LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
- Lithuanian president in Brussels urges Western Balkans to support Kyiv
- Lithuanian president, other EU leaders seek to break Hungary's veto on Ukraine
- Lithuania signs contract to buy new NASAMS air defense system
- Lithuania signs EUR 200 mln contract to buy new NASAMS air defense system (expands)
- Lithuania reports 1,219 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
- Latvians' concern over nuclear waste border disposal 'premature' – Lithuanian minister
- Lithuanian president ready to invite political parties for defense talks – advisor
- Lithuanian MPs to decide on banning troops from traveling to unfriendly countries
- Lithuanian president, other EU leaders seek to break Hungary's veto on Ukraine (updates)
- Failure to convince Hungary would move talks on Ukraine's future to March – Landsbergis
- German brigade deployment plan to be signed next week – Lithuanian DefMin
- Presidential office stalls appointment of Polish ambassador – Lithuanian formin
- Lithuanian parlt OKs use of night sights for hunting
- German brigade deployment plan to be signed next week – Lithuanian DefMin (expands)
- Appointment of Lithuania's ambassador to Poland has taken too long – PM
- Residence permit issuance suspended for 2,000 Belarusians in Lithuania – Tsikhanouskaya
- Residence permit issuance suspended for 2,000 Belarusians in Lithuania – Tsikhanouskaya (expands)
- Lithuanian parlt bans professional troops from traveling to unfriendly countries
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, December 15, 2023
Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
VILNIUS, Dec 14, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away ... migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Thursday morning.
Latvia reported 16 attempts at illegal border crossings on Wednesday, and 13 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Tuesday, 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.
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Lithuanian president in Brussels urges Western Balkans to support Kyiv
VILNIUS, Dec 14, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda took part in Wednesday's EU-Western Balkans summit in Brussels to discuss security policies and the progress of the region's integration into the bloc.
At the summit, Nauseda emphasized that "synchronizing" the Western Balkan's position with the EU's foreign and security policies is essential for closer cooperation, his office said in a press release.
The Lithuanian president called on Western Balkan leaders to implement the EU's sanctions against Russia and Belarus and to prevent the circumvention of the restrictions.
"If we want peace and stability in Europe, we must make every effort to support Ukraine," Nauseda said in the press release.
"If Russia's aggression is not stopped in Ukraine, Europe will face new attempts by Russia to ignite conflicts and foment discord in neighboring countries, including the Western Balkans," he said.
The president underlined the significance of EU enlargement for the well-being of Europe as a whole and underscored Lithuania's support for the enlargement process in the Western Balkans, based on reforms, especially in the areas of the fight against corruption, the rule of law, and the independence of judiciary, according to the press release.
According to Nauseda, regional cooperation and good relations among Western Balkan countries also remain important.
He urged Serbia and Kosovo to make efforts to de-escalate tensions and return to constructive dialogue.
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Lithuanian president, other EU leaders seek to break Hungary's veto on Ukraine
BRUSSELS, Dec 14, BNS – EU leaders are starting in Brussels on Thursday two days of intensive talks on a 50-billion-euro financial package to Ukraine and the opening of accession negotiations with Kyiv.
Both measures require the unanimous approval of all 27 member states, but have so far been opposed by Hungary.
On the eve of the European Council summit, the European Commission released 10 billion euros of funding for Hungary, saying that the country has taken measures to improve the judiciary's independence. However, around 20 billion euros in EU money remains blocked.
Critics accuse the Commission of giving in to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's "blackmail". Brussels rejects the criticism, insisting that the funds have been unblocked because Budapest has met its commitments.
The Commission proposed a review of the bloc's budget back in the summer, including a new financial instrument to support Kyiv. These funds, made up of grants and loans, amount to around 50 billion euros.
It is said in the corridors of Brussels that if efforts to persuade Hungary to back the aid package fail, the remaining 26 member states could set up a separate assistance fund for Ukraine.
The start of Ukraine's membership negotiations poses more challenges, as such a decision requires a unanimous vote.
Nauseda says that by blocking the opening of Ukraine's accession talks, Hungary gives "additional arguments to the camp of sceptics who say that we have to move to simple or qualified majority voting" in the EU.
