LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Lithuania turns away 9 irregular migrants on border with Belarus
- European Council chief Michel, 4 EU countries' leaders to visit Vilnius
- Lithuanian transpmin in Chile for talks on air connectivity with South America
- Lithuania's Soviet dissident Sadunaite dies aged 85
- More than half of Lithuanians are against sending troops to Ukraine
- Lithuania denies starting deportation process for Karach's husband
- Lithuanian MPs mull removing Russian-linked businesses from public procurement
- Lithuanian intelligence says no comment yet on use of Havana Syndrome weapon in Vilnius
- Ukrainian war refugees in Lithuania seek more mental help
- Belarusian timber continues to enter Lithuania, EU – probe
- Lithuanian bodies make no comment on use of Havana Syndrome weapon in Vilnius (updates)
- Lithuania mulls easing construction rules in preparation for Rheinmetall project
- Nuclear reactors just one way for stable electricity production in Lithuania – official
- NATO jets in Baltics scrambled 6 times over Russian aircraft last week
- Lithuania backs Rutte for NATO secgen – Nauseda
- Negotiations with major NATO allies on rotational air defense underway – Nauseda
- Nauseda expects Rutte to pressure members on defense funding after becoming NATO secgen (updates)
- Usackas leaves Lithuania's Avia Solutions Group
- Negotiations with major NATO allies on rotational air defense underway – Nauseda (expands)
Lithuania turns away 9 irregular migrants on border with Belarus
VILNIUS, Apr 02, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away nine migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Tuesday morning.
Latvia reported 16 attempts at illegal border crossings on Monday, and 172 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Sunday, according to the latest available information.
Lithuanian border guards have turned away a total of 145 migrants so far this year.
A total of 2,643 irregular migrants were barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places last year, down from 11,211 in 2022.
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.
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.
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European Council chief Michel, 4 EU countries' leaders to visit Vilnius
VILNIUS, Apr 02, BNS – European Council President Charles Michel and leaders from four EU member states, including Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, are coming to Vilnius on Tuesday.
Gitanas Nauseda's office has said that the Lithuanian president and Rutte will meet to discuss "defense and security, the strengthening of NATO’s eastern flank, support for Ukraine, and current EU issues".
The outgoing Dutch prime minister is currently seen as the front-runner in the race to succeed Jens Stoltenberg as NATO's secretary general, with backing from the United Kingdom, Germany and other countries. Experts believe that his visit to Lithuania is partly aimed at securing support from Vilnius.
Budapest says, however, that it will not support Rutte because of his past criticism of the Hungarian government.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has also said that he will run for NATO's leadership.
In Vilnius, Rutte will also take part in a discussion on the priorities of the EU's new political cycle, which will start after the European Parliament elections in June.
Michel and the leaders of Sweden, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria are also expected to participate in the discussion.
Discussions on the EU's strategic agenda will also take place in Warsaw, Rome and Bucharest in April.
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Lithuanian transpmin in Chile for talks on air connectivity with South America
VILNIUS, Apr 02, BNS – Lithuanian Transport Minister Marius Skuodis on Monday started a working visit to Santiago to discuss opportunities for facilitating air connectivity with the South America with his Chilean counterpart Juan Carlos Munoz Abogabir.
Skuodis and Abogabir are also expected to discuss the development of bilateral cooperation in maritime transport, logistics and innovation, and preparations for the International Transport Forum's (ITF) summit.
Chile will take over the ITF presidency from Lithuania in late May.
During his visit, the Lithuanian minister will also open the ITF's Latin America and Caribbean high-level meeting.
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Lithuania's Soviet dissident Sadunaite dies aged 85
papildyta nuo 2 pastraipos
VILNIUS, Apr 02, BNS - Nijole Sadunaite, a Soviet-era Lithuanian dissident and nun, died on March 31 at the age of 85.
An active anti-Soviet activist, Sadunaite was convicted by the Soviet regime in 1975 for reproducing and distributing The Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania.
She chose the path of a nun after school and was sentenced to three years in a strict- regime corrective labor colony, followed by another three years of exile.
Upon her return to Lithuania, Sadunaite again became involved in the publication of The Chronicle of the Catholic Church in Lithuania, which led to further persecution by the Soviet security services.
