LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, November 28, 2023
- Five irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
- Lithuanian formin to meet German counterpart, attend forum in Berlin
- Paleckis' International Forum of Good Neighborhood liquidated in Lithuania
- Lithuania needed decision on universal draft back in 2022 – presidential aide
- Lithuania reports 1,855 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death
- Lithuanian formin's security statements strange, dangerous – advisor
- Lithuanian should resolve conflict with China 'in best possible way' – presidential aide
- Lithuanian translators' association awards Companion Prize to Polish Institute in Vilnius
- I do believe anti-Semitism, xenophobia won’t have place in parlt – Lithuanian speaker
- 12 candidates for natl culture, art prizes announced in Lithuania
- West 'waiting for Pearl Harbor' in Russia's war against Ukraine – Lithuanian formin
- West 'waiting for Pearl Harbor' in Russia's war against Ukraine – Lithuanian formin (expands)
- I do believe anti-Semitism, xenophobia won’t have place in parlt – Lithuanian speaker (expands)
- National security, energy among Lithuanian govt's top priorities in 2024 – PM (media)
- Lithuania's CEC starts registering voters who want to vote abroad next year
- Baltic foreign ministers to boycott OSCE meeting over Lavrov
- Baltics sign a declaration on future of Cohesion Policy
- 1st off-roaders ordered last year delivered to Lithuanian army
- Litvak Museum to open in Vilnius early next year
- New campaign to raise funds for Ukrainian heritage launched in Lithuania
- OSCE must decide between Russia's interests, European security – Lithuanian formin
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, November 29, 2023
- Lithuania backs Finland's move to close Russia border due to hybrid attack
Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, November 28, 2023
VILNIUS, Nov 28, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Tuesday, November 28, 2023:
PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to welcome participants of the Ukraine Green Recovery Conference at 11 a.m.; to light up the Christmas tree at the Presidential Palace with the First Lady at 3 p.m.
PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to attend a business conference at 9 a.m.; to take part in a discussion with young people at the European Commission Representation in Lithuania at 1 p.m.
SOCIAL SECURITY AND LABOR MINISTER Monika Navickiene to attend an EPSCO meeting in Brussels.
FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to attend the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum.
INTERIOR MINISTER Agne Bilotaite to attend the 91st Interpol General Assembly in Vienna.
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Five irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
VILNIUS, Nov 28, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away five migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Tuesday morning.
Latvia reported 26 attempts at illegal border crossings on Monday, and 44 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Sunday, according to the latest available information.
More than 2,500 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year.
Lithuanian border guards have prevented a total of over 21,800 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 influx of irregular migrants to the EU's eastern member states from Belarus began in 2021 and is blamed by the West on the Minsk regime.
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 German counterpart, attend forum in Berlin
VILNIUS, Nov 28, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis is to meet with his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock and participate in a foreign policy forum during his visiting to Berlin on Tuesday.
Landsbergis and Baerbock will open Berlin Foreign Policy Forum 2023, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry has said in a press release
The two ministers "will also discuss security and defense issues, including Germany’s brigade in Lithuania, support for Ukraine, the EU enlargement and other topics", it said.
In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Berlin has committed to relocating a military brigade to Lithuania by 2027. In turn, Vilnius has pledged to put in place the necessary infrastructure for the deployment.
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Paleckis' International Forum of Good Neighborhood liquidated in Lithuania
VILNIUS, Nov 28, BNS – Turto Bankas (Property Bank), Lithuania’s centralized public property management company, said on Tuesday it has liquidated the International Forum of Good Neighborhood, an organization co-founded by Algirdas Paleckis, a controversial figure serving his prison sentence for preparing to spy for Russia.
"We confirm the liquidation of Paleckis' institution," Turto Bankas' spokesman Karolis Vaitkevicius told BNS.
"The process proceeded smoothly and in compliance with the law. The fund's representatives cooperated," he added.
On February 20, the District Court of Vilnius Region recognized the Forum as unlawfully established and appointed Turto Bankas as its liquidator.
According to the court, the purpose of the organization was to act against Lithuania. It claimed to be speaking on behalf of the Lithuanian nation in Russia and denied the European and transatlantic integration enshrined in the Constitution.
The Forum lodged an appeal, but Vilnius Regional Court in mid-May upheld the first-instance court's ruling.
The Supreme Court of Lithuania did not accept the association's appeal for examination.
Since the Supreme Court's ruling is final and not subject to appeal, the proceedings in this civil case are closed.
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Lithuania needed decision on universal draft back in 2022 – presidential aide
VILNIUS, Nov 28, BNS – Lithuania should have made the decision to introduce universal military conscription last year, Kestutis Budrys, President Gitanas Nauseda's chief national security advisor, said on Monday, adding that it is too late and inadequate for the security situation to discuss it now.