"We certainly don't want that. I think Hungary, as a rather small country, should not want that," he told reporters on the eve of the talks.
Budapest says that Ukraine's accession talks remain a "red line" for Hungary. According to Orban, Ukraine is one of the most corrupt countries in the world and is not ready to join the EU.
By Augustas Stankevičius
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Lithuania signs contract to buy new NASAMS air defense system
VILNIUS, Dec 14, BNS – The Lithuanian Defense Ministry has signed a contract to purchase a new NASAMS system.
This marks the start of the second phase of procurement of the medium-range air defense system, the ministry said in a press release on Thursday.
"This week, an acquisition contract was signed with Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace, the Norwegian company that produces the system," it said.
Part of the NASAMS equipment acquired in the second phase is expected to be delivered to Lithuania in 2026.
The Defense Ministry launched the first NASAMS procurement phase in 2016. The system reached Lithuania in 2020 and was successfully integrated into its Armed Forces in 2022, after the completion of personnel training.
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Lithuania signs EUR 200 mln contract to buy new NASAMS air defense system (expands)
VILNIUS, Dec 14, BNS – The Lithuanian Defense Ministry has signed a 200-million-euro contract to purchase a new NASAMS system from its Norwegian manufacturer.
This marks the start of the second phase of procurement of the medium-range air defense system, the ministry said in a press release on Thursday.
"In order to strengthen the country's air defense in the most effective way, the Lithuanian Armed Forces will purchase and further develop the NASAMS system," it said. "This week, an acquisition contract was signed with Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace, the Norwegian company that produces the system."
According to the ministry, the value of the newly-procured NASAMS system is around 200 million euros. This covers system components, a package of spare parts and tools, training of operators and technical staff, and integration of the existing and newly-purchased systems.
Part of the NASAMS equipment acquired in the second phase is expected to be delivered to Lithuania in 2026.
The Defense Ministry launched the first NASAMS procurement phase in 2016. The system reached Lithuania in 2020 and was successfully integrated into its Armed Forces in 2022 after the completion of personnel training.
NASAMS is the most widely used medium-range air defense system across NATO and is fully in line with the requirements for Lithuania's defense capabilities, according to the press release.
The third generation air defense systems are designed to destroy various types of aircraft, cruise missiles and remotely piloted aircraft, it said.
The ministry notes that by further developing the NASAMS system, Lithuania maintains "not only the full compatibility of the existing and newly-procured systems, but also the logistical and administrative integrity, and the interchangeability of the system components and personnel".
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Lithuania reports 1,219 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
VILNIUS, Dec 14, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 1,219 new coronavirus infections and no deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Thursday morning.
The 14-day primary infection rate has risen to 544.8 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 38.2 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.
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Latvians' concern over nuclear waste border disposal 'premature' – Lithuanian minister
VILNIUS, Dec 14, BNS – As Latvia is concerned aboutLithuania's plans to bury nuclear waste close to its border, Lithuanian Environment Minister Simonas Gentvilas says the Latvians' concern is premature as the process of selecting a disposal site is still ongoing.
"The process is now underway, and we are looking into 77 sites around Lithuania, and the Latvians' concern is a bit premature because in general those sites would probably not be near Latvia. But I think that basically world science will find out in 50 years how to use radioactive waste and we will not have to spend 2.5 billion euros on the installation of that underground repository," Gentvilas told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Thursday.
Citing Latvijas Radio, Lithuania's public broadcaster LRT reported on Wednesday that the existing waste disposal plan had raised concern among residents of the Latvian municipality of Augsdaugava. The neighbors are angered by the latest plans to build a bitumen radioactive waste repository just 8 km from the Latvian-Lithuanian border.
Gentvilas says the search for a repository site is underway in the southern part of Lithuania, adding that waste would be buried some 400 m underground. Right now, the radioactive materials are containerized in capsules with a lifespan of 50 years and are stored near the Visaginas nuclear power plant.
"We have 50 years to find a place, dig an underground storage facility, place it, and this is being done on a scientific basis, and geologists are discussing potential sites in Lithuania," the minister said.
Once the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant is completely closed, it is important to find a place to put radioactive waste for a long period of time, tens of thousands of years, the minister said, adding that there's global agreement that countries cannot export their radioactive waste and have to solve the storage issue themselves.
