LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. No illegal border crossings from Belarus recorded in Lithuania for a week
2. Lithuanian parlt panel to try to solve feud between president, ForMin over ambassadors
3. No illegal border crossings from Belarus recorded in Lithuania for a week (expands)
4. People may not buy Viciunai products, not re-elect Matijosaitis – Lithuanian minister
5. Only parties to compete for Lithuania's seats in European Parliament  
6. Lithuanian agrimin calls farmers' protests 'pre-election move'
7. Lithuanian econmin sees no way to get back discussion of real estate tax
8. EU commission provides EUR 10 mln to beef up Lithuania's refugee reception system
9. Lithuanian minister says closing Russian schools would be 'terrible mistake'
10. Constantinople Orthodox Christians want to build their own church in Lithuania – exarch
11. Nine people in Lithuania suspected of trying to embezzle EUR 2.7 mln in EU funds
12. I think we'll soon be moving forward on ambassadorial appointments – Lithuanian advisor
13. Lithuania's ForMin says it cannot give president requested info on ambassador appointment
14. Lithuania completes construction of 2 new military facilities 
15. Lithuanian police won’t open probe after teenager got fired at for Ukraine war stance
16. PM heard us, vows to look into problems – farmers in Lithuania

No illegal border crossings from Belarus recorded in Lithuania for a week

VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally for a week now, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Monday morning.

"This year, border guards have not recorded a single attempt to enter Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places," it said. 

Latvia did not report any attempts at illegal border crossings on Sunday either. One irregular migrant was not allowed into Poland on Saturday, 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.

 

By Ingrida Steniulienė

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Lithuanian parlt panel to try to solve feud between president, ForMin over ambassadors

VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – The parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs (CAF) on Monday will try to resolve a feud between President Gitanas Nauseda's office and the Foreign Ministry over the appointment of Lithuania's ambassadors. 

"We will look at information from both sides involved in the appointment process in more detail than it can be done publicly to find out what criteria are used to select and appoint these people," Zygimantas Pavilionis, the committee's chairman, has told BNS.

"We will try to assess how substantiated the arguments put forward by both sides are, with the main goal of finding, as quickly as possible, a solution that suits everyone regarding the candidate for the embassy to Poland," he added.  

Pavilionis said the CAF would initially hear from the Foreign Ministry's officials and will then listen to Asta Skaisgiryte, President Gitanas Nauseda's chief foreign policy advisor. 

He said that Skaisgiryte had confirmed her participation in the meeting.

With the appointment of Lithuania's ambassador to Poland stalling, the CAF held a public meeting in December to discuss the situation, but decided to further examine the matter behind closed doors.

The Foreign Ministry and Nauseda's office are at odds over who should fill the position of Lithuania's ambassador to Poland, which has been vacant since September 7 when Eduardas Borisovas' terms of office expired.

The president's office has rejected the Foreign Ministry's candidates and suggested reviewing the ministry's procedure for selecting ambassadors.

The embassy in Warsaw is currently headed by Minister Plenipotentiary Audrone Markeviciene.

In Lithuania, ambassadors are appointed by the president on the nomination of the government and with the approval of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

 

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No illegal border crossings from Belarus recorded in Lithuania for a week (expands)

VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally for a week now, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Monday morning.

Lithuanian border officials attribute this to the cold weather and the government's pushback policy.

"This year, border guards have not recorded a single attempt to enter Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places," the service said. 

"The general trend is that the number of migrants is decreasing, (...) and the cold weather also has an impact," SBGS spokesman Giedrius Misutis told BNS on Monday. "There is also a decline in Latvia and Poland, across the entire region."

"In addition, Belarus is probably making less effort to direct migrants toward the border," the spokesman said.

"The policy of turning away (irregular migrants) has yielded its results. The movement of migrants has been significantly hindered by physical barriers, as indicated by this year's figures," he added. 

Latvia did not report any attempts at illegal border crossings on Sunday either. One irregular migrant was not allowed into Poland on Saturday, 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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People may not buy Viciunai products, not re-elect Matijosaitis – Lithuanian minister

VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – As Ukraine has added Viciunai Group, a Lithuanian business group producing and selling seafood and other food products, to the list of international war sponsors and Lithuanian retailers have no plans to stop selling its products, Lithuanian Economy and Innovation Minister Ausrine Armonaite says it is up to consumers to decide whether to buy Viciunai products and re-elect one of the group's owners, Kaunas Mayor Visvaldas Matijosaitis.

