LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, December 13, 2023
- One irregular migrant turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
- Lithuania has to either limit immigration or bolster intelligence – intelligence chief
- Lithuania reports 1,391 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
- Lithuanian govt to decide on DefMin's proposed conscription reform
- Lithuanian intelligence chief mulls turning to law enforcement over defamation
- SocDems, conservatives continue to top Lithuania's party rankings – Delfi/Spinter poll
- Police launch probe into Russia-praising Lithuanian citizen's statements
- Lithuanian PM congratulates Poland’s new Prime Minister Donald Tusk
- Lithuanian formin hopes to avoid past grievances in ties with Tusk government - BNS SPECIAL
- Bubnyte-Sirmene to join CC after position of Lithuanian govt's rep at ECHR abolished
- Lithuania to set up commission to coordinate preparations to host German brigade
- Lithuanian govt proposes Krivas for ambassador to Council of Europe
- Lithuanian president signs 2024 state budget
- Lithuanian formin discusses ties, support for Ukraine with new Polish counterpart
- Lithuania must step up gears of defense funding until 2030 - parlt committee chair
- Lithuanian court upholds fine for website for spreading disinformation
- Lithuanian president slams Hungary for objecting to start of EU accession talks with Kyiv
- Lithuania's Nauseda hopes to meet with Poland's Tusk in Brussels
Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, December 13, 2023
VILNIUS, Dec 13, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, December 13, 2023:
PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to attend the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Brussels.
SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to meet with Canadian Ambassador Jeanette Sautner at 10 a.m.
THE CABINET to hold its regular meeting and sitting at 1 p.m.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom
One irregular migrant turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
VILNIUS, Dec 13, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away one migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Wednesday morning.
This follows five straight days of no recorded attempts to enter the country illegally.
Latvia reported no attempts at illegal border crossings on Tuesday. Thirteen irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Monday, 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 almost 22,000 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 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.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 08, Vilnius newsroom
Lithuania has to either limit immigration or bolster intelligence – intelligence chief
VILNIUS, Dec 13, BNS – Lithuania's authorities have to either limit immigration or bolster intelligence capabilities as the country nears a point where officers will no longer be able to vet all arriving foreign nationals, Darius Jauniskis, director of the State Security Department (SSD), has said.
Around 17,000 immigrants arrive from Belarus alone annually, according to Jauniskis.
"We should think about how to stop this process," the intelligence agency's director told BNS in an interview.
"That threshold has not been reached, but I believe we are approaching a critical point," he said. "That is why I say that we should take these things very seriously and make certain decisions."
Jauniskis said that he understands businesses' needs to bring in labor, but added that this also poses "counter-intelligence risks that the state will not be able to cope with in the near future".
"Either we significantly beef up the capabilities of services, which is a rather lengthy and very costly process, or we take certain measures to halt the growth of diasporas," he said.
The SSD has warned earlier about an unprecedented level of activity from Belarus' KGB.
"I understand that the Belarusian opposition has always been a target for the secret services, always seen as a threat, but lately, we have been observing this very strong intensification," Jauniskis told BNS.
In an effort to curb immigration flows, several MPs of the ruling conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats in early December registered draft legislative amendments aimed at tightening restrictions on Belarusian citizens to make them the same as those currently applied to Russians. An exception would only apply to Belarusians arriving for highly skilled work.
Jauniskis says he supports these proposals.
"Of course I back them, because (...) my duty is to protect the Lithuanian state from counter-intelligence threats. I am always in favor of taking more drastic measures to reduce the risk to our citizens," he said.
However, the ruling bloc's leaders say that these proposals require a more detailed discussion.
By Saulius Jakučionis, Augustas Stankevičius
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 10, Vilnius newsroom
Lithuania reports 1,391 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
VILNIUS, Dec 13, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 1,391 new coronavirus infections and no deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Wednesday morning.
