealed that the man and his daughter had crossed the Skirvyte River, which marks the state border between Lithuania and Russia.
The child was returned to her mother on Tuesday when she went to Kaliningrad. Both of them came back to Lithuania the same day.
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Girl handed over to Lithuanian mother as Russian officials summoned father for questioning (media)
VILNIUS, Sept 06, BNS – A minor girl abducted and unlawfully taken to Russia’s exclave of Kaliningrad by her father was handed over to her mother and brought back to Lithuania after Russian officials summoned the father for questioning, Lithuanian Consul General in Kaliningrad Ausra Cerneviciene said.
"The actions of the lawyer hired here could have also been the reason for these decisions, because when the father was being questioned, the lawyer took the opportunity of favorable conditions – the father was asked to hand the girl over to her mother, as she is still being [breast]fed by her mother, and the lawyer took advantage of that moment to put her in his car and bring the mother and her child to a safe place – to the consulate," the diplomat told the 15min news portal.
According to her, Algirdas Svanys, who illegally took the daughter away, did not see the moment, and when he realized what happened, it was too late.
Cerneviciene said that Lithuanian diplomats were constantly taking care of the girl's mother and grandfather, who had arrived in Kaliningrad, and they were accommodated in the premises of the Lithuanian Consulate in Sovetsk, and were later escorted home with the child. They crossed the border between Lithuania and Russia at the Kybartai border crossing point.
On August 27, the girl's mother complained to the police that Svanys, 37, had taken their daughter and had not returned her at the agreed time.
The search revealed that the man and his daughter had crossed the Skirvyte River, which marks the state border between Lithuania and Russia.
The child was returned to her mother on Tuesday when she went to Kaliningrad. Both of them came back to Lithuania the same day.
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Lithuanian president calls to speed up Rail Baltica, Via Baltica, Via Carpatia projects
VILNIUS, Sept 06, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Wednesday called to speed up the implementation of Rail Baltica, Via Baltica and Via Carpatia projects, saying that the reorientation of Europe's transport and energy links towards the North-South axis enhances regional security.
Addressing the leaders of the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) at a summit in Bucharest, the president said that the shift in the geopolitical situation across Europe caused by Russia’s war against Ukraine had further highlighted the importance of the Three Seas Initiative, which is based on the strategic North-South axis.
“We must use this potential and reorient continental transportation links, energy resources and routes of supply. We must build resilient infrastructure for both civil and military needs,” a press release from the presidential office quoted Nauseda as saying.
“I am happy to note that the NATO Vilnius Summit highlighted the issue of military mobility. To strengthen the eastern flank of the Alliance, we will have to accelerate crucial infrastructural projects, such as Rail Baltica, Via Baltica and Via Carpatia,” the president said.
Speaking about the energy sector, Nauseda underscored Ukraine’s importance for the economy and security of the 3SI region.
“Today Ukraine needs our help to satisfy its immediate energy needs. With the second winter of war approaching, I call on everyone to mobilize vital energy assistance. In the not-so-distant future, Ukraine will emerge as an important energy hub, which will contribute significantly to the climate neutrality and energy security of our region,” the Lithuanian president said.
Nauseda highlighted the most important steps that the Three Seas Initiative countries should take to help Ukraine: to support the reconstruction of its infrastructure, to speak out for the earliest possible start of Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations, to help rebuild Ukraine without waiting for the end of the war, and to ensure Ukrainian grain exports.
The Ninth Three Seas Initiative Summit will be hosted by Lithuania in 2024.
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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, September 7, 2023
VILNIUS, Sept 06, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, September 7, 2023:
PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to attend the Three Seas Initiative (3SI) Summit and Business Forum in Bucharest, Romania.
SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to give an interview to ELTA Kampas broadcast at 10 a.m.
PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to participate in the Vilnius Conference panel discussion 'Prime Ministers in Times of Crisis' at 2 p.m.; to have a working dinner with European Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis at 7:30 p.m.
FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to pay a working visit to Riga to attend an informal meeting of the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) Foreign Ministers.
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