On August 23, 1987, together with Antanas Terleckas, Vytautas Bogusis and Petras Cidzikas, she organized a rally at the Adamomas Mickevicius monument in central Vilnius to commemorate the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact. The rally marked the public singing of the Lithuanian national anthem after decades of oppression.
Sadunaite received a number of state awards in Lithuania.
Lithuanian leaders have expressed their condolences on the dissident's death.
President Gitanas Nauseda called her a living symbol of a Lithuania that was enslaved during the Soviet occupation but which fought tirelessly for freedom.
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More than half of Lithuanians are against sending troops to Ukraine
VILNIUS, Apr 02, BNS - More than half of people in Lithuania are against any deployment of Lithuanian forces to Ukraine as it's fighting against Russian invasion, according to a new poll by Vilmorus for BNS, conducted following French President Emmanuel Macron's recent deliberations on the possible deployment of Western troops to Ukraine.
Almost 56 percent said they were against the deployment of troops, about 15 percent back the idea and, but only if the allies do so as well, and a similar share support the deployment of troops but only in order to train Ukrainians.
3.5 percent support the participation of Lithuanian forces in military action in Ukraine.
Speaking about Western support for Ukraine, Macron said in late February he would not rule out the possibility of sending allied troops to Ukraine in future.
His statements, however were later rejected by some Western partners. At the time, Lithuanian officials said they were considering sending troops to Ukraine to train Ukrainians, but for the time being support in the form of arms and ammunition remains the main priority.
Entangled in myths
Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas told BNS that the poll results should not have influence on the decision on sending troops to Ukraine, adding that the initiative is "entangled in myths" as it is essentially about training missions.
"There's no clear emphasis that we are talking about a training mission. If it was a training mission, it would be somewhere in western Ukraine and it would be protected by air defense systems. Therefore, I think that the communication aspect was missing," the minister pointed out.
"Decisions should not be made on popularity points. They have to be ones that help Ukraine win the war. We have to understand a very simple thing that if the Ukrainians break, they will come for us. We must not allow Ukraine to break"," he added.
The specific poll results:
People were asked:
After French President Emmanuel Macron said that Western countries should send troops to Ukraine, do you think Lithuania should do so?
The answers:
1. Yes, Lithuania should send troops to Ukraine to fight in the war - 3.5 percent.
2. Yes, Lithuania should send troops to Ukraine, but only for training missions - 14.9 percent.
3. Yes, Lithuania should send troops to Ukraine, but only if other Western countries do so as well - 14.5 percent.
4. No, Lithuania should not send troops to Ukraine - 55.6 percent.
5. I have no opinion - 11.5 percent.
The poll of 1,001 people in 26 cities and 47 villages was carried out on March 15-23. The maximum margin of error is 3.1 percent.
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Lithuania denies starting deportation process for Karach's husband
VILNIUS, Apr 02, BNS – The Lithuanian Migration Department has denied starting the process of deporting Oleg Borshchevsky, the husband of Olga Karach, a prominent Belarusian activist who heads the Nash Dom (Our House) NGO, adding that it does not plan to send him out of the country.
"This is an attempt to create a fuss. I don't know for what purposes – whether for strategic purposes or for some deeper political purposes. But no, the deportation procedure has not been launched," Evelina Gudzinskaite, the department's director, told BNS.
Nash Dom said in a statement last week that the Migration Department had started the process of deporting Borshchevsky to Belarus.
According to the statement, Borshchevsky faces up to seven years in prison in Belarus because he is the editor of the Nash-dom.info website, which has been labelled as an "extremist organization" by the Minsk regime.
The Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania last week upheld the Migration Department's decision not to grant the man asylum in Lithuania.
Following the ruling, which is final and not subject to appeal, the migration body sent a formal letter to Karach's husband, asking whether he agrees to leave Lithuania voluntarily and warning that a deportation decision will be taken if he does not.
Failure to extend residence permit
According to Gudzinskaite, Borshchevsky has submitted a new application to the Migration Department for a residence permit on the basis that his children live in Lithuania.
"He previously held a permit based on family reunification as a father, and now he has reapplied," she said. "The application is under review."
Gudzinskaite added that the department will process Borshchevsky's application within three months.
