LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 5, 2024
- Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
- Some 21,500 Lithuanians vote on 1st day of early voting in EU parliament elections
- Conference in Klaipeda to kick off largest ever BALTOPS military exercise
- If Garsu Pasaulis deemed unreliable, we’ll look for other passport production options – PM (media)
- Three Lithuanian universities rise in global rankings
- Lithuanian parlt committee calls for EU sanctions against Georgia, more visits
- Lithuania to contribute to school, rehabilitation center reconstruction in Ukraine
- EU leaders must agree on start of Ukraine, Moldova accession talks – Lithuanian president
- Krisciunas proposed for Lithuania's ambassador to OECD, Stanyte-Tolockiene to Ukraine
- Lithuania's Vilpra reroutes air conditioner exports to Kyrgyzstan via Latvia (media)
- Russia still has significant maritime capabilities – BALTOPS commander
- Lithuania provides EUR 100,000 in humanitarian aid to flood-hit Armenia
- Lithuanian govt in favor of female quota for listed companies
- Lithuania plans to sign contracts for additional air defense systems in summer – minister
- BALTOPS'24 to focus on landing operations – commander
- No obstacles for BRELL exit in February 2025 – Lithuanian minister
Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 5, 2024
VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 5, 2024.
SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to attend a reception on the occasion of Denmark's Constitution Day at 4 p.m.
JUSTICE MINISTER Ewelina Dobrowolska to meet with Polish Foreign Vice Minister Henryka Moscicka-Dendys at 3.15 p.m.
INTERIOR MINISTER Agne Bilotaite attending the 8th European Civil Protection Forum in Brussels.
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Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Wednesday morning.
Latvia reported three attempts at illegal border crossings on Tuesday, and 181 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Monday, according to the latest available information.
A total of 226 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year.
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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Some 21,500 Lithuanians vote on 1st day of early voting in EU parliament elections
VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS – Some 21,500 people, or 0.9 percent of all eligible voters, cast their ballots on the first day of early voting in Lithuania's European Parliament elections on Tuesday, according to figures from the Central Electoral Commission (CEC).
This is slightly up from around 18,000, or 0.74 percent, on the first day of advance voting in the previous European Parliament elections five years ago. However, the early voting period lasted five days back then, compared to three days now.
Early voting will continue until Thursday evening. Voters can vote at any early voting location between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Candidates fielded by 14 political parties and one coalition are vying for Lithuania's 11 seats in the European Parliament.
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Conference in Klaipeda to kick off largest ever BALTOPS military exercise
KLAIPEDA, Lithuania, Jun 05, BNS – A pre-sail conference in the Lithuanian port city of Klaipeda on Wednesday is kicking off Baltic Operations 2024 (BALTOPS 24), the largest military exercise ever held in the Baltic Sea.
The Lithuanian Armed Forces said in a press release on Tuesday that more than 30 Allied warships, manned by over 4,000 seamen, marines, navy aviation and other navy specialist personnel, were expected to arrive in Klaipeda in the run-up to the exercise.
"Representatives of the training audience will stay in Klaipeda on June 4 through 7 to take part in the Pre-Sail Conference for the second time hosted by the Lithuanian Navy," the military said.
The conference will take place at the city's Svyturio Arena, with Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas, Chief of Defense Valdemaras Rupsys, and Thomas Edwards Ishee, the BALTOPS 24 commander, to give speeches and comments to the media.
"This is an event where the final touches are put on a long planning process that has lasted probably a year," Lithuanian Naval Force Commander Giedrius Premeneckas told reporters earlier.
"Tasks are assigned to ship commanders and smaller tactical units, which is what is happening in Klaipeda now," he added.
The Armed Forces said in the press release that the exercise "will hone amphibious landing, fire support, anti-submarine warfare aircraft defense, mine hunting and sweeping, surface and underwater drone, and other operations".
According to Premeneckas, one of the strategic goals of the exercise is to "demonstrate NATO unity and the resolve to counter any aggressors."
The tactical phase in the Baltic Sea on June 7-22 will involve two Lithuanian Navy ships, the mine countermeasures vessel Skalvis and the patrol vessel Aukstaitis, and the Baltic Naval Squadron (BALTRON) under the command of Karolis Lileikis of the Lithuanian Navy.
This year will mark the first time Sweden, which has taken part in BALTOPS since 1990, will participate in the exercise as a NATO member nation.
BALTOPS is organized by the US Naval Forces Europe and Africa, and the US Sixth Fleet, with command and control provided by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO).