"First of all, each of us can impose sanctions and may choose not to buy these products, and even more, we can prevent the re-election to political offices of people who do not exit (Russia –BNS) and continue doing business in Russia. (...) So, each of us should start doing it. (...) What is even stranger is that, despite that fact, as it's not major news, but even despite that fact, people till get be re-elected, I mean the Kaunas mayor, and somehow nobody has asked those questions," the minister told the Lithuanian public radio LRT radio on Monday. 

Armonaite also reminded that the existing Western sanctions do not apply to food products, so their export and import cannot be restricted.

Last week, Ukraine's National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) announced that it had added Viciunai, which owns the Vici brand, to add it to the list of international war sponsors because it continues its operations in Russia.

By Goda Vileikytė

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Only parties to compete for Lithuania's seats in European Parliament  

VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – Only political parties have registered to field candidates in this year's European Parliament (EP) elections in Lithuania. 

"No political committee has submitted the necessary documents to the Justice Ministry to run in the EP elections," Paulius Zeimys, an advisor to the justice minister, has told BNS.

Under the law, December 12 was the deadline for political committees to register for the EP elections, which are scheduled for June 9 in Lithuania. 

Five years ago, five public committees stood in the EP elections, in addition to political parties. Ausra Maldeikiene was the only of the committees' candidates to win a seat.  

Data from the Central Electoral Commission show that nine parties had registered as political campaign participants by Friday evening. 

Lithuania has 11 seats in the EU's legislative body.  

 

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Lithuanian agrimin calls farmers' protests 'pre-election move'

VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – As Lithuanian farmers start protests on Monday, Agriculture Minister Kestutis Navickas says it's a political pre-election move.

"One of the most pressing issues is the restoration of perennial meadows and pastures, and as since we have been discussing this issue and looking for solutions since the early fall, council representatives have not take part in this process. This is a clear indication they are not looking for constructiveness, and, apparently, we are entering the pre-election period," Navickas told the public radio LRT on Monday. 

For his part, Ignas Hofmanas, chairman of the Lithuanian Agriculture Council, says the upcoming elections have nothing to do with the protests, adding that farmers have presented their proposals on perennial meadows numerous times, but the ongoing dialogue with the government on this as well as on other issues is extremely difficult.

On Monday, Lithuanian farmers are starting a series of protests and bonfires will be lit across the country from 2 p.m. for about three hours. Farmers' representatives are also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, and they will also hand over their demands to the environment and agriculture ministers.

By Goda Vileikytė

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Lithuanian econmin sees no way to get back discussion of real estate tax

VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – Lithuanian Economy and Innovation Minister Ausrine Armonaite see no way for the incumbent ruling coalition to get back to the discussion on a new model of a universal real estate tax.

"I don't see any way as the discussion is closed, and I believe we should postpone it as we will have an election campaign and political parties will be able to present their vision of how they see the tax reform, and people will be able to choose which vision the lean towards, and then we could get back to the tax changes after the election, if necessary," Armonaite told the public radio LRT on Monday.

She also see no way of returning to discussions on the tax reform.

"I don't see any possibility of returning to the tax reform issue in the election year and in the last year of my term of office," the minister said, adding that there have no in-depth discussion with the coalition partners on the proposal to make decisions on individual taxes rather deciding than on the whole tax reform package.

The tax reform was one of this government's key goals. The Seimas gave its initial backing to the reform last summer, but the reform has since stalled as ruling coalition partners disagree on a number of issues. The reform included, among other things, higher taxes for holders of individual activity certificates and a broader real estate tax base.

By Roma Pakėnienė

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EU commission provides EUR 10 mln to beef up Lithuania's refugee reception system

VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – The European Commission has allocated almost 10 million euros for Lithuania to strengthen its refugee reception system, with the money to be used to upgrade the accommodation infrastructure and implement other projects, the Social Security and Labor Ministry said on Monday. 

The ministry won the call for projects together with the Refugee Reception Centre (RRC), the State Border Guard Service (SBGS), and the municipal administrations of the district of Taurage and the city of Panevezys.