The 14-day primary infection rate has risen to 539.4 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 38.9 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 1.36 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.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 645 093 86, Vilnius newsroom
Lithuanian govt to decide on DefMin's proposed conscription reform
VILNIUS, Dec 13, BNS – The Lithuanian government is set to decide on Wednesday whether to approve the changes to the existing conscription procedure, proposed by the Defense Ministry.
As Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas told BNS earlier, the proposed changes would create legal preconditions for the implementation of universal male conscription.
Under the new model, the conscription age limit would be set at 18-21 years, instead of the existing 18-23 years, and studies in higher education establishments would not be seen as an exception to postpone military service.
Volunteers would be able to serve so between the ages of 18 and 38, unchanged from now.
Higher education students will be required to perform their service, either by attending the Junior Officer Commanders' training or by joining the National Defense Volunteer Force, thus combining it with their studies.
The reform will also include the reduction of the existing 9-month service time to six months for some conscripts.
Also, conscripts who have acquired a qualification in a profession that is in short supply in the army could serve for three months. The conscription age for such persons would be up to 30 years.
Young men on the conscript lists who are studying and living abroad will have the same choices as those studying and living in Lithuania.
There are also exceptions planned as conscripts who have been deferred on an individual basis would be called up to the age of 22 after the end of the foreseen circumstances. Also, in order to prevent the evasion of service, a conscription age of 30 years would be introduced for persons who have been called up for service but failed to report for service.
According to the ministry, the amendments are also aimed at enabling those who want to serve but are unable to perform compulsory military service because of their health condition. They will have to declare their willingness to serve, and the duration and form of service will be decided by the chief of defense.
In addition, the proposal is to increase the duration of alternative service from 10 to 12 months.
The changes would also extend the length of service in the active reserve and it would last 15 years instead of the existing 10 years. During this service, reserve troops would be periodically called up for repeated reserve training.
"Nevertheless, the 18-19-year-olds who finish school and start compulsory military service immediately after leaving school will remain the priority and ideal option," the Defense Ministry says.
The army estimates that up to 7,000 young men graduate from school each year and are fit for service.
Plans to reform conscription in Lithuania were announced in February and the bill was registered in August.
Once approved by the Cabinet, the proposed changed will still need the parliament's approval.
By Augustas Stankevičius
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom
Lithuanian intelligence chief mulls turning to law enforcement over defamation
VILNIUS, Dec 13, BNS – Darius Jauniskis, director of Lithuania's State Security Department (SSD), has said he is considering turning to law-enforcement bodies over possible defamation in the so-called whistleblower story currently under scrutiny by a parliamentary commission.
"I am thinking about it, yes," he told BNS in an interview.
The director said he does not see a pretext for this yet, but will wait to see the outcome of the parliamentary inquiry, part of which concerns his department's activities.
The temporary parliamentary inquiry commission is looking, among other things, into whether the SSD followed the law when vetting the inner circle and potential financial supporters of Gitanas Nauseda, who was then preparing to run in the 2019 presidential race, and whether it passed its findings to individuals unauthorized to access classified information.
Tomas Gailius, a former head of one of the SSD's boards, testified before the commission last week. The whistleblower back in 2019 turned to Vytautas Bakas, then chairman of the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense (CNSD), to report what he considered to be the department's unlawful actions.
Gailius testified that he understood from one of his conversations with Jauniskis that the information collected by his team could be disclosed to a person who had no right to access it and that the vetting had been ordered by this person.
In his interview with BNS, Jauniskis once again denied that the SSD information about Nauseda's inner circle had been leaked outside the department and said that the whistleblower's words contained "a lot of falsehood".
The director reiterated that his agency had adhered to laws and other legal acts.
"I myself have been on the floor of the Seimas twice and answered these questions," Jauniskis told BNS. "We have nothing more to add for now. If the commission has any questions, we are ready to answer them."
"How long can we keep repeating the same thing? We are not parrots. I say again: if there are certain questions, they will be answered according to the law," he added.