"As far as universal conscription is concerned, we missed the right time. We could have made decisions last year, as we did in 2014 when we reintroduced (partial) conscription, and in the spring of 2015, we already had the first draft, relying solely on young men who enlisted voluntarily," Budrys told LRT TV.
"In the same way, if we had taken the decision in 2022, we would have already had a result – not necessarily this year, 2023, because we would have needed more preparation – but we would have already done our homework. Especially since we have done so many studies, measured everything, and calculated everything," he said.
Lithuania's draft conscription reform currently under discussion does not provide either for universal draft for men or compulsory military service for women.
"Talking now about preparing to discuss how to fix the current system, which has flaws, because we fail to draft (enough conscripts), the medical checkup level is either too high or too low, and so on, is not entirely adequate for the current situation," Budrys told LRT TV.
"We have to talk about the model we want to achieve rather than looking at what is not working in the current one, because (...) the forces are not sufficiently manned and we fail to call up as many conscripts as we should. We need to conclude this issue," he said.
Lithuania reintroduced partial military conscription in the spring of 2015 amid security concerns following Russia's annexation of Crimea. Up to 4,000 conscripts are called up for mandatory military service annually.
Last summer, the Defense Ministry proposed to reform conscription to make it more flexible and increase the annual number of draftees to around 5,000.
Last summer, the Defense Ministry proposed to reform conscription to make it more flexible and increase the annual number of draftees to around 5,000.
President Nauseda, the ruling conservatives and some other politicians are calling for universal conscription, but the idea does not enjoy broad support.
Supporters of universal conscription say it would increase the number of citizens ready to take up arms to defend the country and would reduce inequality, but critics argue that it makes more sense to invest in modernizing the professional army.
Chief of Defense General Valdemaras Rupsys has told BNS in a recent interview that Lithuania may have to focus on training officers rather than a reserve of privates in the future, which could make universal conscription irrelevant.
With universal military service, if only adult men were conscripted, their number could reach up to 7,000 per year, according to Rupsys.
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Lithuania reports 1,855 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death
VILNIUS, Nov 28, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 1,855 new coronavirus infections and one death from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Tuesday morning.
The 14-day primary infection rate has risen to 369.8 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 36.8 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.
COVID-19 incidence in Lithuania took an upward turn in mid-September after having stayed at a low level since May.
Two-thirds of the country's population have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab so far, according to the statistics.
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Lithuanian formin's security statements strange, dangerous – advisor
VILNIUS, Nov 28, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis' last week statements on security and doubts about collective defense are strange and dangerous, presidential advisor Asta Skaisgiryte says.
"If these are statement of the foreign minister, the minister who, as a representative of the executive branch, makes decisions, one should listen carefully because some of the messages are strange, to say the least, for example, when collective defense is questioned, as if it no longer works, and that one should look for some other forms of defense," she told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Tuesday.
"It is dangerous to question this because our allies read this too. If we don't believe it ourselves, how can we persuade those allies to defend us if, God forbid, it becomes necessary? In this sense, such talk is not only dangerous, it is downright harmful," Skaisgiryte said.
Last week, Landsbergis called for not giving in to apathy in thinking that Lithuania would be protected by NATO's Article 5 and urged to think about strategic changes in the country's defense.
In his words, the support given to Ukraine may not be enough to win against Russia as the latter could rebuild its forces for a new offensive within a few years. He made a similar point during his recent visit to Tallinn.
Skaisgiryte says it's unclear "under what hat the news is communicated" and whether Landsbergis was speaking as an MP, the leader of the ruling party, or as a political scientist who raises and refutes hypotheses.
"If it is the hat of an MP and, importantly, the party leader, it could be understood as a bit of pre-election talk to rally his followers to counter new threats, but in reality the threats are not new," Skaisgiryte said.
According to the presidential advisor, Lithuania's aim was to join NATO and "have that NATO umbrella" to feel more secure. Lithuania's security has been and is based on collective defense, she added.
"These messages are read by partners, they are read by allies, they are read by Lithuania's enemies. Everyone draws the appropriate conclusions. The Lithuanian citizen also draws conclusions and is may be confused now, thinking what is it now, where we are now and whether it is safe to live in Lithuania," said the presidential adviser said.
She says Lithuania should focus on its homework: the arrival and deployment of the German brigade in Lithuania as soon as possible, the strengthening of its army, and continuous preparations for total defense.
"The minister has been in this government for three years, and some things have been done. There is still work to be done. If we speak abroad, let us speak very responsibly," the advisor said.
Reacting to the foreign minister's remarks, President Gitanas Nauseda said last week that the threats had not changed so quickly and urged the country's top diplomat to "sit down and calm down".
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Lithuanian should resolve conflict with China 'in best possible way' – presidential aide
VILNIUS, Nov 28, BNS – Lithuania should end the conflict with China, which reached its peak a few years ago due to Vilnius' developing ties with Taiwan, Asta Skaisgiryte, President Gitanas Nauseda's chief foreign policy advisor, said on Tuesday.
