LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, September 20, 2023
- Eleven irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
- Baltic-Poland cooperation key to bolstering regional security – Lithuanian president.
- Lithuanian, Polish defmins to meet at Belarus border to discuss security situation
- Lithuanian president meets potential US investors in New York
- Lithuanian president to address UN General Assembly in New York
- Lithuania reports 369 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
- Lithuanian formin calls public debate on cluster munitions 'premature'
- Plans in Lithuania to open Holocaust, Vilnius Ghetto museum in 2025
- Most Lithuanians don't believe in Church's ability to uncover pedophilia cases – poll
- Destinations, inflation boost travel companies' revenue in Lithuania – body
- Lithuanian defmin awaits institutions' official responses regarding cluster munitions
- Lithuanian public security body to remain part of armed forces after reform – minister
- Lithuanian Cabinet approves DefMin's EUR 52 mln cyber security development program
- Lithuanian MPs receive threatening emails in Russian (media)
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, September 21, 2023
- Lithuanian formin signs UN marine biodiversity conservation pact
- Lithuanian president calls Russia's war against Ukraine 'global issue'
Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, September 20, 2023
VILNIUS, Sept 20, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, September 20, 2023:
PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda attending the UN General Assembly.
SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen's interview with TVP World and TVP Wilno at 4 p.m.
DEFENSE MINISTER Arvydas Anusauskas and his Polish counterpart Mariusz Błaszczak to have an informal meeting between at the intersection of the Lithuanian, Polish and Belarusian borders at 4 p.m. to discuss the security situation at the border with Belarus, followed by a media briefing at 6.15 p.m.
HEALTH MINISTER Arunas Dulkys to attend The Economist's World Cancer Series_Europe 2023 conference in Brussels.
JUSTICE MINISTER Ewelina Dobrowolska to meet with French Ambassador to Lithuania Alix Everard at 11 a.m.
FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to attend the UN General Assembly.
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Eleven irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
VILNIUS, Sep 20, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away 11 migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Wednesday morning.
Latvia reported 111 attempts at illegal border crossings on Tuesday, and 26 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Monday, according to the latest available information.
A total of 1,679 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 a total of almost 21,000 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.
By Milena Andrukaitytė
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Baltic-Poland cooperation key to bolstering regional security – Lithuanian president.
VILNIUS, Sep 20, BNS – Cooperation and coordination among the Baltic states and Poland are necessary to ensure the strengthening of regional security, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda told his Baltic and Polish counterparts in New York on Tuesday.
The Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian and Polish presidents held their traditional coordination meeting on the margins of the UN General Assembly, with a focus on security issues, assistance to Ukraine and grain exports, Nauseda's office said in a press release.
At the meeting, the Lithuanian leader "also stressed the importance of continuing to stand united in support of Ukraine and to urge allies to provide continuous and prompt military assistance", it said.
"The unity of the Baltic states and Poland on security and support for Ukraine is extremely valuable," it quoted Nauseda as saying. "By acting together to promote our interests, we will achieve the desired result much more quickly in maximizing the security for NATO’s eastern flank and securing victory for Ukraine."
The Baltic and Polish presidents also discussed grain exports from Ukraine.
Nauseda underlined the need for finding alternative routes to transport grain following Russia's exit from the Black Sea grain deal.
"According to the president, the export of grain through Baltic Sea ports would help to solve the problem by making the most of the capacities of Klaipeda, Riga, Tallinn, and other ports," his office said.
"However, for this to happen, joint efforts between the countries are needed to remove administrative barriers," it said.
At the meeting, Nauseda urged his counterparts "to make use of the Three Seas Initiative to improve the region’s infrastructure and connectivity".
The Lithuanian leader "stressed that Russia's war against Ukraine has highlighted the importance of joint infrastructure projects in the region to ensure security and military mobility".
In his words, "the Three Seas Initiative Summit will be a timely moment to make progress on the development of the North-South corridor links, enhancing military mobility, implementing the Ukraine reconstruction projects, and developing EU-Ukraine solidarity lanes".
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Lithuanian, Polish defmins to meet at Belarus border to discuss security situation
VILNIUS, Sep 20, BNS – Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas is meeting with his Polish counterpart, Mariusz Blaszczak, at the intersection of the Lithuanian, Polish and Belarusian borders on Wednesday.