According to the director, the man currently lives in Lithuania illegally, because he failed to renew his residence permit in the hope of obtaining asylum.
"Formally, he should leave Lithuania, which he was told under the standard procedure. However, he reacted inadequately, stirred up a fuss, and refused to cooperate with the Migration Department or provide explanations why he cannot leave Lithuania," she said.
Gudzinskaite explained that typically, if a person subject to deportation does not agree to leave Lithuania voluntarily, their details are handed over to the State Border Guard Service (SBGS), which ensures that the person departs from the country.
"But the situation with Belarusian citizens is not standard. The department looks into whether it is safe to deport the person from Lithuania. In this case, we have not even come to a decision on deportation," the director said.
"The Migration Department has no plans to send the person out of Lithuania at the moment," she added.
Commenting on the decision to refuse asylum, Gudzinskaite said that Borshchevsky's asylum application was based on his wife's activities, but that the migration body takes asylum decisions based on individual circumstances.
Passport not returned
Borshchevsky's lawyer Rytis Satkauskas told BNS that the department did not accept documents to extend his client's residence permit while his asylum application was under review.
"We told that they would not extend the residence permit on the family basis, because (Borshchevsky) was an asylum seeker," he said.
According to the lawyer, the Migration Department also twice declined to return his client's passport "without providing any reasons."
"But at the same time, it said they that if the foreign national voluntarily left for his country, then might return (his passport)," he added.
Satkauskas said Borshchevsky would face prosecution in Belarus both for his and for Karach's activities.
"We will try to raise this situation further, either through Lithuanian courts or international mechanisms," the lawyer said.
Borshchevsky has been living in Lithuania since 2014.
Last August, the Migration Department denied Karach asylum, citing as the reason the State Security Department's conclusion that her residence in the country posed a national security threat due to her alleged ties with Russian intelligence.
However, the migration body then granted the activist a temporary residence permits in Lithuania on humanitarian grounds.
According to Satkauskas, Karach has turned to the European Court of Human Rights after unsuccessfully contesting the department's decision not to grant her asylum in Lithuanian courts.
The activist has been receiving residence permits in Lithuania since 2014.
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Lithuanian MPs mull removing Russian-linked businesses from public procurement
VILNIUS, Apr 02, BNS – Lithuanian lawmakers have received a proposal to allow removing Lithuanian and foreign suppliers from a government-approved list of supporters of the Russian war or businesses linked to them from public procurement.
The Seimas has registered such amendments to the Law on Public Procurement, signed by almost 20 MPs from the ruling and opposition parties.
MP Dalia Asanaviciute, the initiator of such amendments, told BNS there's currently no possibility to exclude Russian-linked businesses from public procurement in Lithuania.
"These companies produce or sell non-sanctioned goods, but they are building their capital in Russia and thus indirectly supporting the regime's war against Ukraine. Such companies are risky and undermine national security," she said.
The initiators say the amendments are being proposed in response to an analysis published in January by Stop Trading in Russia, an initiative group, showing that Autovici, a company linked to Viciunai Group, a group owned by the family of Kaunas Mayor Visvaldas Matioskaitis and put on the Ukraine's National Agency on Corruption Prevention's list of "International Supporters of War", has been awarded 104 contracts by state-owned companies, public establishments and institutions.
Viciunai Group CEO Sarunas Matijosaitis is Autovici's shareholder.
Lithuania's public broadcaster LRT has previously disclosed that the Defense Materiel Agency under the Ministry of National Defense signed a contract for the purchase of 235 vehicles for 6.5 million euros with Autovici in late October 2022.
The list of supporters of Russia's war would include citizens and companies if they indirectly contribute to Russia by operating in Russia or Belarus and paying taxes there, contributing to propaganda or mobilization campaigns, or otherwise indirectly encouraging Russia's military action.
Editor: Roma Pakėnienė
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Lithuanian intelligence says no comment yet on use of Havana Syndrome weapon in Vilnius
VILNIUS, Apr 02, BNS – The Lithuanian State Security Department (SSD) said on Tuesday that it has no comment yet on the use of a weapon causing so-called Havana Syndrome symptoms against a senior US official during last year's NATO summit in Vilnius, as revealed by a media investigation.