The project aims to bolster the capacity of the EU's external border and ensure reception and accommodation conditions for arriving refugees, the ministry said in a press release.

"This additional investment from the European Commission is of paramount importance to enable the responsible authorities to create decent conditions for persons arriving in Lithuania and seeking asylum," Deputy Social Security and Labor Minister Justina Jakstiene said. 

"Lithuania must remain open and safe for asylum seekers," she added. 

Lithuania saw a surge in illegal immigration in 2021 due to an influx of irregular migrants from Belarus.

The project will involve upgrading the RRC and SBGS infrastructure for accommodation of asylum seekers.

Additional investments to be made in renovating the Foreigners' Registration Center in Kybartai to ensure that it can cope with a potential increase in migration flows, according to the ministry.

Plans also call for expanding storage and transportation infrastructure at the RRC in Rukla.

The project will also see additional investments in creating accommodation for refugees in the city of Panevezys and the district of Taurage. 

According to Jakstiene, Lithuania must be prepared for various scenarios, as geopolitical tensions in the region, the energy and food crises, and the effects of climate change may have a strong impact on migration flows to the country in the future.

 

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Lithuanian minister says closing Russian schools would be 'terrible mistake'

VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – Lithuanian Economy and Innovation Minister Ausrine Armonaite is skeptical about the ongoing discussions on a possible closure of Russian schools and urges politicians not to use this issue to collect political dividends.

International studies show that pupils from ethnic communities are underachieving, she said and suggested focusing on ensuring the quality of education so that children receive the best education.

"They (Russian schools - BNS) can stay, but children have to be the center of all of this as now … and children need to have the best possible education and we should not run away from that. It would be a terrible mistake to say now that we will close all schools from tomorrow, and I suggest against doing that," Armonaite told the public radio LRT in an interview on Monday.

She believes that the politicians who have raised this issue are trying to increase their popularity in a sensitive geopolitical situation, and she also calls against "sudden moves".

"Now we are using this sensitive geopolitical situation to close down everything, to destroy and so on. We should not do that as we are talking about children, these are their lives, they are growing in schools, and the personalities that will come out of there will have an impact on our country's life," Armonaite said.

"I would not make any sudden moves regarding school closures here. We have excellent schools in Lithuania with other languages of instruction, be it Polish or Russian, so we need to approach this issue very cautiously, not populistically, not drastically, not with Facebook posts, but with analysis," the leader of the Freedom Party, said.

Last week, Educaton, Science and Sport Minister Gintautas Jakstas reopened the debate on Russian-language schools, raising the question of whether it would be better to follow in the footsteps of the Estonians and Latvians and suspend education in Russian as a language of instruction.

The ministry plans to draw up a proposal on the issue over the next few weeks. Jakstas says national minority schools where the education process is done using the languages of EU countries or countries friendly to Lithuania could continue.

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Constantinople Orthodox Christians want to build their own church in Lithuania – exarch

VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – Justinus Kiviloo, the head of the new Lithuanian Exarchate of the Patriarchate Constantinople, says that his primary task now is to finalize the official registration of the religious community so that it can start functioning as a legal entity.

The exarch came to Vilnius from Estonia last week. 

"We are already on the homestretch of setting up the exarchate; the first and most important thing is to register the exarchate and obtain the official status of a religious community," Kiviloo told BNS on Saturday.

"When we have all the legal rights here, we will be able to officially act and work here," he said. "And I want to visit the parishes and meet with the faithful." 

The Estonian clergyman lead his first service as the head of the new Orthodox Church structure in Lithuania at the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity on Saturday. 

The exarch said the community, currently gathering in prayer houses of different denominations, will eventually have their own church, which their hope to build through donations.

"I have heard that there is an opinion in Lithuania that Russian (Orthodox) churches should be taken away (from the Moscow Patriarchate). I am categorically against that. We have to build churches ourselves. There are plans or an idea; of course, it will take time; we are looking for possibilities," he said.  

Kiviloo said he has already looked at a plot of land suitable for constructing a church, adding that it is just one of the potential options. He hopes to attract funding for the project.

"I hope that we will find help from good people, maybe from some companies, not only in Lithuania but also abroad, and that we will be able to find sponsors to raise funds and build a church," the exarch said.

"We have already been offered a location in Vilnius, maybe it is too early to say where, but it is a nice, beautiful place; I like it. But this is only one option; we are talking about it as an idea for now," he added. 