The informal meeting on the Polish side of the border will focus on the security situation at the border with Belarus and assistance to Ukraine, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry has said.
It has told BNS that Lithuania will invite Poland join a mine clearance coalition that is being formed to help Ukraine.
Anusauskas and Blaszczak are also expected to discuss the strengthening of NATO's Eastern flank, and bilateral defense cooperation.
Since 2021, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland have been facing a migration crisis that they say is being orchestrated by Minsk.
The three countries have deployed military personnel to help border guards cope with the inflow of irregular migrants trying to cross in from Belarus.
Poland announced in mid-August that it had reinforced its forces in response to Minsk's rhetoric, in an effort to deter its pro-Russian neighbor from possible provocations.
Since the adoption of a pushback policy in 2021, over 72,000 irregular migrants have been denied entry to Poland, around 21,000 to Lithuania, and some 17,000 to Latvia.
The Lithuanian State Border Guard Service says that illegal migration to the three countries and the EU as a whole is being facilitated by Belarusian officials.
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Lithuanian president meets potential US investors in New York
VILNIUS, Sep 20, BNS – As part of his visit to New York, President Gitanas Nauseda on Tuesday met with an unnamed group of US companies interested in investing in Lithuania, his office said on Wednesday.
"What we have managed to create in Lithuania over the past decades can be called an economic miracle. Our membership of the European Union is a complete success story," it quoted Nauseda saying in a press release.
"Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, we managed to maintain stability, and while most countries experienced an economic downturn, our GDP did not decline by a single percent in 2020," he noted.
Nauseda said that Lithuania's close political ties with the US create excellent conditions for expanding economic cooperation and that he sees many opportunities for cooperation in life sciences, information and financial technologies, and cybersecurity.
The president told the potential US investors that Lithuania is actively investing in its security and energy independence and keeps improving its investment environment, business and digital infrastructure, according to the press release.
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Lithuanian president to address UN General Assembly in New York
VILNIUS, Sep 20, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda is to deliver a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Wednesday.
Nauseda's fifth address to world leaders will focus on maintaining the multilateral world order based on international law, security issues, a global and collective response to Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine, and accountability for crimes of war and aggression, the president's office has said.
"It is very important for me to underline that sustainable development is a commitment we all have for the future. This must be built in peacetime conditions," Nauseda told the public broadcaster LRT.
"It cannot be that one state, one day, comes up with an idea and starts questioning another state's right to exist. This cannot happen in Europe, in this case we are talking about a state in the middle of Europe, or in Africa, Asia and other continents," the Lithuanian leader said.
"It is very important that this fundamental principle, the implementation of the climate change goals, takes place in a peaceful environment," the president said.
"It is the responsibility of all of us to build the world based on the principles of peace and to achieve the goals that we have set for ourselves, and this is our responsibility not only to the people who live today, but also when it comes to climate change, to the people who will live after us, to our future generations," he added.
Later on Wednesday, Nauseda is to address an open UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine.
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Lithuania reports 369 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
VILNIUS, Sep 20, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 369 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 41, including two ICU cases.
The 14-day primary infection rate has risen to 111 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 22.8 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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Lithuanian formin calls public debate on cluster munitions 'premature'
VILNIUS, Sep 20, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis says public discussions on the country's possible withdrawal from the agreement on cluster munitions are premature right now.
"Public comments and a working discussion through the press on sensitive issues concerning national security and international obligations would not look professional, while inter-institutional coordination and analysis is underway, and it would not contribute to a better representation of Lithuania's interests," Landsbergis told BNS through his spokeswoman Paulina Levickyte.
Landsbergis also pointed out that it is the president's prerogative to formally submit a proposal to the Seimas to withdraw from the convention, according to the country's Constitution and laws.
The delfi.lt news website reported on Monday that the Defense Ministry had proposed to the SDC to consider withdrawing from the convention banning the use of cluster munitions.
The presidential office told BNS on Monday the SDC has no intention to discuss the matter any time soon.
Speaker of the Seimas Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen also says there's no need to do so, and Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte believes there's no easy answer to this question.
The Defense Ministry believes that cluster munitions are a highly effective means of defense Lithuania should be able to use, according to the report. The ministry is of the opinion that in the event of an armed conflict against Lithuania, Russia and Belarus would undoubtedly use cluster munitions, which would give them a military advantage.