"It would be good to resolve that conflict in a way that is as good for Lithuania as possible, because it was not good for Lithuania. Now it is completely clear; we see that," she told the Ziniu Radijas radio station.
Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said earlier in November that Lithuanian and Chinese officials were talking about normalizing diplomatic relations.
Beijing downgraded its diplomatic relations with Vilnius and imposed trade restrictions in 2021 after Lithuania allowed Taiwan to open its representative office in Vilnius with the word "Taiwanese", rather than "Taipei's", in its name.
Beijing interpreted this as Lithuania's support for Taiwan to act as an independent state, even though Vilnius insisted that it only maintained trade and cultural relations with Taipei.
Skaisgiryte noted that China is a key global player.
"We want to maintain diplomatic relations with them and, if possible, have more trade links than we currently have, because our trade with China is very small," she said.
While threats also come from China, such as cyber threats or those related to investments, "the world is not just black or white," according to the advisor,
"We should maintain a minimum of diplomatic relations with China," Skaisgiryte said.
At the same time, "we will continue, I hope, to maintain and develop trade relations with Taiwan as we did before," she added.
Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu visited Lithuania in early November, but he did not officially meet with government officials.
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Lithuanian translators' association awards Companion Prize to Polish Institute in Vilnius
VILNIUS, Nov 28, BNS – The Lithuanian Association of Literary Translators has named the Polish Institute in Vilnius as the winner of this year's Companion Prize.
The institute is being awarded for its continuous attention to translated literature and translators from Polish into Lithuanian, the association announced on Tuesday.
"The Polish Institute in Vilnius honors translators with Polish orders and medals, organizes competitions for translators from Polish to Lithuanian and from Lithuanian to Polish, and consistently supports the publication of Polish literature translations in Lithuania," it said in a statement.
In recent years, the Polish Institute has been celebrating St. Jerome's Day, and portraits of translators created for this occasion have already toured half of Lithuania, the association noted.
The winner will be presented with a diploma and a miniature sculpture by Arvydas Alisanka, a famous Lithuanian sculptor, at Vilnius' Town Hall on December 5.
Established in 2007, the Companion Prize is awarded to "a person or an organization for special merits in regard to literary translation and translator's profession during the previous year", according to the association.
"The aim of the prize is to appreciate the winner's work and contribution to the art of literary translation, to its popularization and dissemination".
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I do believe anti-Semitism, xenophobia won’t have place in parlt – Lithuanian speaker
VILNIUS, Nov 28, BNS - Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen believes there will be no room for hate speech, anti-Semitism and xenophobia in the Lithuanian parliament.
Speaking at an international conference on the Vilnius Ghetto in the Seimas on Tuesday, she said that "we are slowly finding ourselves in a zone of anti-European aggression that despises the values of Western civilization".
"I have strong hope that Lithuania has overcome its painful past and has courageously chosen a future of Western values. I firmly believe that we will always be on the side of those who create and build, not those who kill and destroy. I believe that hate speech, anti-Semitism and xenophobia will have no place in our parliament," she said.
She began her speech by expressing her condolences to the victims of the Hamas attack on Israel.
Last week, the Lithuanian Seimas decided to impeach Remigijus Zemaitaitis, a member of the non-attached political group in the Seimas, for his anti-Semitic statements, and referred his case to the Constitutional Court for it to assess whether his statements were unconstitutional.
The Seimas is hosting the international conference on Tuesday as the last event of marking the 80th anniversary of the anti-Nazi resistance and liquidation of the Vilnius Ghetto. It will summarize several months of events to commemorate the tens of thousands of victims of the ghetto, the organizers said.
The conference will feature special presentations by author and publisher Jonathan Brent, director of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, Rabbi Andrew Baker, director of International Jewish Affairs at the American Jewish Committee, and lawyer Monika Krawczyk, director of the Polish Jewish Historical Institute, and other guests.
The Vilnius Ghetto was established in the Old Town of Vilnius during the Nazi occupation on September 6, 1941. A total of about 40,000 Jews were imprisoned in the Vilnius Ghetto, and it was destroyed on September 23, 1943.
Only 2,000-3,000 of the ghetto's Jewish prisoners survived the end of the Nazi occupation.
More than 90 percent of the more than 200,000 Jews in Lithuania were killed during WWII. Over 900 Lithuanians have been recognized as Righteous Among the Nations for saving Jews.
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12 candidates for natl culture, art prizes announced in Lithuania
VILNIUS, Nov 28, BNS – The Commission of the Lithuanian National Culture and Art Prizes has selected 12 artists for this year's Lithuanian National Culture and Art Prizes.