By Saulius Jakučionis
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 645 093 86, Vilnius newsroom
SocDems, conservatives continue to top Lithuania's party rankings – Delfi/Spinter poll
VILNIUS, Dec 13, BNS – The opposition Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) continues to top Lithuania's political party rankings, followed in second place by the ruling conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (HU-LCD), according to the latest Spinter Tyrimai opinion poll published by Delfi on Wednesday.
Some 13.8 percent of respondents said in November that they would vote for the LSDP and 9.7 percent supported the HU-LCD, compared to 15.5 percent and 10.5 percent, respectively, in the previous poll in October.
The opposition Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union ranked third with 8 percent (6.5 percent in October), followed in fourth position by the Liberal Movement, a member of the ruling coalition, with 6.6 percent (7.4 percent).
Further down the list was the opposition Democratic Union "For Lithuania" with 4 percent (5.5 percent) and the ruling Freedom Party with 3.3 percent (3.5 percent).
When asked who they saw as best-suited to be prime minister, 8.4 percent of those polled in November chose MEP Vilija Blinkeviciute, the LSDP leader, almost unchanged from 8.2 percent in the previous poll.
Ingrida Simonyte, the incumbent head of government, came in second with 7.2 percent (8 percent in October).
When asked about the current government's performance, 67.8 percent of respondents said their opinion was rather negative or negative (65.8 percent in the previous poll).
In the representative survey commissioned by Delfi, Spinter Tyrimai polled 1,015 people between November 17 and 29. The results of the poll have an error margin of 3.1 percent.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 08, Vilnius newsroom
Police launch probe into Russia-praising Lithuanian citizen's statements
VILNIUS, Dec 13, BNS - The Police Commissariat in Lithuania's eastern city of Salcininkai has launched a pre-trial investigation into the statements of a young Lithuanian man praising Russia in a video, Ramunas Matonis, the spokesman for the Police Department, told BNS.
In his words, the probe was launched into public incitement of violence or a physical violent treatment of a group of persons.
"On December 5, a pre-trial investigation under Article 170 of the Criminal Code into a threat of violence against a certain group of people was launched by the Salcininkai District Police Commissariat into this incident," Matonis told BNS.
Under this article, a person faces a fine, restriction of liberty, arrest or custodial sentence of up to three years.
The 15min.lt news website reported on Tuesday that Laurynas Kasciunas, the chair of the Seimas Committee on National Security and Defense, had asked the Prosecutor General's Office, the police and the State Security Department to launch an investigation into the case of the Lithuanian citizen who praised Russia in the video.
In the video, the man, who identified himself as Genadij Rogac, expressed support for Russia's war in Ukraine and disparaged Lithuania, saying that if someone "gave him a Kalashnikov", he would shoot the entire Seimas.
Ukrainian Edgar Mirotvorets shares videos of conversations on his social media accounts, pretending to be pro-Russian and provoking his interlocutors. He then discloses supporters of the Russian regime on social media.
On November 5, the Ukrainian activist shared a conversation with the Lithuanian man who identified himself as 22-year-old Genadij Rogac on his Youtube channel. The young man said he had wanted to beat up his Ukrainians co-workers in Vilnius several times, but feared that he might go to jail for it.
Photos of him wearing a Lithuanian army uniform started circulating on social media. According to the news website, Rogac completed his compulsory military service in 2022 and is currently a member of the ready reserve.
Kasciunas is asking the authorities to assess the young man's statements in terms of possible incitement to hatred, public support for international crimes and possible threats.
In a comment sent to BNS, the Lithuanian army also stated that "an assessment of the content has been initiated with a view to referring the matter to the competent authorities".
Commenting on the video, army representatives said it did not and would not have an impact on their activities, adding that, in this case, "a legal assessment is possible in accordance with the law, but must be carried out by the law enforcement authorities".
By Ingrida Steniulienė
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 685 411 94, Vilnius newsroom
Lithuanian PM congratulates Poland’s new Prime Minister Donald Tusk
VILNIUS, Dec 13, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte on Wednesday congratulated her newly appointed Polish counterpart Donald Tusk and said they would meet in Tallinn next week.