The Ignalina NPP in Lithuania was launched in 1983. In 2009, the plant was shut down at the request of the European Union, and the question then arose as to its dismantling and the disposal of radioactive waste.
By Jurgita Andriejauskaitė
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Lithuanian president ready to invite political parties for defense talks – advisor
VILNIUS, Dec 14, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda is ready to invite political parties for talks on how to bolster national defense if they fail to reach agreement on the matter, Kestutis Budrys, his chief national security advisor, has said.
"Alongside the election cycle, there is also a cycle of war and therefore, consensus is necessary," Budrys said during the Lithuania Speaks program on LRT TV on Wednesday evening.
"If this solidarity cannot be maintained after the show, the president (...) will certainly be ready to invite the parties," he added.
Discussions among politicians on beefing up defense capabilities are intensifying after Ukraine's failure to conduct a swift and successful counteroffensive against Russia this year and amid experts' warnings that Moscow, which is rebuilding its capabilities, could increase pressure on NATO in the future.
The ruling conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats vow to make efforts to rally support for a new tax to boost defense funding and for universal military conscription.
By Saulius Jakučionis
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Lithuanian MPs to decide on banning troops from traveling to unfriendly countries
VILNIUS, Dec 14, BNS –Lithuanian lawmakers are set on Thursday to considering amendments that would ban the country's professional troops from traveling to countries posing a threat to Lithuania's national security for non-service purposes.
Such legal changes have been initiated by the Defense Ministry. The bill stipulates that the government would approve a list of countries or territories troops would be banned from traveling to.
In early December, the Defense Ministry published an initial list of such countries and it includes Russia and its occupied Crimea, Belarus, as well as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, including the Transnistrian region, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and the Abkhazian and South Ossetian regions of Georgia.
Also, professional troops would not be allowed to travel to foreign countries or territories if the Foreign Ministry advised citizens against traveling to these countries or told them to leave immediately.
Under the proposed amendments, the government could determine cases, including exceptions due to personal circumstances, and the procedure when professional troops could travel to foreign countries or territories included in the list with a permit or declaration of information on departure.
The Defense Ministry says such a ban has to do with national security interests.
In late September, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Center reported that people working with classified information would not be able to travel to Russia, Belarus and other countries that pose a threat to Lithuania.
The move to restrict some Lithuanian citizens from traveling to unfriendly comes amid reports that Belarusian intelligence services have been stepping up their activities at the Lithuanian-Belarusian border for some time already.
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Lithuanian president, other EU leaders seek to break Hungary's veto on Ukraine (updates)
BRUSSELS, Dec 14, BNS – EU leaders are starting two days of intensive talks on support for Ukraine in Brussels on Thursday, with a 50-billion-euro financial package and the opening of accession negotiations with Kyiv on the table.
Both measures require the unanimous approval of all 27 member states, but have so far been opposed by Hungary.
EU leaders are also expected to decide on the opening of accession negotiations with Moldova, a move that is not opposed in principle by any member state.
"We have a historical chance to take a very bold decision regarding the start of negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda told reporters on Thursday.
"This is in our hands. We can take it, but we can waste it," he added.
On the eve of the European Council summit, the European Commission released 10 billion euros of funding for Hungary, saying that the country has taken measures to improve the judiciary's independence. However, around 20 billion euros in EU money remains blocked.
Critics accuse the Commission of giving in to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's "blackmail". Brussels rejects the criticism, insisting that the funds have been unblocked because Budapest has met its commitments.
The Commission proposed a review of the bloc's budget back in the summer, including a new financial instrument to support Kyiv. These funds, made up of grants and loans, amount to around 50 billion euros.
It is said in the corridors of Brussels that if efforts to persuade Hungary to back the aid package fail, the remaining 26 member states could set up a separate assistance fund for Ukraine.
Orban also spoke about this as he arrived for the summit.
"The money for Ukraine in the short term is already in the budget. If you would like to give a longer term and bigger money, we have to manage outside the budget. And we support it," he said.
The start of Ukraine's membership negotiations poses more challenges, as such a decision requires a unanimous vote.