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If Garsu Pasaulis deemed unreliable, we’ll look for other passport production options – PM (media)
VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS – If Garsu Pasaulis, a Lithuanian company that produces Lithuanian passport forms and was linked to an oligarch close to the Minsk regime, is declared unreliable, other passport production options would be considered, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte has told the 15min news website as the country's State Security Department is looking into media reports on the company's possible links with Minsk.
"All measures have now been taken to verify the credibility of this company. As the Interior Ministry has informed, the interior minister has once again asked the SSD to reassess the company's credibility in terms of threats to national security, even though the company has a SSD-issued service provider's security certificate. In addition, the company is also being checked by the Financial Crime Investigation Service," Simonyte said in a statement released by the government's press service.
"If the company is found unreliable, other possibilities for the production of personal documents will be sought," the statement reads.
According to 15min, the FCIS is also currently conducting a probe into possible links between Garsu Pasaulis and Minsk, and the Seimas Committee on National Security and Defense is expected to consider the situation during closed-door meetings.
15min reported last week that in 2011, the company that owned Garsu Pasaulis and Golograficheskaya Industriya, a hologram maker with a monopoly in Belarus, set up a joint company in Lithuania, GP Holographics, and t supplied Garsu Pasaulis with holographic film used in the production of third party documents.
Viktor Shevtsov, dubbed as Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenk's "wallet", is one of the shareholders of Golograficheskaya Industriya.
15min also reported that Garsu Pasaulis would produce alternative passports designed by the Belarusian opposition, and that this company was proposed by a Belarusian who used to work for the interior system in Minsk. Mikita Zabuga, a Belarusian citizen who has asylum in Lithuania, suggested that the Belarusian opposition should work with Garsu Pasaulis.
Ana Janauskiene, head of Garsu Pasaulis, told 15min that all ties with GP Holographics were severed in 2022 after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine when all shares were sold and no orders were made.
15min found that, Garsu Pasaulis sold its shares in GP Holographics to Shevtsov via an intermediary. Nevertheless, Garsu Pasaulis and GP Holographics still share the same address in Vilnius and the same administrator and accountant.
Shevtsov now owns 70 percent of GP Holographics. Another 10 percent belong to Golograficheskaya Industriya and its CEO Alexander Babarenko has a 15 percent stake.
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Three Lithuanian universities rise in global rankings
VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS – Vilnius University (VU) has climbed 34 positions to rank 439th in QS World University Rankings 2025, and Vytautas Magnus University (VDU) and Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) have also improved their standings.
"I am pleased to see that we have made significant progress in graduate employability indicators and scored exceptionally highly in the faculty-student ratio," VU Rector Rimvydas Petrauskas said in a press release.
VU slid to number 473 in last year's QS world rankings, from 400 the previous year.
VU's graduate employability indicator improved significantly, rising 220 positions to 105th place compared to last year, according to the press release.
VDU and KTU also saw slight increases in their rankings compared to last year. VDU is now ranked 741-750, up from 801-850 last year, and KTU is placed 751-760, up from 801-850.
"We are extremely pleased with this ranking. Global competition among universities is growing dramatically, and this year, the QS ranking has been given to many more institutions than last year, which is why VDU's rise in the ranking is a very significant achievement," VDU Rector Juozas Augutis said in a press release.
However, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (Vilnius TECH) has dropped in the rankings, from 801-850 last year to 851-900 this year.
Mykolas Romeris University maintains the same position and is ranked among the top 1001–1200 universities in the world.
The QS World University Rankings assess higher education institutions based on the following eight criteria: academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, faculty student ratio, international faculty ratio, international research network, international students ratio, and sustainability.
This year's QS rankings evaluated 5,663 institutions from 106 countries, with 21 institutions ranked for the first time.
As usual, the top-ranked universities are from the US and the UK: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, Oxford University, Harvard University, Cambridge University, and Stanford University.
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Lithuanian parlt committee calls for EU sanctions against Georgia, more visits
VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS – The Lithuanian Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs has called for EU sanctions against Georgia, adding that EU politicians should be encouraged to visit the country.
"The committee called for an unequivocal response to the retaliatory measures imposed by the United States i.e. sanctions, and to seek those sanctions in Brussels," Zygimantas Pavilionis, the committee chair, told journalists on Wednesday.
The committee made such a decision after it was briefed by Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis on the situation in Georgia on Wednesday.
In May, Georgia adopted a "foreign influence" law despite mass protests and calls from foreign countries to repeal it. The new legislation drew strong reactions from the West, including Lithuania. The law was signed on Monday by the country's Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili.
The law requires non-governmental organizations and media outlets that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as "agents of foreign influence".
For his part, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced in May visa restrictions for "individuals who are responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Georgia".