The Pentagon confirmed on Monday that a senior official who attended the Vilnius summit had symptoms similar to those reported by people who experienced Havana Syndrome.
"We currently have no comment on the mentioned information," the Lithuanian intelligence agency told BNS.
Havana Syndrome was first publicly reported in 2016 when US diplomats in Cuba's capital reported falling ill and hearing piercing sounds at night. This sparked speculation of an attack by a foreign entity using an unspecified sonar weapon.
The year-long joint investigation by The Insider, Der Spiegel and CBS's "60 Minutes" news program "uncovered evidence suggesting that unexplained anomalous health incidents, also known as Havana Syndrome, may have their origin in the use of directed energy weapons wielded by members of (the Russian GRU) Unit 29155".
The Russian military intelligence unit is responsible for foreign operations and has been blamed for several international incidents, including the attempted poisoning of former double spy Sergei Skripal in the United Kingdom in 2018.
Moscow on Monday dismissed these allegations as unfounded.
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Ukrainian war refugees in Lithuania seek more mental help
VILNIUS, Apr 02, BNS – Ukrainian war refugees have started seeking mental help more often, and women are more likely to do so, says Mantas Jersovas, a psychologist at the Vilnius Office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM Lithuania).
"What we notice is that they are much more active in asking for help and are staying. We have various types of therapy, they are continuous and involve seven to ten meetings, and people stay. Before, they used to come, drop out without even informing, and now we have certain stability," the psychologist told BNS.
In his words, when the organization started providing help in 2022, there was one therapy group, and about 10-12 people could register for it. Now the number of groups has grown to five.
Dozens more people have turned to the organization for mental help than last year.
"We had, for example, a children's camp and we had it full right away. We have therapy with dogs and we had a full group right away, on the first day," Jersovas said, adding that the number of people signing up for individual counseling has also increased.
The organization has a growing need for therapists and more of them are being hired.
Ukrainians aged between 30 and 50, mostly women, are turning to the organization for help, Jersovas said, and people talk about war, loss and guilt during the counseling sessions.
"The topic of war remains as these people are living through the war," the psychologist said.
Almost 60,000 Ukrainians live in Lithuania right now.
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Belarusian timber continues to enter Lithuania, EU – probe
VILNIUS, Apr 02, BNS - Belarusian timber is still entering Lithuania and other EU countries in circumvention of the existing Western sanctions against Belarus, investigators say. According to a study carried out by the Belarusian Investigative Center in cooperation with the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza, official timber exports from Kazakhstan to Poland alone increased fivefold last year, from 14 million to almost 68 million euros.
"We can see that more than 120 million euros worth of timber is entering the European Union through Poland (from all third countries - BNS). Some of it enters Lithuania. The reason for this is that timber enters Poland, is checked at the border, and then goes on to Lithuania via the territory of the European Union where there are no controls. (...) Despite blocking the import of suspicious timber and by implementing the sanctions more effectively, Lithuania itself still receives such timber through the back door," Stanislau Ivashkevich, head of the Belarusian Investigative Center, told Lithuania's public radio LRT on Tuesday.
The investigators admit, however, that timber exports from Belarus to the EU have dropped significantly, from more than 1 billion euros before the sanctions were put in place.
Belarusian timber is being shipped "via Kazakhstan", and in fact comes from Belarus with forged documents, as evidenced by documents analyzed by the investigators, Ivashkevich said.
"A timber hauler from Belarus told us directly over the phone that the timber came from Belarus, not Kazakhstan. The shipper from Kazakhstan assured us that he knew this (Belarusian - BNS) company, that they had communicated and signed a memorandum, but then the company disappeared and the business failed. We can imagine that all this company needed was a contrahent from Kazakhstan to be able to stick fake stamps everywhere," Ivashkevich said.
In his words, new ways of circumventing the sanctions have also emerged as there is no longer a need to register companies exempt from VAT, "now all you have to do is to draw up documents and it works at the Polish border".
"Kazakhstan doesn't have a lot of forest. It's a big country but its forest cover only 4 percent of its territory. Kazakhstan imports its own timber, and the 4-5 percent of forests they have are steppe trees, half of which are not very suitable for industrial woodworking," Ivaskevich explained.