In her message of congratulation, Simonyte wished Tusk success in pursuit of Poland’s national goals, promoting the security and prosperity of the country, and strengthening the common European home.
The Lithuanian prime minister hopes to work with the new Polish government to successfully complete key bilateral projects, like the synchronization of the Baltic states' electricity grids with continental European networks and the Rail Baltica, and also take bilateral cooperation further "on all matters of shared concern".
In her message of congratulation, the Lithuanian prime minister also highlighted shared historical experience, common values and a commitment "to the ideals of freedom and democracy".
"History has repeatedly shown that the freedom of our nations is interconnected. Thus, I am convinced that common goals and exceptionally significant challenges of today will further bring our nations together, and we will firmly support each other in the European Union, NATO, and other international formats," Simonyte said.
The Lithuanian prime minister is set to go to Tallinn on Sunday to attend the Baltic prime ministers' meeting with Tusk.
"Yes, the prime minister will go to Tallinn for a formal meeting of the Baltic prime ministers," Ieva Skarelyte, the head of the prime minister's office, told BNS on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Tusk confirmed that his first visits as head of government would be this week's EU summit in Brussels and a trip to Tallinn to meet with the Baltic prime ministers.
Sworn in on Wednesday, Tusk led the Polish government between 2007 and 2014, and bilateral relations between Vilnius and Warsaw at the time were marred by disagreements over the investments of the Polish oil company Orlen and the situation of the Polish minority in Lithuania.
Radoslaw Sikorski, who served as foreign ministry in the previous Tusk government, will be Poland's top diplomat again. Previously, her reproached Lithuania over national minorities and other issues.
The Tusk-led coalition has replaced the right-wing Law and Justice party in Poland.
By Ignas Jačauskas
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 08, Vilnius newsroom
Lithuanian formin hopes to avoid past grievances in ties with Tusk government - BNS SPECIAL
VILNIUS, Dec 13, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said that he will set aside past grievances and focus on the future in his relations with Warsaw after Donald Tusk was sworn in as Poland's new prime minister on Wednesday.
"I believe that we will base our cooperation on this and not look back to the past. We will look to the future and (focus on) what we need to do," Landsbergis told BNS in an interview on Wednesday.
Tusk served as Poland's prime minister between 2007 and 2014. Bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries during that period were marred by disagreements over the Polish oil group Orlen's investments and the situation of the Polish minority.
Radoslaw Sikorski, who held the post of Poland's foreign minister back then and was also given the job in the new government, was particularly categorical towards Lithuania.
He has said in the past that he will not come to Lithuania until the national minority issues are resolved.
In excerpts from a secretly recorded conversation released by the Polish media in 2017, Sikorski told Orlen CEO Jacek Krawiec that he wanted to "to teach Lithuanians a lesson".
In the conversation laced with foul language, Poland's top diplomat referred to Lithuania as "a tiny state".
Reportedly, Sikorski's conversations were secretly recorded during private meetings in Warsaw restaurants in 2013 and 2014.
"I want to teach Lithuanians a lesson, so that they don't think that s***ting on Poland won't cost anything," Sikorski was quoted as saying.
In Wednesday's interview with BNS, Landsbergis described his relations with Sikorski as "excellent".
"I communicated with the then MEP Sikorski on more than one occasion. Our relations are really excellent," the minister said.
"I believe they are based, first of all, on the same geopolitical perception and the risks for both our countries," he added.
The Tusk-led coalition ousted the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party from power.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 239 64 16, Vilnius newsroom
Bubnyte-Sirmene to join CC after position of Lithuanian govt's rep at ECHR abolished
VILNIUS, Dec 13, BNS - Karolina Bubnyte-Sirmene, the Lithuanian government's representative at the European Court of Human Rights, will be transferred to the country's Constitutional Court after her existing position will be abolished next year, the government decided on Wednesday.
The Justice Ministry said it would represent the state at the ECHR and UN Committees as of January under the Law on the Civil Service, adding that the existing model of a one-man special officer is being replaced with new functions within the Justice Ministry.
Bubnyte-Sirmene will assume her new position as a senior advisor in late December.