Orban said that the EU's enlargement is a "merit-based, legally detailed process" and that Ukraine has failed to meet at least three of the seven conditions set by the Commission when Kyiv was granted candidate status.
"If you haven't fulfilled the preconditions, there is no chance to start negotiations," the Hungarian prime minister said.
Nauseda told Lithuanian media on the eve of the talks that by blocking the opening of Ukraine's accession talks, Hungary gives "additional arguments to the camp of sceptics who say that we have to move to simple or qualified majority voting" in the EU.
Budapest says that Ukraine's accession talks remain a "red line" for Hungary. According to Orban, Ukraine is one of the most corrupt countries in the world and is not ready to join the EU.
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Failure to convince Hungary would move talks on Ukraine's future to March – Landsbergis
VILNIUS, Dec 14, BNS - If EU leaders fail to persuade Budapest to support the start of Ukraine's EU membership talks, the issue could be moved to the next European Council meeting in March or even later, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis says.
If Budapest does not renounce its veto, Europe will incur "severe damage", he pointed out.
"Maybe then we would move to the next European Council, which is in March. Some think that Hungary will take over the presidency after that, which starts in the second half of next year, and, gain, maybe there would be something there, maybe Hungary would want to show that they are then freeing up something. In any case, it would be severe damage to Europe", Landsbergis told reporters at the Seimas on Thursday.
He made the remarks as two days of intensive discussions on support for Ukraine are kicking off in Brussels and EU leaders are set to decide on a 50 billion euros financial package and EU membership talks with Kyiv.
Unlike the membership talks, the issue of support and the establishment of a common fund can be resolved without Budapest's approval, Landsbergis added.
"Regarding support, yes. Let's say, in Lithuania's case, Lithuania has earmarked support for Ukraine in its next year's budget, and it would be transferred to the fund, even if the fund is created without one or the other EU country," the minister said.
"This money, if slightly increased because of absence of one non-participating member state, can still be pooled in the common fund. We are prepared for such an eventuality if it happens (...) But the decision to start EU membership talks must be united. A veto is a veto, then they do not start," he added.
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German brigade deployment plan to be signed next week – Lithuanian DefMin
VILNIUS, Dec 14, BNS – The Lithuanian and German defense ministers will sign a plan for the deployment of a Bundeswehr brigade in Lithuania in Vilnius next week, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
The plan will be signed by Arvydas Anusauskas and Boris Pistorius on Monday, December 18, and it will consolidate the two countries' intentions regarding the German brigade in Lithuania and the further course of action for the full deployment of the army unit, the ministry said.
Under the plan, the German brigade would be deployed in Lithuania gradually, starting from 2024, and is expected to be fully deployed by 2027.
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Presidential office stalls appointment of Polish ambassador – Lithuanian formin
VILNIUS, Dec 14, BNS - The presidential office is stalling the appointment of Lithuania's new ambassador to Poland, Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis says, adding that the Foreign Ministry submitted the first nominations for the post on time almost 18 months ago.
"We have submitted them at least twice," the minister said. He also refrained to comment on the reasons why President Gitanas Nauseda rejected the candidates.
"I would not like to comment on the president's actions," Landsbergis said.
For his part, Ridas Jasiulionis, the spokesperson for the president, told BNS that the submitted candidate was rejected because of their qualifications.
"Unfortunately, the last candidate submitted by the Foreign Ministry for ambassador to Poland does not speak Polish. The president is waiting for another candidate," he said.
Landsbergis point out that Poland is an extremely important country for Lithuania.
On Wednesday, he had a phone conversation with Poland's new Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski and they discussed bilateral and regional ties, support for Ukraine in its fight against the Russian invasion.
Lithuanian Ambassador to Poland Eduardas Borisovas was recalled from Warsaw on September 7 after his term expired. The embassy is now headed by Minister Plenipotentiary Audrone Markeviciene.
In Lithuania, ambassadors are appointed and dismissed by the president on a proposal from the government and with the approval of the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs.
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Lithuanian parlt OKs use of night sights for hunting
VILNIUS, Dec 14, BNS – Lithuanian lawmakers on Thursday approved the use of night sights for hunting wild boar, foxes, raccoon dogs, raccoons, minks, nutrias and muskrats after 69 MPs voted in favor of the proposed to the Law on Hunting, three voted against and one abstained.
