LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
- Head of new Orthodox exarchate of Constantinople to come to Lithuania Friday
- Parlt committee to look at Lithuanian Armed Forces' drone capabilities
- Lithuanian PM invites party leaders, business, trade union reps to discuss defense funding
- Experts note lack of Lithuanian retailers' reaction to Viciunai labeling as war sponsor
- Deutsche Bank considers opening service center in Lithuania, official confirms
- Local authorities in Lithuania concerned about Ukrainians amid Russian school debate
Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
VILNIUS, Jan 05, BNS – Lithuanian border guards recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally for the fourth day in a row on Thursday, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Friday morning.
Latvia did not report any attempts at illegal border crossings on Thursday either. Fourteen irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Wednesday, 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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Head of new Orthodox exarchate of Constantinople to come to Lithuania Friday
VILNIUS, Jan 05, BNS – Justinus Kiviloo, an Estonian clergyman of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, is coming to Lithuania on Friday to head a new Orthodox Church structure that is in its final stages of establishment.
The head of the new Exarchate of the Patriarchate Constantinople is expected to lead the first service on Saturday.
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 five former priests of the Orthodox Archdiocese of Lithuania, which is subordinate to the Moscow Patriarchate.
Gintaras Sungaila, one of the priests, has told BNS earlier that the exarchate will seek the status of a traditional religious community.
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 five Orthodox 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.
The exarchate in Lithuania comprises ten clergy members and ten congregations in different cities and towns.
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Parlt committee to look at Lithuanian Armed Forces' drone capabilities
VILNIUS, Jan 05, BNS – Lithuania's parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense (CNSD) is holding a meeting on Friday to look at the Armed Forces' planned drone capabilities.
Laurynas Kasciunas, the CNSD chairman, has said the committee will hear a presentation from Arunas Kumpis, a Lithuanian volunteer fighting in Ukraine, about the role of drones in warfare and the lessons learned in Ukraine.
"He will have a presentation on how to start integrating drone capabilities even more into our defense system and how to increase the number of drone operators in Lithuania," the chairman said.
The paramilitary Lithuanian Riflemen's Union will also present the capabilities they are developing, according to Kasciunas.
The CNSD is currently considering a draft national defense system development program for the next decade and will likely propose after the meeting to give more focus to unmanned aerial vehicles in this document, the chairman said.
"We will need to place greater emphasis to further integrate the capabilities being developed by the riflemen so that they can be useful to our armed forces," the MP told BNS.
"We will need some legal amendments; we will discuss them as well," he added.
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Lithuanian PM invites party leaders, business, trade union reps to discuss defense funding
VILNIUS, Jan 05, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte has invited party leaders, business and trade union representatives to discuss sources of funding for national defense after the existing two-year bank solidarity levy expires.
"Taking into account the fact that amendments to tax laws should be adopted at least six months before their entry into force, it is appropriate to consult the widest possible circle on these issues in order to find a possible consensus on what proposals could be submitted to the Seimas in the spring session, with a view to ensuring the possibility of planning the country's defense resources in 2025," the prime minister said in a letter to the Seimas, seen by BNS.
Written on Thursday, the prime minister's letter was addressed to the chairs of all political parties represented in the Seimas, the chars of several parliamentary committees, the ministers of defense and finance, the heads of NGSs, trade unions, business and employers' confederations. The presidential office has also been informed about the meeting.
Simonyte points out that additional funds will be needed to create an army division and as ell as changes to the existing conscription system, which, starting in 2025, would require additional funding of around 0.4-0.5 percent of GDP, on top of the existing funding of 2.52 percent of GDP, agreed by political parties
"At the meeting, we could discuss ways to ensure the financing of these needs after the expiry of the temporary bank solidarity levy without additional borrowing," the prime minister writes in her letter.
Several possible dates are proposed for the meeting – January 22, 24 or 29.