The ministry stresses that the US is not involved in the treaty, as well as "other countries, such as Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Turkey, who are our allies and with whom we plan to defend ourselves against possible aggression".
Lithuania joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions in 2011. It prohibits the use, production and acquisition of cluster munitions and sets out specific obligations to address the humanitarian consequences of these weapons.
In mid-July, the United States handed over such munitions, banned in many countries, to Ukraine as it's defending itself against Russian aggression.
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Plans in Lithuania to open Holocaust, Vilnius Ghetto museum in 2025
VILNIUS, Sep 20, BNS - A court has temporarily suspended a tender for a contractor as the Vilna Gaon Museum of Jewish History is looking who could renovate its premises in Vilnius to house a museum of the Holocaust in Lithuania and the Vilnius Ghetto. However, the Vilna Gaon Museum's director Simonas Strelcovas hopes this will not prevent to open the new museum to visitors in 2025.
He says the court decision is being appealed and hopes this will not delay the renovation process.
"I cannot comment in detail on the process. The interim measures have also been appealed as they are causing significant financial losses to the state because we have to absorb a large amount of money this year. (...) It is supposed to open in 2025, and I hope it will," Strelcovas told BNS.
In his words, the goal is to open the new museum in the former ghetto library where a school operated during the Soviet era. The building was later handed over to the Vilna Gaon Museum.
"The building is definitely in a poor shape (...). It is of historical value, which is rare in Central and Eastern Europe where cities or towns were destroyed during the war, and we have a historical building where we want to open a good museum," Strelcovas said.
The new museum will house exhibitions reflecting the history of the Holocaust in Lithuania and the Vilnius Ghetto and featuring artefacts from the ghetto area and other exhibits.
By Erika Alonderytė-Kazlauskė
Editor: Roma Pakėnienė
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Most Lithuanians don't believe in Church's ability to uncover pedophilia cases – poll
VILNIUS, Sep 20, BNS – The majority of Lithuanians do not believe that the Lithuanian Catholic Church is capable of uncovering potential cases of pedophilia, according to the latest Baltijos Tyrimai survey published by the public broadcaster LRT on Wednesday.
It found that 20 percent of the Lithuanian population believe that the Lithuanian Catholic Church can independently uncover potential cases of pedophilia within the institution. However, 69 percent do not share this belief, because they think that the Church tends to cover up such cases.
One in ten respondents had no opinion or did not answer the question.
Women, people aged over 50, retirees and right-leaning respondents were more inclined to believe that the Lithuanian Catholic Church can uncover potential cases of pedophilia on its own.
Conversely, men, people aged 30-49, residents of district centers and smaller towns, respondents with higher than secondary education, and those with left-leaning views were less likely to have faith in the Church's ability to do so.
The survey also shows that individuals who trust the Church are more likely to believe in its ability to uncover potential cases of pedophilia within the institution (29 percent believe and 60 percent do not), compared to those who do not trust the Church (9 percent and 84 percent, respectively).
Baltijos Tyrimai polled 1,016 people in Lithuania between August 24 and September 5. The results of the representative survey, commissioned by LRT, have an error margin of up to 3.1 percent.
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Destinations, inflation boost travel companies' revenue in Lithuania – body
VILNIUS, Sep 20, BNS – Travel companies have seen their revenue rise in Lithuania so far this year, and almost 50 percent of the increase is due to the fact that people are still longing for traveling, and inflation has also had an impact, says Zydre Gaveliene, president of Lithuania's National Tourism Business Association and the Lithuanian Chamber of Tourism, and CEO of Estravel Vilnius.
"People are longing traveling. Not everybody traveled last year, and the second thing is that the number of regular flight destinations and frequencies is insufficient, so in many cases a traveler is forced to choose a tour operator in order to have a good-priced and hassle-free trip," she said on Wednesday.
"The third thing is that the flight schedule was quite big, and the fourth thing is inflation in Lithuania. People often calculate how much a holiday in Lithuania and abroad will cost them," she said.
Tour operators saw their revenue grew by 47 percent in the first half of this year, from 244 million euros a year ago, and net profit jumped 3.7 times to 13.8 million euros.
Outbound tour operators posted the biggest increase in revenue as the existing geopolitical situation still prevents inbound tourism from flourishing, Gaveliene pointed out.