She has represented Lithuania at the Strasbourg court since March 2014.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 08, Vilnius newsroom
Lithuania to set up commission to coordinate preparations to host German brigade
VILNIUS, Dec 13, BNS – The government on Wednesday gave the green light for setting up a commission to coordinate Lithuania's preparations to host Germany's brigade.
The commission will be made up of the prime minister, the chancellor of the government and all ministers except those for economy and innovation, energy and culture.
The commission will meet to discuss inter-institutional issues related to the German brigade's presence in the country and to initiate the adoption of the necessary decisions.
It will also consider measures needed to ensure the presence of the German unit and, when needed, submit proposals to the government "on the allocation of necessary resources or other decisions related to the implementation of such measures".
Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas has said in a press release that the commission is needed for the "smooth implementation of the brigade's deployment".
According to him, the commission will convene as needed to discuss the progress, challenges and decisions regarding the preparations to host the German brigade.
Anusauskas is also mandated to represent the government in a joint task group of the Lithuanian and German defense ministries.
Berlin intends to deploy its brigade in Lithuania over the next few years, with an interstate agreement on this matter expected to be signed next year.
The plan is to station a tank battalion, two maneuver battalions, an artillery battalion and a logistics battalion in Lithuania.
Vilnius and Berlin are currently negotiating what infrastructure Lithuania will have to provide for the incoming German troops.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has said that Lithuania will have to put in place not only military infrastructure, but also social infrastructure, such as schools, kindergartens and leisure facilities.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 645 093 86, Vilnius newsroom
Lithuanian govt proposes Krivas for ambassador to Council of Europe
VILNIUS, Dec 13, BNS – The government on Wednesday decided to nominate Andrius Krivas to serve as Lithuania's ambassador to the Council of Europe.
If approved by President Gitanas Nauseda, the diplomat will take office on January 3.
The Foreign Ministry says that the nomination has been discussed by the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and that the candidate's vetting procedures have been completed.
Krivas noted that Lithuania will chair the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers from May to November next year, adding that the representation in Strasbourg will be "a very important pillar of support" for the foreign minister "in performing this important function".
"We view the defense of democratic values against aggression and authoritarianism as a top priority," the diplomat said.
The search for a new ambassador to the Council of Europe began after Andrius Namavicius was recalled from the position on October 31.
The Foreign Minister then said that the decision to recall Namavicius, a lawyer by profession, was made in preparation for transferring him to Vilnius' embassy to the Netherlands to work with international legal institutions, as Lithuania is involved in legal proceedings at The Hague-based courts.
In Lithuania, ambassadors are appointed and dismissed by the president on the nomination of the government and with the approval of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 645 093 86, Vilnius newsroom
Lithuanian president signs 2024 state budget
VILNIUS, Dec 13, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Wednesday signed the law on the state budget for 2024, the presidential press service said.
The president also signed amendments to the Law on Corporate Income Tax to promote modern investments.
Nauseda reiterated that when adopting the 2024 budget, the ruling block failed to make use of all the possibilities to better meet the needs of the state and the population, although he acknowledged that the government had heard some of the criticism and improved the budget.
In his words, the 2024 budget lacked the commitment to raise teachers' salaries and the political parties' agreement on education policy and adherence to the government's program.
"I welcome the fact that the budget allows for an increase in funding for national defense next year, if the conditions are right. The government also increased funding for the country's roads, albeit by making a one-off decision at the end of the budget adoption process. Funding for non-formal education for children was also increased very slightly. However, the overall focus on families with children remains insufficient," the president was quoted as saying in the statement.
Nauseda also welcomes the fact that fiscal discipline has been respected in terms of expenditure planning as the budget deficit will stay below the Maastricht criterion of 3 percent of GDP and government debt will stand at 39.9 percent.
More than 2 billion euros, or 2.75 percent of GDP, has been earmarked for defense next year, and Nauseda says all financial instruments earmarked for defense must be used to the maximum extent possible, and at least 3 percent of GDP could be spent on defense, if there is a surplus of revenue.