Most of the bill's opponents were absent from the vote.
If President Gitanas Nauseda signs the amendment into law, it should enter into force in May.
Currently, the instruments allowed and forbidden for hunting are laid down in the hunting regulations that are approved by the environment minister. Thursday's decision transposes such lists into law.
Proponents of night sights argue that the use of these devices would contribute to a more effective animal welfare approach, i.e. a single shot would be fired at the animal, making the fight against African swine fever more effective.
Opponents, however, say the use of these devices for hunting would prevent animals from escaping from hunters and would make it impossible to determine whether an animal has been shot using a night sight or not.
By Jūratė Skėrytė
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German brigade deployment plan to be signed next week – Lithuanian DefMin (expands)
VILNIUS, Dec 14, BNS – The Lithuanian and German defense ministers will sign a plan for the deployment of a Bundeswehr brigade in Lithuania in Vilnius next week, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
Arvydas Anusauskas and Boris Pistorius on Monday, December 18, will sign "the Lithuanian-German Action Plan ("Roadmap"), outlining the intentions of both countries regarding the deployment of the German brigade in Lithuania and the subsequent steps for its full deployment," it said in a press release.
The plan calls for the gradual stationing of the German brigade in Lithuania starting next year. The deployment is expected to be completed in 2027.
The roadmap has been worked out by a joint task group from the German and Lithuanian Defense Ministries.
"Germany is committed to deploying a heavy brigade with three maneuver battalions and all necessary enablers, including combat support units," the Lithuanian ministry said in the press release.
The core of the brigade should consist of tank and mechanized infantry battalions, with the third maneuver battalion to be initially formed by the German-led NATO Forward Presence Battalion Battlegroup already present in Lithuania.
"The German brigade in Lithuania will be composed of existing and newly formed units," the ministry said. "The 203rd Tank Battalion from North Rhine-Westphalia and the 122nd Armored Infantry Battalion from Bavaria will be transferred to Lithuania."
"The enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup currently deployed in Lithuania will be transformed into a multinational battalion and will become an integral part of the brigade," it said.
The Lithuania-stationed brigade will be called Panzerbrigade 42. The brigade's deployment HQ is planned to be relocated to Lithuania in the last quarter of 2024.
"In total, around 5,000 German brigade soldiers and civilians are expected to be stationed in Lithuania, some with their families," the ministry said.
"There will be two duty places in Rudninkai and Rukla, with soldiers and their families living in Vilnius and Kaunas, and additional logistical points in other parts of Lithuania," it said.
Discussions about the brigade's deployment in Lithuania to bolster regional security began in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine
The brigade's Forward Command Element is currently stationed in Lithuania.
Germany has been leading NATO's multinational battalion in Lithuania since 2017.
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Appointment of Lithuania's ambassador to Poland has taken too long – PM
VILNIUS, Dec 14, BNS – The process of appointing Lithuania's ambassador to Poland has taken too much time – long enough for any qualified diplomat to acquire sufficient command of Polish for the job, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said on Thursday.
Her comment came in response to the explanation by President Gitanas Nauseda's office that the appointment has stalled because the candidate proposed by the Foreign Ministry failed to meet the qualification requirements as they do not speak Polish.
"The proposals for an ambassador to Poland, to my knowledge, started to be coordinated so long ago that it would not have been a big problem for any qualified diplomat to learn Polish, at least enough to be able to work," Simonyte told reporters.
The prime minister said she was familiar with discussions among the Foreign Ministry, the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and the president's office on the coordination of nominations, but added that she had not heard any complaints as to language proficiency.
"Now, as ever, it would be very important to have our ambassador to Poland, but, well, we'll have to seek consensus until we find one," she said.
Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said earlier on Thursday that his ministry submitted the first nominations for the post almost 18 months ago, but the process got stuck at the president's office.
For his part, Ridas Jasiulionis, Nauseda's spokesman, told BNS that the latest candidate was rejected because of their qualifications.
"Unfortunately, the last candidate submitted by the Foreign Ministry for ambassador to Poland does not speak Polish. The president is waiting for another candidate," he said.