Kiviloo would not comment on when the church could be built. He said only that he might be able to give a more concrete answer in six months' time, when organizational matters become clearer.

The Orthodox Church of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Lithuania began to form after several priests of the Orthodox Archdiocese of Lithuania, which is subordinate to the Moscow Patriarchate, started criticizing the Church's stance on Russia's war against Ukraine and refused to pray for Patriarch Kirill, who is a supporter of the war.

The five priests, who now belong to the new exarchate, were accused of canonical offences and defrocked by Metropolitan Innokentiy of the Lithuanian Orthodox Church in 2022. 

The Patriarchate of Constantinople then ruled that the priests were removed for their stance on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, rather than for violating church rules.

Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople announced his intention to set up a church structure in Lithuania during his visit to the country last March. The move followed the patriarch's reinstatement of the five former priests.

Since Orthodox Christians are recognized in Lithuania as one of the nine traditional religious communities, the recognition of the exarchate of Constantinople will not require the parliament's approval. The decision on its registration will be made by the Justice Ministry.

Among other things, the exarchate's recognition would grant the organization access to state financial support allocated to traditional religious communities.

The exarchate in Lithuania comprises ten clergy members and ten congregations in different cities and towns.

 

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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Nine people in Lithuania suspected of trying to embezzle EUR 2.7 mln in EU funds

VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – Lithuania's law enforcement authorities said on Monday they are investigating nine people suspected of trying to embezzle almost 2.7 million euros of EU funds.

"The suspects attempted to embezzle a very large amount of EU funds, almost 2.7 million euros," European Delegated Prosecutor Jurgita Steponaviciute-Otto told a press conference at the Financial Crime Investigation Service in Vilnius.

According to the investigation, a Lithuanian company submitted an application to implement an EU-funded project. In its application, the company claimed that the project would develop an innovative and unparalleled film that will degrade faster than the usual film currently used in household and industrial applications.

"The pre-trial investigation and the follow-up of the project promoter's activities disclosed fraud as the project's value was unjustifiably inflated due to the fact that the project promoter inflated the prices by using related companies and making transfers through related companies (...) as well as by telling the project administrator, the Innovation Agency, that it would purchase equipment for almost 4.5 million euros," Steponaviciute-Otto said.

"Using the scheme to make as much money as possible from the purchase of equipment, they bought it through affiliated companies, inflating prices and thus fraudulently obtaining almost 2.7 million euros," the prosecutor added.

Subsequently, the Innovation Agency was informed about the fraud.

"Steps were made to ensure that the last payment request, which would have granted 2.6 million euros, would not be granted. The persons were detained and the investigation into this criminal offense continues," Steponaviciute-Otto said.

Also attending the press conference, Jekaterina Grudinskaja of the FCIS said that more than 30 searches had been carried out in the course of the investigation, nine suspects had been arrested and charged with criminal offenses.

Law enforcement authorities have not identified the company in question, citing the fact that the pre-trial investigation is at an early stage and also stressing the need to protect the privacy of the suspects. 

The investigation is complicated by the fact that the suspects used not only Lithuanian-registered companies but also those registered abroad, Grudinskaja said. Lithuanian institutions have asked their counterparts in Estonia, Poland, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland to confirm suspicions that the suspects were running companies registered in these countries in order to disguise possible criminal activities.

By Greta Zulonaitė, Vilmantas Venckūnas

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I think we'll soon be moving forward on ambassadorial appointments – Lithuanian advisor

VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – As the presidential office and the Foreign Ministry in Lithuania are at loggerheads over the appointment of Lithuania's ambassador to Poland, Asta Skaisgiryte, chief advisor to the Lithuanian president on foreign policy issues, says the issue should soon be moving forward.

"I think we will soon move forward on ambassadorial appointments," she told reporters on Monday after a closed-door meeting of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, adding that this will be done "through further discussions with the government".

"We are further at the stage where we are talking about candidates. I think that we will agree on a mutually acceptable candidate," she said.

She did not say, however, whether President Nauseda would propose his own candidate for ambassador to Poland or whether the candidates selected by the Foreign Ministry would be considered.

Zygimantas Pavilionis, chair of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, and his deputy Giedrius Surplys told reporters they hoped that a candidate for ambassador to Poland would be agreed in January.