The candidates for the country's top cultural award include photographer Violeta Bubelyte, writers Violeta Palcinskaite and Gintaras Grajauskas, art historian, artist, exhibition curator Giedre Jankeviciute, and painter and children's book author Kestutis Kasparavičius, actors Albinas Keleris and Rasa Samuolyte, translator Ruta Kumziene, interdisciplinary artist Egle Rakauskaite, costume designer Sandra Straukaite, composer Mindaugas Urbaitis, jeweller Sigitas Virpilaitis, the Culture Ministry said on Tuesday.
A total of 47 artists were nominated for the prizes by the public.
Six winners will be chosen from the 12 candidates and they will be announced on December 12.
The National Prizes for Culture and Art are awarded for the most significant works of culture and art created in the last seven years by Lithuanian artists and those from the global Lithuanian community, as well as to the works that have made a lasting creative contribution to culture and art.
The annual prizes are worth 800 basic social benefits, which currently amount to 39,200 euros.
The award ceremony will take place on February 16, Lithuania's State Restoration Day.
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West 'waiting for Pearl Harbor' in Russia's war against Ukraine – Lithuanian formin
VILNIUS, Nov 28, BNS – The West does not see Russia's war in Ukraine as an immediate threat, waiting for a Pearl Harbor-like shock to happen, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on Tuesday.
Lithuania's top diplomat drew the parallel to Japan's surprise attack in 1941, when the death of over 2,400 American soldiers prompted the US to enter World War II, during a discussion at a foreign policy forum in Berlin.
"We still aren't allowing the thought that this war is about us – not in a value description, you know, we fight because it's right, because it's a righteous war – but strategically that this affects us and that Russia is trying to undermine the West. That would mean that if Ukraine is unable to withstand, it will be our loss," he said.
Landsbergis said that Western nations are "not open and candid enough" about what the Russia-Ukraine war really means and suggested that this could be due to "the fear of escalation".
"In many cases we try to portray this as a regional, still far away geographically issue that might not affect us all. This is a major policy issue that should drive the debate," the minister said.
"As a person who is interested in history, what I am fearing is that we're waiting for Perl Harbor to happen," Landsbergis said.
"We passed all the stages already and we're like Perl Harbor has not happened, so we're fine. We're not fine," he added.
Landsbergis and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock opened Berlin Foreign Policy Forum 2023 on Tuesday.
The two ministers are also expected to discuss security and defense issues, including the deployment of Germany's brigade in Lithuania, and support for Ukraine, the EU enlargement and other topics.
In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Berlin has committed to relocating a military brigade to Lithuania by 2027. In turn, Vilnius has pledged to put in place the necessary infrastructure for the deployment.
Lithuania has consistently expressed support for Ukraine's EU membership in international forums.
In mid-November, the European Commission recommended that the EU start accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, and grant candidate status to Georgia. The proposal has yet to be approved by the bloc's leaders.
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West 'waiting for Pearl Harbor' in Russia's war against Ukraine – Lithuanian formin (expands)
Updated version: updates throughout
VILNIUS, Nov 28, BNS – The West does not see Russia's war in Ukraine as an immediate threat, waiting for a Pearl Harbor-like shock to happen, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on Tuesday.
Lithuania's top diplomat drew the parallel to Japan's surprise attack in 1941, when the death of over 2,400 American soldiers prompted the US to enter World War II, during a discussion at a foreign policy forum in Berlin.
"We still aren't allowing the thought that this war is about us – not in a value description, you know, we fight because it's right, because it's a righteous war – but strategically that this affects us and that Russia is trying to undermine the West. That would mean that if Ukraine is unable to withstand, it will be our loss," he said.
Landsbergis said that Western nations are "not open and candid enough" about what the Russia-Ukraine war really means and suggested that this could be due to "the fear of escalation".
"In many cases we try to portray this as a regional, still far away geographically issue that might not affect us all. This is a major policy issue that should drive the debate," the minister said.
"As a person who is interested in history, what I am fearing is that we're waiting for Perl Harbor to happen," Landsbergis said.
"We have passed all the stages already and we're like Perl Harbor has not happened, so we're fine. We're not fine," he added.
In his words, it’s a matter of time when "when the really really hard decisions will need to be made" and whether "we will be ready for them".
"If you were sure and your electorate was sure that this is already Perl Harbor happening, you would send everything you have in order for it really not to happen, to defend yourself, to defend Berlin, to defend Vilnius, to defend the borders and in extension, to defend Kyiv in the same way you'd defend your own country," the Lithuanian foreign minister said.
Landsbergis and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock opened the Berlin Foreign Policy Forum 2023 on Tuesday.
In his speech, Landsbergis said that the crises in different parts of the world were linked because they "are all useful for those who benefit from chaos and dismantling of the rules-based international order".
The situation in Ukraine and the reaction of the West are also being watched by other non-democratic leaders to see how they would react if they decided to "to fix a border here and there" or to resolve a minority issue.