The investigation comes a year after a similar investigation in December 2022 found that Belarusian timber enters the EU via Kyrgyzstan.
"When we found out that Belarusian timber could be supplied to the EU as coming from Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania blocked imports of timber from Kyrgyzstan. That is where the good news ended. We continue to see strong growth of timber movement to the European Union from Kazakhstan," Ivashkevich said.
Editor: Roma Pakėnienė
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Lithuanian bodies make no comment on use of Havana Syndrome weapon in Vilnius (updates)
VILNIUS, Apr 02, BNS – Lithuania's authorities on Tuesday did not comment on the use of a weapon causing so-called Havana Syndrome symptoms against a senior US official during last year's NATO summit in Vilnius.
The incident was reported on Monday by a joint investigation by The Insider, Der Spiegel and CBS's "60 Minutes" news program.
The Pentagon confirmed later on Monday that a senior official who attended the Vilnius summit had symptoms similar to those reported by people who experienced Havana Syndrome.
The Lithuanian State Security Department told BNS on Tuesday that it had no comment at the moment.
The Defense Ministry told BNS that it had no data on the incident and therefore "cannot comment in more detail, confirm or deny such assessments".
"In general, various methods and measures can be applied and used in the methodology of Russia's security and intelligence services, not excluding similar ones, to influence and intimidate their opponent," the ministry said.
Havana Syndrome was first publicly reported in 2016 when US diplomats in Cuba's capital reported falling ill and hearing piercing sounds at night. This sparked speculation of an attack by a foreign entity using an unspecified sonar weapon.
The year-long joint investigation "uncovered evidence suggesting that unexplained anomalous health incidents, also known as Havana Syndrome, may have their origin in the use of directed energy weapons wielded by members of (the Russian GRU) Unit 29155".
The Russian military intelligence unit is responsible for foreign operations and has been blamed for several international incidents, including the attempted poisoning of former double spy Sergei Skripal in the United Kingdom in 2018.
Moscow on Monday dismissed these allegations as unfounded.
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Lithuania mulls easing construction rules in preparation for Rheinmetall project
VILNIUS, Apr 02, BNS – The Economy and Innovation Ministry proposes to amend several laws to enable major Western arms and ammunition producers, including Germany's defense industry giant Rheinmetall, to swiftly relocate production to Lithuania.
The ministry has drafted a package of legislative amendments aimed, among other things, at allowing construction of large-scale projects, officially recognized by the government as meeting the state's urgent security and defense needs, to begin without the usual building permit.
Economy and Innovation Minister Ausrine Armonaite says the amendments target, among others, Rheinmetall, which has plans to build a 155 mm artillery ammunition factory in Lithuania.
"The Rheinmetall project could also benefit from these changes (...) and I hope it will when we develop it," she told BNS.
According to the ministry, the changing geopolitical situation requires developing Lithuania's defense industry capabilities and reducing its dependency on the import of weapons, ammunition and other military products.
The ministry says the proposed changes would help attract significant manufacturing projects that "would likely contribute to the defense capabilities not only of Lithuania, but also of the whole of Europe and Ukraine".
The proposed amendments to the Laws on Investment, Land, Territorial Planning, and Construction would allow the government to designate a major defense industry investment as a project of immediate importance for national security.
"This is a green corridor for major investments in defense and security," Armonaite said. "We are creating a new status and reducing the bureaucratic burden for investment projects of significance for Lithuania's security and defense situation."
The status would allow an investor to start building a factory for weapons, ammunition or other defense products without a building permit. However, it would be mandatory to obtain the permit before the construction is completed.
The government would exceptionally allow construction in non-urbanized areas without going through the usual territorial planning procedures with local municipalities. Investors would not be obliged to inform the public about the design process and involve them in the project design discussions. The requirement to make public information on the start of construction work would also be scrapped.
Among other things, the Economy and Innovation Ministry suggests introducing a single document, called a special-purpose project, to swiftly deal with land plot formation and other relevant issues.
"The proposed legal regulation will only be applied in exceptional circumstances, when it is necessary to ensure the country's security and defense needs, such as (...) uninterrupted access to the necessary weapons and ammunition for the Lithuanian Armed Forces," the ministry said.