Lithuanian Ambassador to Poland Eduardas Borisovas was recalled from Warsaw on September 7 after his term expired. The embassy is now headed by Minister Plenipotentiary Audrone Markeviciene.
The ambassadorial appointment issue arises at a time when Vilnius expects to improve relations with Warsaw and avoid past disagreements following the swearing-in of Poland's new government of Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries during Tusk's former term as prime minister between 2007 and 2014 were marred by disagreements over the Polish oil group Orlen's investments and the situation of the Polish minority.
Radoslaw Sikorski, who is returning to the post of foreign minister he held in Tusk's previous Cabinet, was particularly categorical towards Lithuania.
In Lithuania, ambassadors are appointed and dismissed by the president on the nomination of the government and with the approval of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
By Ignas Jačauskas
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Residence permit issuance suspended for 2,000 Belarusians in Lithuania – Tsikhanouskaya
VILNIUS, Dec 14, BNS - The issuance of temporary residence permits to some 2,000 Belarusians has been suspended in Lithuania which is causing concern for everyone here, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya says.
She and other Belarusian opposition representatives have called on Lithuanian politicians not to introduce new restrictions and not to build an iron curtain between the two countries.
"The issuance of temporary residence permits in Lithuania has been suspended for about 2,000 Belarusians. Of course, this is a matter of great concern for us as we do not know each individual case, but most of these people cannot return to Belarus because they will be persecuted or imprisoned there," Tsikhanouskaya told reporters at the Seimas after a meeting with Lithuanian politicians.
"Moreover, we don't know the reasons for the suspension. Even in my office, where we really have people who are at risk of being targeted by the regime, most of them have had questions about the extension of their permits," she said.
Based in Vilnius since the 2020 presidential election in Belarus, Tsikhanouskaya on Thursday asked Lithuanian politicians not to impose new restrictions on Belarusian citizens living in Lithuania, and instead focus on supporters of the Lukashenko regime.
"We understand the security concern and we are ready to help to identify agents and proponents of the regime. You have to close the loopholes in the European sanctions and stop the funding of the regime's repressions and the war in Ukraine," the Belarusian opposition leader said.
She also proposed stopping political discussions on Litvinism as it doesn't have support in the Belarusian society.
"Let's leave the topic to historians and let's make it clear that Lithuanian territory, Lithuanian history belongs to Lithuanian people, period," she said.
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Residence permit issuance suspended for 2,000 Belarusians in Lithuania – Tsikhanouskaya (expands)
Updated version: updates throughout
VILNIUS, Dec 14, BNS - The issuance of temporary residence permits to some 2,000 Belarusians has been suspended in Lithuania which is causing concern for everyone here, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya says.
She and other Belarusian opposition representatives have called on Lithuanian politicians not to introduce new restrictions and not to build an Iron Curtain between the two countries.
"The issuance of temporary residence permits in Lithuania has been suspended for about 2,000 Belarusians. Of course, this is a matter of great concern for us as we do not know each individual case, but most of these people cannot return to Belarus because they will be persecuted or imprisoned there," Tsikhanouskaya told reporters at the Seimas after a meeting with Lithuanian politicians.
"Moreover, we don't know the reasons for the suspension. Even in my office, where we really have people who are at risk of being targeted by the regime, most of them have had questions about the extension of their permits," she said.
On par with Russians
Based in Vilnius since the 2020 presidential election in Belarus, Tsikhanouskaya on Thursday asked Lithuanian politicians not to impose new restrictions on Belarusian citizens living in Lithuania, and instead focus on supporters of the Lukashenko regime.
"We understand the security concern and we are ready to help to identify agents and proponents of the regime. You have to close the loopholes in the European sanctions and stop the funding of the regime's repressions and the war in Ukraine," the Belarusian opposition leader said.
She said her office could help the Lithuanian special services to check Belarusians applying for residence permits in Lithuania because it has its own database.
The constant threat of expulsion or loss of residence permits demoralizes Belarusians, she said.
Now based in Poland, Vital Rymasheuski, a co-chairman of the Belarusian Christian Democracy, rejected claims that Belarusians pose a threat to Lithuania's national security.