„If we were able to help Ukraine win and restore the order, that would send a very strong signal that this is not the way to go, that even Russia was stopped, even a permanent Security Council member was stopped in Ukraine because of the coordinated efforts. So you shouldn't try that elsewhere. If we're unable to do that, I am worried that we're opening the gates for instability for quite a while," Landsbergis said.
The two ministers also discussed security and defense issues, including the deployment of Germany's brigade in Lithuania, and support for Ukraine, the EU enlargement and other topics.
In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Berlin has committed to relocating a military brigade to Lithuania by 2027. In turn, Vilnius has pledged to put in place the necessary infrastructure for the deployment.
Speaking about the brigade deployment, Landsbergis said it’s viewed by Lithuania as "a strategic decision, a strategic change", and compared to the then US President George W. Bush's 2002 speech in Vilnius and his promise that "anyone who would choose Lithuania as an enemy has also made an enemy of the United States of America".
Referring to the fact that the promise was inscribed on the wall of Vilnius City Hall, Landsbergis said he believed that "the German decision to send brigade should also find itself on the Town Hall because it's that important".
For her part, Baerbock said that as one of the strongest countries in the EU, Germany feels it must take responsibility for the security of others, just as it once did for its own.
„And this means also bringing the brigade to Lithuania. This means engaging heavily in the support of Ukraine, and this means also now in the Middle East not to say we cannot do anything because there's a big storm also in our own society, but doing the things that we believe that we can help to bring peace one day also to the Middle East," the German minister said.
She also stressed that, despite the German top court's ruling that the government had violated the borrowing brake rule enshrined in the country's constitution and that public debt cannot exceed 0.35 percent of the country's GDP, Germany would honor its commitments on the brigade and its support to Ukraine.
"The defense minister and I made that it very clear that we will not cut on the support to Ukraine because, as my colleague has said, this is not only a question of our own security," she said, adding that it's an investment in Germany's own security and the future of the rules-based world order.
Lithuania has consistently expressed support for Ukraine's EU membership in international forums.
In mid-November, the European Commission recommended that the EU start accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, and grant candidate status to Georgia. The proposal has yet to be approved by the bloc's leaders.
By Austėja Masiokaitė-Liubinienė
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I do believe anti-Semitism, xenophobia won’t have place in parlt – Lithuanian speaker (expands)
Updated version: adds Brent's comment
VILNIUS, Nov 28, BNS - Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen believes there will be no room for hate speech, anti-Semitism and xenophobia in the Lithuanian parliament.
Speaking at an international conference on the Vilnius Ghetto in the Seimas on Tuesday, she said that "we are slowly finding ourselves in a zone of anti-European aggression that despises the values of Western civilization".
"I have strong hope that Lithuania has overcome its painful past and has courageously chosen a future of Western values. I firmly believe that we will always be on the side of those who create and build, not those who kill and destroy. I believe that hate speech, anti-Semitism and xenophobia will have no place in our parliament," she said.
She began her speech by expressing her condolences to the victims of the Hamas attack on Israel.
Last week, the Lithuanian Seimas decided to impeach Remigijus Zemaitaitis, a member of the non-attached political group in the Seimas, for his anti-Semitic statements, and referred his case to the Constitutional Court for it to assess whether his statements were unconstitutional.
One of the speakers at the conference, Jonathan Brent, director of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, says the past century's myth that Jews are Bolsheviks is still alive and has led to anti-Semitic attacks worldwide.
"Ideas have consequences. One of principle ideas of this conference is the myth of the called Judeo-bolshevism which has bedeviled the Jewish relationship with so many of the European nations since the beginning of the 20th century. And it's still very much alive, as many of us know, in today's world," Brent said.
This myth, he said, became a lethal element in the lives of the Germans, Ukrainians, Poles, Lithuanians and others during the Holocaust, leading them to take part in the massacre of the Jews in the belief that it would save their own nations.
"Alas, the extermination of the Jews did not bring salvation or redemption, it brought destruction and human pain, tearing apart the human world," he said.
The Seimas is hosting the international conference on Tuesday as the last event of marking the 80th anniversary of the anti-Nazi resistance and liquidation of the Vilnius Ghetto. It will summarize several months of events to commemorate the tens of thousands of victims of the ghetto, the organizers said.
Besides Brent, speakers at the conference also include Rabbi Andrew Baker, director of International Jewish Affairs at the American Jewish Committee, and lawyer Monika Krawczyk, director of the Polish Jewish Historical Institute, and other guests.
The Vilnius Ghetto was established in the Old Town of Vilnius during the Nazi occupation on September 6, 1941. A total of about 40,000 Jews were imprisoned in the Vilnius Ghetto, and it was destroyed on September 23, 1943.
Only 2,000-3,000 of the ghetto's Jewish prisoners survived the end of the Nazi occupation.