The idea of a defense tax was raised by Laurynas Kasciunas, the chair of the Seimas Committee on National Security and Defense, after the presidential office earlier criticized the 2024 defense budget for not including funds for the plan approved by the State Defense Council to establish a land division within the Lithuanian army.
The ruling conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats have vowed to start pooling cross-party support to agree on such a new tax that could come into force in 2025. Politicians are considering raising VAT or corporate tax rates, for example, to boost funding for national defense.
2.75 percent of GDP has been allocated for national defense in Lithuania's this year budget. Of this, 2.52 percent will be the regular budgetary allocations and the remainder will come from the temporary bank solidarity levy to finance only infrastructure to host allies.
By Milena Andrukaitytė
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 239 64 16, Vilnius newsroom
Experts note lack of Lithuanian retailers' reaction to Viciunai labeling as war sponsor
VILNIUS, Jan 05, BNS – Experts note a lack of reaction from Lithuanian retailers to the news that Ukraine has added Viciunai Group, a Lithuanian business group producing and selling seafood and other food products, to the list of international war sponsors.
Marketing and economic experts believe that the group's reputation will not sink any lower, nor will consumers' attitudes to its products change.
Giedrius Juozapavicius, a marketing strategist and consultant, says that changes could be triggered by retailers' actions, yet they fail to clearly state their stance on the products of the group, which is 50/50 owned by Kaunas Mayor Visvaldas Matijosaitis and his business partner Liudas Skierus, after it was labelled as a "war sponsor" for not withdrawing from Russia.
"I wonder why retailers do not openly and clearly declare their position on this brand, this group," Juozapavicius told BNS. "They say they follow the norms and sanctions, support Ukraine and so on, but none of them say what they will do with that brand."
"They leave everything to the consumer, who will certainly not take any step without seeing any leadership or initiative from the retailer," the expert said.
"The most important thing is the company's backbone of values. If the values here are only efficient operations, profits and revenue, then there is nothing to talk about," he added.
Algirdas Bartkus, an economist at Vilnius University, says that the inclusion of Viciunai Group in the list of war sponsors will not affect its sales in Lithuania or Russia, but could have an impact in Ukraine.
"This will not affect sales in Lithuania, because this issue was discussed thoroughly here more than a year ago," Bartkus told BNS. "Those who did not want to buy Vichy's products are not buying them, sometimes not because the company operates in Russia, but because they do not like Matijosaitis."
"For a Ukrainian buyer, the company's inclusion in the list of war sponsors sounds very strong. This may initially cause negative reactions and prompt some buyers to turn away from its products," he said.
The Delfi online news site reported on Friday that Maxima, Iki, Norfa and Rimi are not changing their legal assessment of Viciunai Group and have no plans to do so, and that Lidl, another major retail chain, is planning to additionally label the products of the group's companies.
Andriy Poznyak of Ukraine's National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) told LRT Radio on Friday that every company included in the list of international war sponsors is also listed in the global World Check database of heightened risk individuals and organizations, which helps identify and manage financial, regulatory and reputational risks.
Juozapavicius told BNS that Viciunai Group's reputation in Lithuania cannot be damaged any more than it already is, noting that the group took a nosedive in the 2022 and 2023 national reputation index survey, affecting Kaunas Municipality as well.
"They are at the absolute bottom; there is no other brand or group of companies in Lithuania whose reputation is so low," he said. "Matijosaitis has also dragged the reputation of Kaunas municipality down with him."
Viciunai Group's owners say they have been unsuccessfully trying to sell their business in Russia's exclave of Kaliningrad since the spring of 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
According to information available to BNS, once a potential buyer is found, the deal will have to be cleared by a Russian governmental commission controlling foreign investment.
Under Russia's regulations, foreign investors can sell a business for no more than 50 percent of its value, and they must pay the state a 15 percent tax on the total value of the assets.
The Sovetsk factory's net profit increased almost three-fold increase in 2022 from 2021 to 24.872 million euros for 2022, as revenue grew by 6.5 percent to 216.56 million euros.