According to Armonaite, under the current regulation, it takes between 2 and 2.5 years for arms or ammunition manufacturers to prepare the necessary territorial planning and other documents.
Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger confirmed plans to build a 155 mm artillery ammunition factory in Lithuania while presenting the company's 2023 results last month. He said another new plant would be built in Ukraine.
Editor: Roma Pakėnienė
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Nuclear reactors just one way for stable electricity production in Lithuania – official
VILNIUS, Apr 02, BNS – The Energy Ministry's proposal to develop small nuclear power reactors in Lithuania after 2030 is only one of the ways to ensure stable electricity production in the future, Deputy Energy Minister said on Tuesday.
"The Energy Ministry is talking about the need for stable energy generation, not necessarily meaning nuclear energy," Zananavicius told LRT Radio.
"Nuclear power is just one of the options, because there are no other options today. If new groundbreaking technologies emerged, they would certainly be considered as well," he said.
The development of nuclear energy through the construction of small reactors is envisaged in the National Energy Independence Strategy until 2050, which was presented to the parliament last week.
According to Zananavicius, renewable resources alone will not be enough to meet Lithuania's growing electricity consumption and its goal of producing about 70 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity annually in the future.
"First of all, we might need nuclear or other stable energy sources for times when there is no sun or wind. Because (...) we must ensure in any case – whether there is wind and sun or not – that there is enough electricity. This is why the need for stable generation has not disappeared in any country," he said.
Osvaldas Ciuksys, president of the Nuclear Energy Association, stressed that modern nuclear technologies are safe and that the lifetime of nuclear reactors is much longer than that of solar or wind power plants.
"Even in the event of an accident, the reactor is automatically shut down and cooling is ensured, which prevents fuel meltdowns and other unfavorable and irreversible things," Ciuksys told LRT Radio.
"So, the likelihood of an accident is minimized, and we are talking about a completely different level of safety," he added.
According to the association's president, the cost of electricity produced in a nuclear reactor ranges from 50 to 60 euros per megawatt-hour (MWh), making it competitive with that generated from renewable sources.
Both President Gitanas Nauseda and Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said last week that next-generation nuclear technology should be considered as an option.
Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys said while presenting the new strategy that nuclear energy would reduce the burden of maintaining the energy system on industry and consumers.
For Lithuania to have a small nuclear reactor operational by around 2040, political decisions would have to be made between 2028 and 2030, he noted.
Editor: Roma Pakėnienė
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NATO jets in Baltics scrambled 6 times over Russian aircraft last week
VILNIUS, Apr 02, BNS – NATO's fighter jets policing Baltic airspace were last week scrambled six times to intercept Russian aircraft flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea in violation of flight rules, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
On Monday, March 25, NATO jets intercepted a Russian IL-20 reconnaissance aircraft flying from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad.
On Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, alert scrambles were conducted over two SU30SM fighter jets flying from Kaliningrad and back.
On Sunday, the Alliance's jets took off to identify a TU-204 passenger plane on its way from the exclave to mainland Russia.
None of the Russian aircraft had a pre-filed flight plan, and most of them were not using their onboard transponders or maintaining radio communication with the Regional Traffic Control Center.
The NATO Baltic air policing mission is carried out from Lithuania and temporarily from Latvia as Estonia's Amari air base is undergoing reconstruction and infrastructure upgrades.
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Lithuania backs Rutte for NATO secgen – Nauseda
VILNIUS, Apr 02, BNS - Lithuania backs Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte as a candidate for NATO secretary general, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said at a joint press conference with the Dutch prime minister in Vilnius on Tuesday.
"Lithuania supports Rutte as a candidate for the position of NATO secretary general," the president told reporters.
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Negotiations with major NATO allies on rotational air defense underway – Nauseda
VILNIUS, Apr 02, BNS - Negotiations are underway with major NATO allies on the implementation of a rotational air defense model in Lithuania, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says.
"I wouldn't want to be very specific right now about the countries we are working with. In fact, there are quite a few of them. I can only say that these are our major NATO allies," Nauseda told a press conference on Tuesday. "I very much hope we will have good news from this area as well in a few months."