More than 90 percent of the more than 200,000 Jews in Lithuania were killed during WWII. Over 900 Lithuanians have been recognized as Righteous Among the Nations for saving Jews.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 08, Vilnius newsroom
National security, energy among Lithuanian govt's top priorities in 2024 – PM (media)
VILNIUS, Nov 28, BNS – The Lithuanian government will focus on the challenges of the recent crises, first of all, on beefing up national security, in 2024, its last year in office, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said on Tuesday.
"We live in times where crises are stacking on top of each other. Hence, we have such poly-crisis times. And uncertainty remains the key word when we try to outline the forecasts for 2024," she said during the Verslas 2024 (Business 2024) conference hosted by the business paper Verslo Zinios.
The prime minister said that in 2024, the government will give top priority to bolstering national defense and modernizing the Armed Forces, and expects to make "maximum progress" in carrying out projects on military mobility and host country infrastructure for Germany's brigade.
"We can't just sit on the calm-down chair and rely on the allies to help us," she said.
Another priority is energy and energy security, according to the prime minister.
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Lithuania's CEC starts registering voters who want to vote abroad next year
VILNIUS, Nov 28, BNS – Lithuania's Central Electoral Commission has started registering voters who want to vote abroad in next year's elections.
All voters who wish to vote abroad by post or in person at Lithuania's diplomatic missions can register on rinkejopuslapis.lt, the election watchdog said on Tuesday.
"For the convenience of voters, the key new thing is the possibility to register to vote at once for all elections and referendums to be held next year," the CEC said.
Not only will Lithuanian citizens who permanently reside or study abroad be able to vote, but also those who will be temporarily away during the election period, for example on holiday or for work, will be able to do so.
If a voter was previously included in the list of voters abroad, they will have to register again in order to vote in the 2024 elections and referendum, the CEC said.
In the registration application, voters need to indicate the foreign country they are living or temporarily staying and enter an address. The form will also ask voters to choose how they will wish to vote: by post or by turning up at a diplomatic mission, consular establishment or additional polling station in person.
In this case, if voters wished to vote by post, they should enter the address of their permanent or temporary place of residence in the foreign country and provide other contact details.
Next year, Lithuania will hold a presidential election and a referendum on dual citizenship on May 12, elect its MEPs on June 9 and elect the new Seimas on October 13.
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Baltic foreign ministers to boycott OSCE meeting over Lavrov
VILNIUS, Nov 28, BNS – The Baltic foreign ministers said on Tuesday that they will boycott a meeting of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in North Macedonia after the announcement that it will be attended by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
"We deeply regret the decision enabling the personal participation of Russian Foreign Minister S. Lavrov at the 30th Session of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Skopje. It will only provide Russia with yet another propaganda opportunity," the three Baltic ministers said in a joint statement.
They warned that Lavrov's attendance "risks legitimizing aggressor Russia as a rightful member of our community of free nations, trivializing the atrocious crimes Russia has been committing, and putting up with Russia's blatant violation and contempt of the OSCE fundamental principles and commitments".
"We, the Ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, will not be part of this and will not share responsibility for consequences it will create," the statement reads.
Lavrov said Monday that North Macedonia, which has joined Western sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, has agreed to let him attend the annual meeting of the European security body in which Russia is a member.
Russian state media reported that EU member Bulgaria has informed Moscow that it will allow Lavrov's plane to cross its airspace.
In their joint statement, the Baltic ministers said that the international community has witnessed for the past two years "how one OSCE participating state has actively and brutally tried to annihilate another".
"Let us be very clear: Russia's war of aggression and atrocities against its sovereign and peaceful neighbor Ukraine blatantly violate international law, including the UN Charter, and constitute an attack on the OSCE and its underlying principles," they said.
The three ministers also noted "Russia's obstructive behavior within the OSCE itself – first, by blocking any OSCE presence and activities in Ukraine, then by blocking Estonia's 2024 chairmanship".
The top Baltic diplomats called for "an immediate unconditional halt to Russia's aggression, withdrawal of its troops from all occupied territories, compensation of damage caused, and full accountability for perpetrators of international crimes".
"None of this is in place. Nor do we see signs that Russia is even remotely considering compliance with its international obligations and OSCE commitments," they said.
According to the ministers, Russia is not currently part of the European security for which the OSCE was created, but on the contrary, "today Europe needs security from and against Russia".
"That is why we, the Foreign Ministers of the Baltic States, decided not to attend the OSCE Ministerial Council in Skopje. We remain ready to work with partners and participating States in upholding the OSCE principles, and against Russia’s aggression and the ideology behind it," they said in the joint statement.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to attend the OSCE meeting in Skopje, which will take place in the second half of this week.
Reportedly, Blinken and Lavrov are not scheduled to meet.
US officials have refrained from top-level contacts with Russia since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, although Blinken briefly met with Lavrov in March on the sidelines of a G20 meeting in India.
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Baltics sign a declaration on future of Cohesion Policy
VILNIUS, Nov 28, BNS - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have signed a joint declaration on the future of the Cohesion Policy. The document was signed during a discussion involving the finance ministers of the three Baltic states and representatives of the European Commission in Vilnius on Tuesday.