"Today, Belarusians are a people without a state as our government does not represent our interests. Today, we feel like the Jews once did when they had no state," he said. "Please, don't build an Iron Curtain, there is not a single state that can overcome the enemy by building a Chinese Wall. (... People who are fighting the regime need support," he said.
For his part, Anatoli Liabedzka, an adviser to Tsikhanouskaya, argued that Lithuanians traveling to Belarus could also pose a threat to national security.
"I was in a hairdresser's and I was talking to some Lithuanian women, and they told me how they had gone to Belarus, how wonderful it was, how great the roads were, how cheap the vodka was. When I asked how they got there, it turned out that many buses from Lithuanian tourist agencies take people to Belarus every Sunday. (...) Maybe there is a national security problem here?" he asked.
Amendments have recently been registered in the Lithuanian Seimas, proposing to tighten restrictions on Belarusian citizens living in Lithuania. The amendments would but Belarusian nationals on par with on Russian citizens in terms of sanctions, meaning that Lithuanian would also stop accepting their applications for temporary residence permits through external service providers abroad. Also Belarusian nationals would be required to pass a Lithuanian language exam in order to renew their residence permits, and they would also be subject to other additional sanctions.
The amendments were drafted in response to Lithuanian intelligence reports on the increase in Belarusian special intelligence services and threats to national security due to the growing number incoming of foreigners.
Speaking with reporters today, Audronius Azubalis, one of the Lithuanian MPs behind the mentioned amendments, said he had asked the Belarusian opposition to state in writing which of the proposed norms were of concern for them. In his words, most of the incoming Belarusian nationals Belarus are economic migrants, and some of them are vulnerable to the influence of the Belarusian special services.
After the meeting at the Seimas, Tsikhanouskaya also called for an end to political discussions on Litvinism as it doesn't have support in the Belarusian society.
"Let's leave the topic to historians and let's make it clear that Lithuanian territory, Lithuanian history belongs to Lithuanian people, period," the Belarusian opposition leader said.
She also proposed drawing up and publishing a joint document on this ideology questioning Lithuania's historical autonomy.
Lithuanian intelligence identifies Litvinism as a radical branch of Belarusian nationalism, and the activities of its representatives may increase inter-ethnic tensions, although they do not pose a real threat to Lithuania's sovereignty.
By Jūratė Skėrytė
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Lithuanian parlt bans professional troops from traveling to unfriendly countries
VILNIUS, Dec 14, BNS – Lithuanian lawmakers on Thursday to banned the country's professional troops from traveling to countries posing a threat to Lithuania's national security for non-service purposes after 78 MPs voted in favor, there were no votes against and abstentions.
"Some soldiers have permits to work with secret or top secret information. And to avoid, I would say, bad things, I think this amendment should be definitely be approved," Arvydas Pocius, a former army chief of defense, representing the ruling conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats, said before the vote.
Such legal changes had been initiated by the Defense Ministry. The bill stipulates that the government will approve a list of countries or territories troops would be banned from traveling to.
In early December, the Defense Ministry published an initial list of such countries and it includes Russia and its occupied Crimea, Belarus, as well as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, including the Transnistrian region, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and the Abkhazian and South Ossetian regions of Georgia.
Also, professional troops would not be allowed to travel to foreign countries or territories if the Foreign Ministry advised citizens against traveling to these countries or told them to leave immediately.
Under the proposed amendments, the government could determine cases, including exceptions due to personal circumstances, and the procedure when professional troops could travel to foreign countries or territories included in the list with a permit or declaration of information on departure.
The Defense Ministry says such a ban has to do with national security interests.
In late September, Lithuania's National Crisis Management Center reported that people working with classified information would not be able to travel to Russia, Belarus and other countries that pose a threat to Lithuania.
The move to restrict some Lithuanian citizens from traveling to unfriendly comes amid reports that Belarusian intelligence services have been stepping up their activities at the Lithuanian-Belarusian border for some time already.
By Jūratė Skėrytė
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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, December 15, 2023
VILNIUS, Dec 15, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Friday, December 15, 2023:
PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda attending an EU summit in Brussels.
DEFENSE MINISTER Arvydas Anusauskas to visit the training area in Gaiziunai where Leopard II tanks brought from Ukraine and repaired will be tested.
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