"The decision seems to be very close. I really hope we will end this conflict and have a candidate in January," Surplys said.

"Both sides (representatives of the Foreign Ministry and the presidential office - BNS) have said they want to agree as soon as possible… I still hope we will find that agreement," Pavilionis said, adding that the next committee meeting to find a solution is scheduled in two weeks' time.

"We will already be talking about specific places and specific names," he said, adding that the committee will also discuss why one or another diplomat who took part in the Foreign Ministry's selection process was or was not suitable for the president.

No deadlines

Foreign Vice Minister Egidijus Meilunas told reporters that the ministry is trying to present candidates for vacant ambassador positions to the president as early as possible, but the presidential office has not set itself any deadlines and is delaying its replies.

Under the existing procedure at the Foreign Ministry, candidates for ambassadors have to be selected by October 15 each year with the aim of agreeing on the candidates by December 1 of the same year, to give diplomats as much time as possible to prepare for their future posts.

Representatives for the Foreign Ministry say 14 selection procedures for this year's vacant ambassador positions were held last year, and the winners were submitted to the president in November, but no response on them has been received so far.

Lithuania's embassies in Poland, Azerbaijan and Switzerland now have no permanent heads.

Meilunas says there is no legislation setting deadlines for the appointment of a new ambassador. He also points out that the criteria for determining why one candidate is suitable for the president and another is not are unclear.

"If candidates are selected on the basis of objective, very clear criteria, then the answer as to why they are suitable or unsuitable should also be reasoned," Meilunas told reporters on Monday.

For her part, Inga Cerniuk, chancellor at the Foreign Ministry, says the Constitution gives the government and the president not only the right but also the duty to appoint ambassadors.

"To fulfill this duty, we, in the government, have set up criteria, a process, deadlines, so that everything goes smoothly, just as in any normal European country. Regarding the part of appointment, we have a lot of question marks and no answers. If there is one place where legislation and regulation should be improved, it is probably here," the chancellor said.

Pavilionis fears that a situation might arise where the president might not appoint a new ambassador at all.

"The presidential office does not set itself any timeframe. If we ever elect a president who doesn't like foreign policy very much, they may never appoint an ambassador. There is no obligation on the president to fulfill his constitutional duty, there is no timeframe," the MP said.

Surplys does not rule out proposing amendments to the Law on the Diplomatic Service.

The position of Lithuania's ambassador to Poland has been vacant since September 7 when Eduardas Borisovas' terms of office expired. The embassy is currently headed by Minister Plenipotentiary Audrone Markeviciene.

This is not the first time that a Lithuanian diplomatic mission has been without a head due to disagreements on the right candidate as it earlier took from eight to 19 months to pick ambassadors to Germany, the US and the European Union.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Lithuania's ForMin says it cannot give president requested info on ambassador appointment

VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – Lithuania's Foreign Ministry has sent its response to the presidential office regarding the selection of candidates for Lithuanian ambassadors but says it cannot provide the requested information.

As the dispute over the appointment of an ambassador to Poland continues, the chancellor of the presidential office wrote to the chancellor of the Foreign Ministry last week and asked for President Gitanas Nauseda to be provided with documentation on the competitions held by the Foreign Ministry for the selection of candidates to lead Lithuania's diplomatic missions, including the embassy in Warsaw. 

Inga Cerniuk, chancellor at the Foreign Ministry, says the Attestation Commission is not involved in the selection of ambassadorial candidates.

"It (the response - BNS) is quite simple: the commission for the attestation of diplomats has never been involved and is not involved in the selection of ambassadorial candidates, so there are simply no physical protocols because this is not their competence," Cerniuk told reporters after a closed-door meeting of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs on Monday, adding that the commission is only involved in proposing a rank for a diplomat.

"That proposal is only made when the name of the candidate is clear and when the government's resolution on the candidate is ready, and when the presidential decree is pending. Then, the commission proposes granting a rank because it is within its competence to propose ranks for all diplomats, from a secretary to an ambassador," Cerniuk said. 

The Foreign Ministry and the president are now at loggerheads over who should be appointed to represent Lithuania in Warsaw.