Lithuanian Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste says that Lithuania is among the leading countries investing Cohesion Policy funds and has no intention of slowing down, the Finance Ministry said.
"The geographical situation creates uncertainties and additional challenges that other countries do not necessarily face. Particularly in the context of the Russian war, we feel more uncertainty and are more easily affected. Therefore, the targeting, speed and adaptability of Cohesion Policy instruments to countries' needs would create an additional incentive for change," she said.
In addition to security and geographical aspects, the declaration notes that further consideration should be given to the further expansion of the European Union in the development of the Cohesion Policy strategy for 2027. The declaration also refers to the need to target financial instruments so that they reach the countries that need them in time.
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1st off-roaders ordered last year delivered to Lithuanian army
VILNIUS, Nov 28, BNS - The first Mercedes-Benz G 350 SUVs off-roaders ordered a year ago have been delivered to the Lithuanian Armed Forces.
Valued at 32 million euros, all the ordered vehicles are expected to be delivered over the next year, the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday without disclosing how many vehicles have been delivered.
"The Lithuanian army is rapidly upgrading its fleet with new and much-needed equipment. Today, the Lithuanian army can enjoy new Mercedes-Benz G 350 d military off-roaders that are indispensable vehicles both for peacetime tasks and for rear operations," Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas was quoted as saying in the statement.
The vehicles will be used by almost all military units of the Lithuanian Armed Forces for peacetime tasks, backup logistics and other operations.
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Litvak Museum to open in Vilnius early next year
VILNIUS, Nov 28, BNS – A new Museum of Culture and Identity of Lithuanian Jews, also known as the Litvak Museum, is planned to open in Vilnius early next year, the Vilna Gaon Museum of Jewish History said on Tuesday.
The new museum in a renovated four-story building on Pylimo Street will be the largest unit of the Vilna Gaon Museum.
"Its scope of exhibits and themes will surpass those of the main museum and all its units combined," the Vilna Gaon Museum said in a press release.
The four-story building will soon house 17 interactive exhibitions of contemporary design.
The new museum will present what has so far been shown in Lithuanian memory institutions in a very fragmented and inconsistent way, according to the press release.
"It will be the first museum in Lithuania to comprehensively and thoroughly present the history, culture, customs and various historical aspects of Lithuanian Jews," said Aivaras Poska, a historian serving as acting head of the Litvak Museum.
According to him, significant attention will also be given to world-famous Litvaks from or connected to Lithuania. The fourth floor will host a museum dedicated to Rafael Chwoles, one of the most prominent 20th-century Litvak artists.
The museum's exposition will help visitors to answer the questions of who a Lithuanian Jew is, who shaped and is shaping the identity of Lithuanian Jews, and how it has influenced Lithuanian culture.
The museum will aim to promote tolerance among cultures, and foster empathy and coexistence among nations.
More than 90 percent of Lithuania's pre-war Jewish population of over 200,000 were killed during World War Two.
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New campaign to raise funds for Ukrainian heritage launched in Lithuania
VILNIUS, Nov 28, BNS - A new campaign to support Ukraine was launched by the National Museum of Lithuania on Tuesday.
All funds raised during the campaign from November 28 to December 26 will be used to preserve the Ukrainian heritage destroyed by the Russians, as well as to purchase restoration materials and equipment, the museum said. The purchased items will be delivered to the National Museum of the History of Ukraine, from where they will be sent to other museums in the country.
Many museums have been affected by the Russian military action in Ukraine, the Lithuanian museum said.
Fedir Androshchuk, director, of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine, says Russia's war against Ukraine has fundamentally changed the work of museum staff as the permanent exhibition removed and exhibits have been hidden in safer places.
"The lion's share of exhibits for display are now in such a state that they need to be constantly maintained by restorers. The museum team is currently documenting the main events of the war and organizing temporary exhibitions presenting different aspects of Ukrainian history," he said.
He also drew attention to the illegal trade in cultural objects, in particular archaeological finds, and the publicity. The museum has managed to prevent many such cases in cooperation with law enforcement, he said.
"Our task is to preserve these museum treasures for future generations. Because of the war, there is a severe shortage of public funds for restoration materials and equipment. And that is why this donation initiative is so important for us and for the preservation of Ukraine's heritage in general," Androshchuk said.
Since the start of the war in February 2022, UNESCO has already recorded damage to 329 sites in Ukraine, including 125 religious buildings, 28 museums, 143 buildings of historical and artistic significance, 19 monuments, 13 libraries and one archive.
People in Lithuanian are invited to donate for this initiative by calling 1409 and donating five euros or transferring the desired amount to the special account.
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OSCE must decide between Russia's interests, European security – Lithuanian formin
VILNIUS, Nov 28, BNS - The Organization for Security and Co-Operation in Europe must make up its mind whether it seeks to support Russia's interests or Europe's security, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis says.