There are currently 187 tour operators in Lithuania.
By Erika Alonderytė-Kazlauskė
Editor: Roma Pakėnienė
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Lithuanian defmin awaits institutions' official responses regarding cluster munitions
VILNIUS, Sep 20, BNS – Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas says he will wait for institution's officials responses to his proposal for the State Defense Council to consider the country's possible withdrawal from the international treaty banning cluster munitions.
His comment comes after some politicians expressed doubts about such a proposal.
"I would, nevertheless, like to receive official answers with arguments," the minister told BNS on Wednesday, asked whether he intended to take his proposal back after the criticism.
Asked why he's proposing that the SDC, which includes Lithuania's top leaders, should decide on the withdrawal from the agreement, Anusauskas said it was an inter-institutional issue.
The delfi.lt news website reported on Monday that the Defense Ministry had proposed to the SDC to consider withdrawing from the convention banning the use of cluster munitions.
The presidential office told BNS on Monday the SDC has no intention to discuss the matter any time soon.
Speaker of the Seimas Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen also says there's no need to do so, and Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte believes there's no easy answer to this question.
The Defense Ministry believes that cluster munitions are a highly effective means of defense Lithuania should be able to use, according to the report. The ministry is of the opinion that in the event of an armed conflict against Lithuania, Russia and Belarus would undoubtedly use cluster munitions, which would give them a military advantage.
The ministry stresses that the US is not involved in the treaty, as well as "other countries, such as Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Poland, Romania and Turkey, who are our allies and with whom we plan to defend ourselves against possible aggression".
Lithuania joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions in 2011. It prohibits the use, production and acquisition of cluster munitions and sets out specific obligations to address the humanitarian consequences of these weapons.
In mid-July, the United States handed over such munitions, banned in many countries, to Ukraine as it's defending itself against Russian aggression.
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Lithuanian public security body to remain part of armed forces after reform – minister
VILNIUS, Sep 20, BNS – Lithuania's Public Security Service (PSS) will continue to be a part of the armed forces in the event of war after its proposed merger with the police, Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite said on Wednesday, adding that this function of the service will be bolstered.
"With the war in Ukraine ongoing, it is very important that the PSS performs the function of the armed forces as well as possible, and this decision (to merge it into the police) will allow us to ensure just that – addressing existing shortcomings and enhancing this function," she said.
However, opposition MPs criticize the reform as political and threaten to withdraw from parliamentary parties' defense and national security agreement.
According to their trade union, 50 PSS officers are expected to take part in a protest outside the Seimas building on Thursday, when the draft reform is scheduled to be tabled in the parliament.
On Wednesday, Bilotaite presented her ministry's proposal to merge the PSS into the police to members of the parliamentary Committees on National Security and Defense and on Legal Affairs
The interior minister says that by the Geneva Convention's protocol allows Lithuania to preserve the PSS as part of the armed forces, despite European conventions stating that the police cannot be a part of the armed forces.
"We have thoroughly analyzed the entire situation. The Geneva Convention's protocol permits a service like the PSS to be a part of the police while simultaneously performing armed forces functions," she told reporters at the parliament.
According to the minister, the reform is necessary to strengthen the protection of Lithuania's strategic facilities, for which the PSS is responsible.
Some opposition MPs oppose the government's proposed reform, with some saying that it "will destroy" the service.
Laurynas Kasciunas, chairman of the Committee on National Security and Defense, has also admitted that he has doubts about how the issue of the PSS's place within the armed forces will be resolved.
The draft amendments call for abolishing the PSS as a separate service and integrating it into the police system.
The Law on the Public Security Service would be repealed and the service's functions would be incorporated into the Police Law.
If the parliament approves the proposed changes, the PSS would become a part of the police as of March 1, 2024 and its officers would remain a part of the armed forces.
The Interior Ministry, which proposed the amendments, says that after the reform, the PSS would continue its operations as a separate legal entity, a specialized police agency, under the name of the Lithuanian Police Public Security Service.
The ministry says that the integration into the police system is planned based on the current PSS structure, ensuring the continuity of the service's tasks and social guarantees for its officers, who would retain their current positions.
By Jūratė Skėrytė, Milena Andrukaitytė
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Lithuanian Cabinet approves DefMin's EUR 52 mln cyber security development program
VILNIUS, Sep 20, BNS – Lithuania's Cabinet on Wednesday approved the Defense Ministry's national cyber security development program for 2023-2030.