By Vilmantas Venckūnas

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Lithuania completes construction of 2 new military facilities 

VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – Troops will soon start moving into barracks in Lithuania's two newly-built military facilities in the districts of Vilnius and Silale after the process of transferring the complexes to the Armed Forces is completed, the Defense Ministry said on Monday. 

"These are the largest infrastructure projects handed over to the national defense system in the last 30 years," Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said in a press release.

"They will significantly improve the conditions of service for the military personnel of the Duke Vaidotas Infantry Battalion and the Brigadier General Motiejus Peciulionis Artillery Battalion," he said. 

The minister also noted that a full combat battalion will be stationed near Vilnius for the first time, significantly strengthening the security of the capital.

The Rokantiskes complex near Vilnius will be home to the Duke Vaidotas Infantry Battalion, which is currently temporarily stationed in Marijampole.

The complex in Pajuris, in the western district of Silale, was built next to the modular barracks where the Brigadier General Motiejus Peciulionis Artillery Battalion of the Zemaitija (Griffin) Infantry Brigade has been stationed for several years now.

The military facilities in Rokantiskes and Pajuris were designed and built with all the infrastructure required for a battalion-sized unit.  A third military facility is to be opened in Siauliai this year. 

In total, up to 2,400 troops and civilian personnel of the national defense system will be able to work and serve in the three new complexes, according to the press release.

 

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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Lithuanian police won’t open probe after teenager got fired at for Ukraine war stance

VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – Police in Vilnius District have decided not to open a pre-trial investigation into an incident when two teenagers from a Russian-language school used a Kalashnikov air rifle to shot at their fellow student as they have not yet reached the age of 16.

The victim's mother claims her son was attacked because of his opposition to Moscow's war in Ukraine.

According to the law, only persons over the age of 16 can be punished for public order offenses in Lithuania.

"A decision has been made to refuse to open a pre-trial investigation, and officers are now considering taking legal action against the parents for their failure to exercise parental authority," Julija Samorokovskaja, spokesperson for the Vilnius District Chief Police Commissariat, told BNS on Monday, adding that the decision was made last week.

The police have also denied reports that the father of one of the boys involved in the shooting works for the police.

The incident took place on December 23 in a forest in Vilnius. The teenagers, who attend the same Russian-language school in Vilnius, first ate at a pizzeria and then went to the woods where the 14-year-old was attacked.

The incident was made public by the victim's mother, Ira Novik, a journalist from Russia. The teenagers first fired at empty bottles and then shot at another teenager. According to Novik, her son was called a "banderite" when he was shot, and also the anthem of the Russian mercenary company Wagner was played at the time of the incident.

Novik contacted the police and child rights specialists were also notified.

Last week, Lithuanian Education, Science and Sport Minister Gintautas Jakstas reignited debate on whether Russian-language schools should be closed in Lithuania by following in the footsteps of the Estonians and Latvians. However, he later said he did not link this debate to the aforementioned incident.

By Ingrida Steniulienė

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PM heard us, vows to look into problems – farmers in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – As farmers in Lithuania start protests across the country on Monday, representatives of the Lithuanian Agriculture Council met with Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte.

Ignas Hofmanas, who chairs the council, says the meeting was successful and the prime minister promises to take the problems into account.

"We had a very constructive work conversation and dialogue, and the prime minister heard us and many problems will be taken into account. (...) The excise duty on liquefied gas, the development of protected areas, the development of perennial meadows, she tasked the Agriculture Ministry to solve the problems," Hofmanas told reporters on Monday after the meeting.

Agriculture Minister Kestutis Navickas also called the meeting effective, saying that the prime minister has "more power" and sees the situation better than individual ministers.

The minister added that the issue of perennial meadows was not discussed in detail on Monday, adding that farmers are set to meet with the European commissioner for agriculture later this week to discuss the matter.

Farmers are protesting against the government's agricultural policy, rising excise duties on liquefied petroleum gas, the restoration of perennial meadows, the dairy crisis and other problems.

In support of the protests, the Lithuanian Chamber of Agriculture on Monday handed in a resolution with some 30 demands to the environment and agriculture ministers, and it also includes a proposal for political parties to sign a long-term strategy for agriculture and rural development as a national agreement.

However, the Agriculture Council distanced itself from such a move and called the resolution a hypocritical act, saying that the Chamber of Agriculture usually approves of all government decisions.

By Goda Vileikytė

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