By Valdas Pryšmantas, Erika Alonderytė-Kazlauskė
Editor: Roma Pakėnienė
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Deutsche Bank considers opening service center in Lithuania, official confirms
VILNIUS, Jan 05, BNS – Elijus Civilis, general manager of Invest Lithuania, the government's foreign investment promotion agency, confirmed on Friday that Deutsche Bank, Germany's largest lender, is considering opening a service center in Lithuania.
"They are evaluating various options, likely starting with a service center," he told BNS in an interview.
The German bank's representatives were disappointed by last November's media reports about its plans in Lithuania, according to the official.
"For us, Deutsche Bank is one of the clients, but they are very sensitive to all matters because of their size and impact, and the sensitivity of their sector," he said. "They have visited Lithuania."
Civilis confirmed that talks with Deutsche Bank are ongoing, but he could not say when the bank might make a final decision.
The agency's head did not directly link Deutsche Bank's plans to the planned deployment of a German brigade in Lithuania, but he acknowledged that military cooperation between the two countries gives a boost to business relations.
"Take Poland as an example. After they decided to base all their armaments on South Korean manufacturers, naturally South Korea has become one of their biggest investors in the last two years," Civilis said.
"This creates an interstate relationship that naturally brings countries closer together," he added.
BNS reported in November, citing sources, that Deutsche Bank was considering opening a service center.
According to the sources, the bank's representatives visited Vilnius in mid-October and met with officials from the president's office, the Economy and Innovation Ministry and Invest Lithuania.
The Germans briefed the Lithuanian officials on the investment potential of such a center and also looked for a suitable office.
According to the sources, Lithuania is one of two or three possible locations for such a service center.
Deutsche Bank would not comment on its plans.
Deutsche Bank operates in 58 countries worldwide and its strategy for the future is to focus on its position as a "global home bank" and to serve even more customers in all financial matters.
The German bank's technology center has been operating in Romania since 2013.
By Giedrius Gaidamavičius
Editor: Roma Pakėnienė
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Local authorities in Lithuania concerned about Ukrainians amid Russian school debate
VILNIUS, Jan 05, BNS - As Education, Science and Sport Minister Gintautas Jakstas mulls phasing out Russian schools in Lithuania, representatives of local authorities doubt whether this will not harm the children of Ukrainian war refugees who continue receiving their education in Russian schools in Lithuania.
Meanwhile, the Vilnius authorities doubt that a Russian environment is in the best interest of the families of Ukrainians who have fled the war.
For her part, Oksana Kietaviciene, the principal of the Versme Gymnasium in Lentvaris, Trakai District, which is about to celebrate its 130th anniversary, points out that the local Russian community has deep roots and wants to maintain the opportunity to communicate in their mother tongue.
"Our school has a multicultural mission as today we have 305 students and 81 of them are newcomers, including 69 Ukrainians and 12 Belarusians. Russian is the most important language as a means of communication," Kietaviciene told BNS on Friday.
Lots of things can be ruined
The Education, Science and Sport Ministry plans to draw up a proposal on gradually phasing out Russian schools over the next few weeks, and says national minority schools where the education process is done using the languages of EU countries or countries friendly to Lithuania could continue.
Klaipeda Mayor Arvydas Vaitkus says that municipalities will have to implement nation-wide decisions. However, he suggests against destroying the system, and also raises the question of where Ukrainian children would go to school as some of them currently attend Russian schools.
"As far as the Russian schools are concerned, we need to seriously consider these matters as lots of things can be ruined in life, but one of the questions that automatically arises is what are we going to do with the Ukrainian children who attend these schools," he told BNS on Friday.
"Klaipeda is a multicultural city and these schools did not emerge yesterday as they have been in place for many years, and we also have refugees from Ukraine, their families, their children who are attending them, I would like to see a system," Vaitkus added.
Arturas Zukauskas, who chairs the parliamentary Committee on Education and Science, is also skeptical of the education minister's proposal, saying that hostile propaganda comes from the family environment, not the educational establishments.