By Greta Zulonaitė
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Nauseda expects Rutte to pressure members on defense funding after becoming NATO secgen (updates)
Updated version: updates throughout
VILNIUS, Apr 02, BNS - Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda hopes that Mark Rutte will push allies to step up their defense funding after becoming NATO's secretary general.
"We expect from the candidate for secretary general some encouragement and pressure on other NATO countries that have not yet reached the 2 percent of GDP level of defense spending to do so as soon as possible," the Lithuanian leader told a joint press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Rutte in Vilnius on Tuesday.
He stressed that 2 percent of GDP for defense "in the current circumstances, even as a minimum threshold, is too low and inadequate."
Earlier, Nauseda said that Lithuania backs Rutte as a candidate for NATO secretary general.
"Lithuania supports Rutte as a candidate for the position of NATO secretary general," the president told reporters.
Rutte is currently seen as the most realistic candidate to succeed NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.
"He was one of those politicians who recognized the Russian threat very early on, who adapted and changed his attitude towards Russia very significantly. And who is extremely sensitive and aware of the threats to NATO's eastern flank," Nauseda pointed out, stressing the importance of having a candidate who understands that Russia's threats are long-term and not only military.
For his part, Rutte said that "it’s always been difficult to campaign for myself".
"It's crucial, first of all, that the Russia loses and Ukraine wins the war. Second, that eastern flank needs to be defended. And that's why we are part of many initiatives, particularly for the eastern flank," he said.
The United Kingdom, Germany and other countries have already expressed their support for the Dutch premier. Hungary, however, says it will not back Rutte as he has criticized the Hungarian government in the past.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has also expressed his desire to run for NATO secretary general.
Stoltenberg's term of office has already been extended several times in the absence of a new candidate.
By Augustas Stankevičius
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Usackas leaves Lithuania's Avia Solutions Group
VILNIUS, Apr 02, BNS - Vygaudas Usackas is leaving Avia Solutions Group, an aviation group owned by Lithuanian businessman Gediminas Ziemelis, where he has been in charge of the company's expansion abroad, as he is setting up his own consultancy business, Usackas, a former foreign minister, said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
"My consultancy company V.U. Business Linking LTD is launching operations and it will help global companies developing artificial intelligence, automation and big data solutions and other activities to expand into new markets and sell their products and services," Usackas said.
BNS has not been able to contact Usackas.
Usackas has served on ASG's board from September 2019 until January 2023 and since then been responsible for development projects in new markets.
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Negotiations with major NATO allies on rotational air defense underway – Nauseda (expands)
Updated version: updates throughout
VILNIUS, Apr 02, BNS - Negotiations are underway with major NATO allies on the implementation of a rotational air defense model in Lithuania, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says.
"I wouldn't want to be very specific right now about the countries we are working with. In fact, there are quite a few of them. I can only say that these are our major NATO allies," Nauseda told a joint press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said in Vilnius on Tuesday. "I very much hope we will have good news from this area as well in a few months."
Lithuania has for some time been asking NATO allies to rotate ground-based air defense systems as part of the regional rotational air defense model agreed last year.
The Netherlands announced last week it would send Patriot long-range air defense systems to Lithuania for several weeks.
Nauseda has called this an important step in the implementation of the rotational air defense model in the Baltic region, strengthening deterrence and defense.
"Other NATO allies can contribute to the security of our airspace with other air defense elements, not necessarily with Patriot systems," the Lithuanian president said.
"We will make sure of our fair share in the rotational system," Rutte said, adding that his country would seek to contribute more actively to the rotational air defense force.
Lithuania has discussed possible deployment of air defense capabilities in the region with the US, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy and Greece.
Calls for 14th sanction package
Nauseda also called for increased pressure on Russia and the adoption of the EU's 14th sanction package against the country, and calls for steps to prevent the circumvention of the existing sanctions.
"Negotiations with Ukraine on its accession to the European Union should start in June, and we must take another step towards bringing Ukraine closer to NATO during the NATO summit in Washington in July," the Lithuanian president said.
Rutte says the Netherlands has provided aid to Ukraine, worth more than 2 billion euros, this year and has provided 6.3 billion euros since late February 2022.
"Like the Netherlands, Lithuania is relatively small in size, but have outsized impact of its efforts to counter Russia's aggression," Rutte said.
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