"The organization (OSCE – BNS) has to answer itself what does it stand for as an organization. Does it stand to support Russia's interest? Or does it stand to support European security (...). It's no longer doing that, unfortunately, because Russia is blocking everything, because Russia is a disrupter. We need to be very clear about it, and very blunt: we need security from Russia, not with Russia," Landsbergis said in Brussels on Tuesday.
His comment came in response to response that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov would attend the upcoming OSCE meting in North Macedonia. The Baltic states and Kyiv said earlier they would boycott the event.
"Russia has started the war not just against Ukraine, it started the war against all of us, against the values that we believe. We need to win it. And now, that we see the whole context, that we see that Lavrov is back, is put back at the table at the OSCE, and we're trying to define the future of European security with Russia? I mean how many times do we need to make this mistake?" Lithuania's top diplomat asked.
In his words, this way 'we're inviting Russia back to discuss something that is directly against not just our interests, but against our existence".
"We will be back when Russia is different," the minister added.
Earlier in the day, the Baltic foreign ministers said they would boycott the OSCE meeting in North Macedonia.
"We deeply regret the decision enabling the personal participation of Russian Foreign Minister S. Lavrov at the 30th Session of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Skopje. It will only provide Russia with yet another propaganda opportunity," the three Baltic ministers said in a joint statement.
They warned that Lavrov's attendance "risks legitimizing aggressor Russia as a rightful member of our community of free nations, trivializing the atrocious crimes Russia has been committing, and putting up with Russia's blatant violation and contempt of the OSCE fundamental principles and commitments".
"We, the Ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, will not be part of this and will not share responsibility for consequences it will create," the statement reads.
Lavrov said Monday that North Macedonia, which has joined Western sanctions over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, has agreed to let him attend the annual meeting of the European security body in which Russia is a member.
Russian state media reported that EU member Bulgaria had informed Moscow it would allow Lavrov's plane to cross its airspace.
In their joint statement, the Baltic ministers said that the international community has witnessed for the past two years "how one OSCE participating state has actively and brutally tried to annihilate another".
"Let us be very clear: Russia's war of aggression and atrocities against its sovereign and peaceful neighbor Ukraine blatantly violate international law, including the UN Charter, and constitute an attack on the OSCE and its underlying principles," they said.
The three ministers also noted "Russia's obstructive behavior within the OSCE itself – first, by blocking any OSCE presence and activities in Ukraine, then by blocking Estonia's 2024 chairmanship".
The top Baltic diplomats called for "an immediate unconditional halt to Russia's aggression, withdrawal of its troops from all occupied territories, compensation of damage caused, and full accountability for perpetrators of international crimes".
"None of this is in place. Nor do we see signs that Russia is even remotely considering compliance with its international obligations and OSCE commitments," they said.
According to the ministers, Russia is not currently part of the European security for which the OSCE was created, but on the contrary, "today Europe needs security from and against Russia".
"That is why we, the Foreign Ministers of the Baltic States, decided not to attend the OSCE Ministerial Council in Skopje. We remain ready to work with partners and participating States in upholding the OSCE principles, and against Russia’s aggression and the ideology behind it," they said in the joint statement.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to attend the OSCE meeting in Skopje, which will take place in the second half of this week.
Reportedly, Blinken and Lavrov are not scheduled to meet.
US officials have refrained from top-level contacts with Russia since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, although Blinken briefly met with Lavrov in March on the sidelines of a G20 meeting in India.
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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, November 29, 2023
VILNIUS, Nov 29, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, November 29, 2023:
SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to meet with Czech Ambassador Ales Opata at 11 a.m.
THE CABINET to hold its regular meeting and sitting at 1 p.m.
FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to attend a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels.
INTERIOR MINISTER Agne Bilotaite to pay a working visit to Vienna.
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Lithuania backs Finland's move to close Russia border due to hybrid attack
VILNIUS, Nov 28, BNS - Lithuania supports Finland's decision to close its last border crossing with Russia due to the recent influx of migrants, Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite said on Tuesday.
"We support the national decision of Finland, which is experiencing a hybrid attack organized by Russia, to close all border checkpoints with Russia," the minister told BNS. "We do not see the need for a regional solution at the moment. The situation is cam on the Lithuanian borders at the moment. We have clear threat indicators and we will act on them. We are monitoring the situation and will react, if there are changes."
Earlier in the day, Finland's prime minister said the country would close the last crossing on its border with Russia because of the influx of migrants, which Helsinki says is a hybrid attack orchestrated by Moscow.
Lithuania, Latvia and Poland faced an influx of migrants from Belarus in 2021, which the West blames on the Minsk regime. Recently, sporadic attempts to cross the border have been recorded at the Lithuanian border, while dozens have been recorded in neighboring countries.
By Austėja Masiokaitė-Liubinienė
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