"The problem is that some children are affected by Nazi propaganda and the issue needs to be addressed somehow, but I doubt very much that this propaganda comes from the school. It comes from the family where they receive information via satellite, internet, and that is where children get that information that is poisoning them. Closing Russian schools, in my opinion, is hardly the right thing to do as it will only stir up our society," Zukauskas told BNS on Friday.
He also points out that the situation in Lithuania is different from Latvia and Estonia, whose steps the Lithuanian education minister is considering following in by closing Russian schools, because "Lithuania is a stronger country with deeper traditions". However, he agrees that it would be better to teach more subjects in Lithuanian instead of using national minority languages as languages of instruction, including Russian.
Russian-speaking students on the rise in Vilnius
Vilnius Vice Mayor Arunas Sileris, who is in charge of education matters, says that the time has come for a discussion on how Russian-language education should change, but remains unclear what action municipalities should take until specific proposals from the Education Ministry.
"The time for this discussion has definitely come and the geopolitical situation makes one think about the situation in Lithuanian schools. I have not seen the detailed proposal itself, as far as I know, the ministry has not drafted it yet, but if such a proposal were to emerge, it could be considered," Sileris told BNS.
Data from the Vilnius Municipality shows there are currently 14 Russian-language educational establishments in the Lithuanian capital, and the number of children studying in Russian has increased from 9,500 to 11,500 since 2008.
According to the vice mayor, some of them - around 1,500 - are children of Ukrainians who have fled the war and of Belarusians who have fled the regime in Belarus. The number does not include those attending private schools.
"Here we see another strange thing and problem as people fleeing the terrorist regimes of Russia and Belarus are being brought into the Russian-speaking environment in Lithuania, and the question is whether this is in the best interests of both them and Lithuania," Sileris wondered.
Ukrainians in Lentvaris
Kietaviciene also says her school has become a refuge for Ukrainian children.
"I will have three Ukrainian teachers who are going to stay and are intensively learning the language, so it seems to me that taking away the language, the means of communication, would be too much. It is quicker for the Ukrainians who come here to understand, to communicate in Russian, at least in the beginning," she said.
The school principal also pointed out that it is easier to communicate in Russian for those who come from Ukraine and Belarus, at least at first, until they learn Lithuanian, which they will have to do in order to integrate.
"Some of them will leave and have already left, but some of them are going to stay. I see their parents buying real estate, so obviously they could not stay without the Lithuanian language," she added.
The Lentvaris school was founded in 1896 and has been attended by generations of local Russian-speakers because this community is well-established here, Kietaviciene said.
"The community is there, you can't eradicate it, you can't destroy it, it's a local community, my own grandmothers, my parents are locals, and my mother tongue is Russian, and I wouldn't want to have it taken away from me," she said.
Russian class difficulties in Visaginas
Veronika Voitekian, principal of the Atgimimas Gymnasium in Visaginas, northeastern Lithuania, refrains to comment on the idea of scrapping Russian-language schools as there are no concrete proposals to comment on.
She also sees a trend that Russian-speaking or mixed families are increasingly enrolling their children in Lithuanian schools.
"As far as Visaginas is concerned, the tendency is that more and more (Russian-speaking - BNS) families are choosing Lithuanian schools, starting from the first or fifth grade. It is becoming more and more difficult for us to form three ninth grades every year"," Voitekian told BNS.
Under the existing law, local authorities in areas with traditionally large national minorities guarantee education in the language of the national minority at the request of the local community.
National minority schools mostly operate in southeastern Lithuania where children receive education in national minority languages in nearly 100 schools in nine municipalities.
According to the National Agency for Education, over 47,000 children attended educational establishments for national minorities, from kindergartens to schools, in the academic year of 2020-2021.
Around 14,000 pupils are now attending general education schools with Russian as the language of instruction, mostly in Vilnius, Visaginas and Klaipeda.
By Milena Andrukaitytė
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