Commenting on teachers' salaries, the president vowed to follow the country's economic forecasts in 2024 and remind the government of the promises it made to teachers.
Among other things, the president point out to the planned 10 percent increase in the minimum wage from 840 to 924 euros and the 20 percent increase in the non-taxable income rate that will go up from 625 to 747 euros, meaning that an additional 75 euro increase in income for the lowest earners.
Moreover, pensions will rise next year, bringing the country closer to the 50 percent ratio of the average pension and the average wage.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 17, Vilnius newsroom
Lithuanian formin discusses ties, support for Ukraine with new Polish counterpart
VILNIUS, Dec 13, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis had a phone conversation with his new Polish counterpart Radoslaw Sikorski on Wednesday and discussed bilateral and regional ties and support for Ukraine, Paulina Levickyte, the spokesperson for the Lithuanian minister, told BNS.
"Landsbergis congratulated newly-appointed Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. The ministers discussed bilateral and regional cooperation and ensuring full support for Ukraine," Levickyte told BNS.
Lithuania and Poland are strategic partners and share the same stance on many international issues, Landsbergis underlined during the conversation. He also thanked Sikorski for Poland's contribution to strengthening regional security and noted that further defense and security cooperation remains an important priority.
Sikorski will serve in the new Polish government led by Donald Tusk who was sworn in earlier on Wednesday.
Tusk also led the Polish government between 2007 and 2014. At the time, bilateral relations between Vilnius and Warsaw were marred by disagreements over the investment of the Polish oil company Orlen and the situation of the Polish minority in Lithuania.
Sikorski also served as foreign minister at the time and was very categorical towards Lithuania, saying that he will not come to Lithuania until the national minority issues have been resolved.
Polish media also released a secretly recorded conversation released in 2017 when Sikorski told Jacek Krawiec, the CEO of Orlen, that he wanted to "give the Lithuanians a lesson".
Speaking with BNS on Wednesday, Landsbergis said his relations with Sikorski were excellent and he also hoped to set aside past grievances and focus on the future relations with Warsaw.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 08, Vilnius newsroom
Lithuania must step up gears of defense funding until 2030 - parlt committee chair
VILNIUS, Dec 13, BNS – Lithuania must continue to increase the pace of defense funding until 2030, which requires clearing identifying the Armed Forces' needs, Mindaugas Linge, chairman of the parliamentary Committee on Budget and Finance (CBF), said on Wednesday.
"The critical period is until 2030. Until then, we must keep stepping up the gears, which requires more funding, too," Linge told BNS.
"Afterward, we should evaluate the situation based on how much democracy has emerged in the countries where we see risks. And if the processes move in a democratic way in Russia or Belarus after 2030, then we could think that this funding could be within the framework of (NATO) agreements," he said.
The CBF discussed the issue of defense funding in a closed meeting earlier on Wednesday.
According to Linge, the current financial planning allows the implementation of prioritized projects to be excessively extended in time, which is why the plans should be made more concrete and the need for funds should be linked to specific dates.
"For instance, the issue of creating a division. It has been publicly stated that with the current funding, it would be implemented by 2035, while our plan aims for 2030. Again, this involves additional amounts that we want to have as soon as possible," he said.
Liberal MP Vytautas Mitalas, who initiated the committee's discussion on defense matters, said that increased defense funding would also help the local defense industry to develop faster.
By purchasing more from Lithuanian manufacturers, more funds would remain in the country, making "the budget issue not so painful" compared to other areas, according to him.
Next year's total defense budget is planned at 2.06 billion euros, or 2.7 percent of GDP, compared to 2.76 percent this year.
The Defense Ministry has announced plans to spend more than 3.1 billion euros on the acquisition of military stockpiles over the next decade.
This year, the ministry has signed several ammunition procurement contracts, incloding medium-range surface-to-air AMRAAM missiles and Javelin anti-tank missiles from the United States, and Carl-Gustaf grenade launchers and RBS-70 short-range air defense missiles from Sweden. It is also buying ammunition of various caliber (from 4.6 to 40 mm) through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA).