"We called for continued visits. The Georgian government (...) is doing its utmost to make sure that no one pays attention to what is actually being achieved by these measures. (The goal is – BNS) to close most NGOs, to clean up the space before the election and then to have an election they want. Well, this should not be allowed," Pavilionis said.
Georgia will elect a new parliament in October.
Having visited Tbilisi in May together with his Baltic and Icelandic counterparts, Landsbergis told journalists that the adoption of the "foreign influence" law was an extremely serious violation, adding that the EU must send a "clear signal" that Georgia's path to the EU is blocked.
"I told you about the mood in the EU and what position we could take. (...) A report was presented to EU ministers on how the passed law and the veto affects Georgia's EU path. So, a single provision, and out of the nine recommendations that are conditional on the granting of candidate status, three of them are violated by one law and one third is violated by one law," the minister said.
In May, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili vetoed the "foreign influence" law, but her veto was overridden by the parliament.
Critics have condemned the law, saying it is similar to the one in Russia and aimed at silencing critics of Moscow. Brussels argues that the law is incompatible with Georgia's long-standing ambition to become an EU member.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said last week that the EU and its member states were "considering all options to react to these developments".
Pavilionis points out that not everyone in Brussels wants to see the deteriorating situation in Georgia.
Fr his part, Landsbergis notes that Hungary has for the time being suspended "any assessment of the situation".
"All we can do now is to put the words of Europe in Borrell's mouth. But there is no European word. So I think that any sanctions or anything like that, if there was a political attempt to assess the situation, they would be blocked," the foreign minister said.
Hungary itself has encouraged other EU member states to adopt "foreign influence" legislation similar to the one in Georgia
The ruling Georgian Dream party is increasingly being accused of steering the country away from a Western trajectory towards Russia. However, the party, in power since 2012, claims to be committed to Georgia's European goals and defends the law as an effort to increase the transparency of NGO funding.
Many NGOs in Georgia have vowed to resist and oppose the law.
Activists, independent journalists and opposition politicians in Georgia have accused the government of a concerted campaign of violence and threats against NGO leaders.
"There have been multiple violations of human rights. Numerous people, both from opposition and NGOs, the media, have been subjected to physical violence, harassment, and their family members are still being harassed. This is again a gross violation of human rights which could be condemned by the EU," Landsbergis said.
"The political processes taking place in the parliament are one path, but next to that there are people on the streets who face violence, and that violence, for example, I probably don't have that information, but I wouldn't be very surprised that somebody is ordering it. The EU has instruments to track and find people and they could be put on the sanction list," he noted.
For their part, the opposition parties in Georgia on Monday started signing up to a pro-European political platform.
Pavilionis also called on Lithuania President Gitanas Nauseda to take initiative and express solidarity with the Georgian president.
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Lithuania to contribute to school, rehabilitation center reconstruction in Ukraine
VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS –Lithuania will contribute to the rebuilding of another school in Ukraine and the reconstruction of several rehabilitation centers after the Baltic country's government approved the implementation of these projects and allocated almost 11.4 million euros.
The reconstruction of a school in Mykolaiv will require 2.7 million euros, half of which will be provided by Lithuania. The other part of the money will come from the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania, Arturas Zarnovskis, head of the Co-Create Future of Ukraine program, told BNS, adding that 18 months will be need to rebuild the school.
10 million euros have also been earmarked for the reconstruction of rehabilitation centers, and the work is planned to be completed within two years.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte announced Lithuania's plans to carry out these projects in April when Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal visited Vilnius.
Amid Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, Lithuania has been regularly contributing to Ukraine's reconstruction, providing military and humanitarian aid. According to the Finance Ministry, Lithuania has already provided assistance to Ukraine that amounts to 1.5 percent of the country's GDP.
By Augustas Stankevičius
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EU leaders must agree on start of Ukraine, Moldova accession talks – Lithuanian president
VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS – EU leaders must agree on the start of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova at their summit in late June, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda told European Council President Charles Michel on Wednesday.
In their phone conversation, Nauseda said the European Council meeting is "the right moment that will allow the European integration process of Ukraine and Moldova to proceed in a timely and smooth manner", thus it is necessary to find a consensus on this issue, the Lithuanian president's office said in a press release.
The two officials also discussed preparations for the European Council's meetings, this week's European Parliament elections, and the EU's new political cycle.
Nauseda said the new political cycle should bring even more certainty, unity, and the ability to effectively represent the EU's interests on the global stage, adding that efforts must continue to strengthen the bloc's defense industry, economic resilience and competitiveness.