The document points out that the current cyber security model is inadequate for the growing field of cyber security.
"It is important to emphasize that it is not only the interests of national cyber security, but it also covers interests of the police and related institutions," Liudas Alisauskas, head of the National Cyber Security Center, said at the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
"Under one program, we aim to have a laboratory and train specialists and experts. Under another program, we are upgrading the cyber defense architecture to create a unified platform to provide services to cyber security actors," he added.
The document foresees a major overhaul of the existing system for shaping and implementing the national cyber security policy by involving more institutions in the management and enforcement of security.
Also, the plan is to upgrade to update the system for cyber security governance and the organizational and technical requirements for cyber security, to introduce new technical and organizational tools, and address the issues of training professionals and educating staff of public institutions and establishments and the public.
The new program's total budget stands at 52.3 million euros.
The program is aimed at increasing the proportion of investigated critical cyber incidents from 50 to 100 percent over the next seven years, and for the proportion of people checking website security to rise from 23.3 to 40 percent.
By Augustas Stankevičius
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Lithuanian MPs receive threatening emails in Russian (media)
VILNIUS, Sep 20, BNS – Some members of the Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, on Wednesday received threatening emails in the Russian language on behalf of the Belarusian Terror Battalion, a military formation of Belarusian volunteers fighting against the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the Ukrainian side, and the authorities have been informed about them, the delfi.lt news website reports.
Some lawmakers were sent emails mentioning "Olga Karach" in their subject line, referring to the Migration Department's decision not to grant her asylum on the basis of the State Security Department's report stating that she poses a threat to national security.
"As we have been defending the European Union's sovereignty for the past 18 months, through your actions, you are destroying everything that has been built so hard. Therefore, we hasten to inform you that we will resort to radical methods targeting you and your families, unless a different decision is taken in relation to Karach," the letter to Lithuanian lawmakers reads, signed by the Terror Battalion.
Speaking with delfi.lt, Laurynas Kasciunas, chair of the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense, confirmed that he was aware of the threats and had forwarded them to the services.
Last month, Lithuania's Migration Department decided not to grant Karach asylum based on the State Security Department's conclusion that her residence in the country posed a threat to national security due to her links with Russian intelligence.
At the same time, however, the Migration Department, granted the head of Our House, a Belarusian organization, a temporary residence permit to live in Lithuania on humanitarian grounds, which can be extended.
Karach has been receiving residence permits in Lithuania since 2014 and applied for asylum last year.
Our House says it provides humanitarian, psychological and other assistance to Belarusians both in their homeland and in Lithuania, and monitors human rights violations. The organization was declared extremist by Minsk in 2022 and added to the terrorist list by the Belarusian KGB in 2021.
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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, September 21, 2023
VILNIUS, Sept 21, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, September 21, 2023:
PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to pay a working visit to LA.
SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to attend a ceremony to honor the memory of victims of the Jewish genocide in Lithuania at 2.40.
THE DEFENSE MINISTRY
A change ceremony for rotational US battalions to take place at the General Silvestras Zukauskas Training Area in Pabrade at 10 a.m.
CULTURE MINISTER Simonas Kairys to attend a ceremony a ceremony to honor the memory of victims of the Jewish genocide in Lithuania at the Ponary Memorial at 5 p.m.
HEALTH MINISTER Arunas Dulkys to attend The Economist's World Cancer Series_Europe 2023 conference in Brussels.
OTHER EVENTS
A Memory Road commemoration to take place in Rudninkai Square in Vilnius at 12.30 p.m., followed by a procession to Paneriai to mark the National Memorial Day for the Genocide of Lithuanian Jews and the 80th anniversary of the liquidation of the Vilnius Ghetto. A commemoration to take place at the Ponary Memorial at 3 p.m. Memorial events to take place in other Lithuanian cities.
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Lithuanian formin signs UN marine biodiversity conservation pact
VILNIUS, Sep 20, BNS - Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis on Wednesday signed an agreement on the conservation of marine biodiversity in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
"Lithuania is one of the 52 countries that have joined the High Ambition Coalition on BBNJ, and the signing of the agreement together with other EU member states will allow the ratification process to start," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The agreement addresses the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
Such areas cover almost two-thirds of the world's oceans and about 95 percent of their volume, and include the high seas and the international seabed area.