According to the ministry, the national defense industry is also being incentivized as a contract was signed earlier this year with the Giraite Armaments Factory, a Lithuanian maker of small caliber ammunition, for the purchase of 7.62x51 mm ammunition.
Lithuania's defense budget earmarks a total of around 2.7 billion euros for acquisitions in 2024-2026.
By Jūratė Skėrytė, Milena Andrukaitytė
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 239 64 16, Vilnius newsroom
Lithuanian court upholds fine for website for spreading disinformation
VILNIUS, Dec 13, BNS - The Vilnius Regional Administrative Court last week rejected the appeal of the Musu TV (Our TV) website and upheld the Lithuanian Radio and Television Commission's decision to fine it 2,200 euros for spreading misinformation.
The court ruled that the website's operator was aware of and responsible for the content it chooses and uploads.
According to the court, the media watchdog was right to conclude that Musu TV had spread disinformation and that programs were uploaded onto its website knowingly and intentionally, and with the knowledge and understanding that they constituted disinformation.
Musu TV was fined on October 19, 2022.
According to the LRTC, the news reports published on the musutv.lt website were aimed at forming a favorable opinion towards Russia and Belarus' foreign policy, discrediting the Lithuanian authorities, their legitimacy, independence and democracy.
The reports also gave biased coverage of events in Donetsk and Luhansk, essentially questioning Ukraine's sovereignty and its territorial integrity, and justifying Russia's military aggression in these regions. The aim was to give the viewers the impression that Ukraine was in fact the aggressor in the military conflict with Russia and that Ukraine was using targeted military action against the civilian population. It was also alleged that Ukraine was run by Fascists and Nazis.
Moreover, the new reports in question highlighted Lithuania's dependence on other countries and lack of independence, and the foreign policy and actions of NATO governments were presented as warmongering and fomenting discord in Eastern Europe.
In its defense, Musu TV claimed that the reports referred to by the LRTC were not its content and that it was not responsible for the content published by others. The media watchdog, however, said, the first person who disseminates untrue information is liable for publishing it.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom
Lithuanian president slams Hungary for objecting to start of EU accession talks with Kyiv
VILNIUS, Dec 13, BNS - Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has criticized Hungary for objecting to the start of EU accession talks with Ukraine.
He made the remarks on Wednesday in Brussels as he arrived for a European Council meting that will focus on financial support for Ukraine and the possible start of its EU membership talks.
"By demonstrating its different approach from that of the whole EU, Hungary is harming itself in a sense as refraining from helping Ukraine at this time, whether we are talking about military support or political support or, in this case, the start of membership talks, it's like handing all the cards to Vladimir Putin," Nauseda said.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 10, Vilnius newsroom
Lithuania's Nauseda hopes to meet with Poland's Tusk in Brussels
VILNIUS, Dec 13, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda arrived in Brussels for a European Council meeting on Wednesday and hopes to hold a bilateral meeting with Poland's new Prime Minister Donald Tusk who is also attending the meeting.
"I think we might, given that we will be here in the same room and we will talk both formally and informally," Nauseda told reporters in Brussels. "Of course, it will be quite difficult to discuss all the details and technical issues that have to do with our bilateral relations during such a short encounter, but I really think that this bilateral (...) meeting will definitely take place."
The Tusk government was sworn in earlier on Wednesday. He also led the Polish government between 2007 and 2014. At the time, bilateral relations between Vilnius and Warsaw were marred by disagreements over the investment of the Polish oil company Orlen and the situation of the Polish minority in Lithuania.
When journalists pointed this out, Nauseda replied: "There is no need to be so scared".
Nauseda pointed out that he had already met Tusk once before when he took office as president in 2019 and Tusk was then ending his term as president of the European Council.
Over the next few days, EU leaders will discuss Western Balkan countries' further European integration and decide whether to launch membership talks with Ukraine and Georgia.
By Augustas Stankevičius, Saulius Jakučionis
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 10, Vilnius newsroom