This agreement is the third implementation agreement based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, also signed by the EU and its member states.
The BBNJ also contributes to the goals and targets set out in the Global Biodiversity Strategy, in particular the goal of ensuring the effective conservation and management of at least 30 percent of the world's land, inland waters, coastal zones and oceans by 2030.
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Lithuanian president calls Russia's war against Ukraine 'global issue'
VILNIUS, Sep 20, BNS - Russia's war against Ukraine, which has been going on for more than 18 months, is a global issue, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly session in New York, he stressed that the international community can no longer allow Russia to manipulate and abuse global rules.
"From the very beginning, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has been a truly global issue. It affects global food security as well as nuclear safety," the Lithuanian leader said on Wednesday.
While the West condemns Russia's actions and actively contributes to repel its offensive, Latin America, Africa and parts of Asia are taking a much more moderate position. The US and European leaders are calling on these countries to show solidarity and reduce their ties with Moscow, but Russia is also trying to sway them to its side.
"The international community should put more pressure on Russia to stop deliberate attacks on Ukrainian civilians and civilian infrastructure. An unprecedented ecological catastrophe caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam should not be replicated in new, even more dangerous, forms," Nauseda said.
"This war of aggression must stop, with an immediate, complete and unconditional withdrawal of troops and military equipment from Ukrainian territory. And what I mean here is ALL territory – within the internationally recognized borders and territorial waters of 1991," Nauseda said.
The president voiced Lithuania's strong support for President Volodymyr Zelensky's Peace Formula, a plan which provides, among other things, for the withdrawal of all Russian forces and the restoration of Ukraine's state borders.
"It is a robust foundation for attaining peace, aligned with the universal principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence," Nauseda said.
"An old-style colonial war"
The established international norms and "the whole vision of an open and cooperative world order are currently hostages of Russia's imperialist ambitions", the Lithuanian president stressed in his speech, adding that this threatens the multilateral order of cooperation that has ensured peace and stability since the end of the Cold War.
"An old-style colonial war is back in Europe. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine aggravates the global situation across many areas, such as food and energy security, finance, climate, global health, and migration," he said.
"The integrity of the Charter of the United Nations and the rules-based international system is put at serious risk," Nauseda added.
According to the Lithuanian president, by carrying out the mass destruction of Ukrainian towns and cities, the killing of civilians and the forced eviction of people, the Kremlin's forces "bring dishonor to the United Nations Security Council, where Russia is still a permanent veto-wielding member".
He called on all UN member states to provide Ukraine with full humanitarian, military, economic and diplomatic assistance.
"International collaboration is vital in addressing the terrible impact of Russia’s invasion," Nauseda said.
The president also stressed the need to ensure that those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity are brought to justice.
Call on Russia
The president said that geopolitical solutions are needed to strengthen fragile economies.
"One possibility could be the opening of more Solidarity Lanes by offering alternative transportation for Ukrainian food products, for example, through the trusted Baltic Sea ports," Nauseda pointed out.
International support could also help boost local food production and the availability of fertilizers in vulnerable regions, the Lithuanian leader said.
"Looking into the issue of nuclear safety, Lithuania expects more active cooperation by Russia in protecting the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant according to the recommendations of the International Atomic Energy Agency," Nauseda said.
The largest nuclear power plant in Europe has been occupied by Russian forces since March 2022. Ukraine and the West fear that Russia may carry out provocations at the site.
"It is also with greatest concern that we follow recent decisions by Russia on arms control. Last year, Russia broke the emerging consensus in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review conference. Later, Belarus announced agreement to deploy Russia’s nuclear weapons on its territory, which goes against the international commitments under the same Treaty," Nauseda said.
"Finally, Russia officially announced its withdrawal from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. It means Russia is preparing for more war – not to settle for peace," he added.
The Lithuanian leader also underlined that "the only way for us to turn back the tide of destabilization that threatens us all is to join forces in building a better world.
"Neither justice nor peace is free. We must stand for peace. We must stand for justice," Nauseda said, ending his speech. "Today, I expect this Assembly to remain steadfast and condemn all kinds of aggression which clearly violate the Charter of the United Nations. However, to condemn is not enough. Decisive action must be taken."
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