In December, the EU took the important step of agreeing to open negotiations on the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the 27-member bloc. Several EU countries in late May called for the talks to begin in June, but Hungary is threatening to obstruct this process.
For the negotiations to actually start, the bloc's member states still have to sign a formal framework for the process, proposed in March by Brussels.
Ukraine applied to join the EU shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.
The EU granted official candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova in June 2022, and is now urging both countries to speed up procedures to bring them closer to joining the bloc.
However, the process of necessary reforms is likely to take years before they can finally become EU members.
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Krisciunas proposed for Lithuania's ambassador to OECD, Stanyte-Tolockiene to Ukraine
VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS – The Lithuanian Cabinet proposes that President Gitanas Nauseda appoint Rolandas Krisciunas, first deputy chancellor of the government, as ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and Inga Stanyte-Tolockiene as ambassador to Ukraine.
Deputy Foreign Minister Egidijus Meilunas is nominated as ambassador to Canada, and Darius Vitkauskas as ambassador to Georgia.
Three of the diplomats would take up their duties in August: Vitkauskas on the 6th, Stanyte-Tolockiene on the 19th, and Krisciunas on the 26th. Meilunas would assume his new role on December 9.
Prior to his appointment to his current position of first deputy chancellor in August 2021, Krisciunas worked as an advisor to Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte on foreign policy and EU issues.
His past career includes positions as Lithuania's ambassador to the US, and deputy finance minister and deputy foreign minister.
Stanyte-Tolockiene is currently serving as the Foreign Ministry's policy director responsible for coordinating the implementation of Lithuania's key foreign policy issues.
She has in the past served as Lithuania's ambassador to Armenia and as minister counsellor at Lithuania's Permanent Representation to the European Union.
Vitkauskas is currently director of the Foreign Ministry's Eastern Neighborhood Policy Department. He has in the past headed Lithuania's Consulate General in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Meilunas has held the post of foreign vice-minister since 2020. He has in the past served as Lithuania's ambassador to Poland, Japan and Ireland.
In Lithuania, ambassadors are appointed by the president on the government's nomination and with the approval of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs.
By Augustas Stankevičius
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Lithuania's Vilpra reroutes air conditioner exports to Kyrgyzstan via Latvia (media)
VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS – Vilpra, a heating systems trading and installation group controlled by the family of Lithuania's former presidential candidate Ignas Vegele, is exporting air conditioners to Kyrgyzstan via Latvia after Lithuanian customs officials refused to clear the shipments, according to a joint investigation by Siena (Wall), Laisves TV and Latvia's Re:Baltic.
It was reported earlier that Vilpra may have been circumventing EU sanctions against Russia and Belarus by exporting air conditioners to Kyrgyzstan.
The Lithuanian Customs Department has confirmed to Siena that it blocked Vilpra's air conditioner shipment to Kyrgyzstan in June 2023, citing sanctions control as the reason.
The department has also confirmed that its inspection of Vilpra, which began in April, is ongoing.
Information obtained by Re:Baltica shows that the export of air conditioners to Kyrgyzstan was redirected through the Latvian border and was developed by SIA Vilpra, the group's Latvian company. he total export volume last year and this year exceeded 600,000 euros.
Latvia's Vilpra has confirmed to the journalists that it exports air conditioners to Kyrgyzstan and that it has declarations signed by its customers stating that the goods are not destined for the Russian or Belarusian markets.
Vegele said after the first round of the presidential election that he had lost some votes following the journalists' first investigation into the export of air conditioners to Kyrgyzstan, and that he was considering taking legal action.
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Russia still has significant maritime capabilities – BALTOPS commander
KLAIPEDA, Lithuania, Jun 05, BNS - Russia has significant maritime capabilitie, Thomas Edwards Ishee, commander of Exercise BALTOPS 24, says, adding that the lessons learned from the Russia-Ukraine war are important for deterrence in the Baltic Sea.
"My assessment is that Russia still does have some significant capability in the maritime. And certainly in anti-access and area denial they are a capable nation that has these capabilities," the United States Navy vice admiral told a press conference in Klaipeda on Wednesday.
This, he said, is something that NATO allies need to be concerned about as they work to defend the Alliance as a whole, including the recently acceded Finland and Sweden that share much of the Baltic Sea coast.
"It plays in to how we would defend all of the Baltic nations that are NATO nations in the region.
The specific capabilities I won't get into but we're very much aware of what is going on in the Black Sea, in the war between Russia and Ukraine," he said.
"Seeing some of the developments that had happened in the Black Sea both on the Russian side and the Ukrainian side, and making sure that we understand those lessons, we're prepared to defend those threats, should they be used in the Baltic Sea," the BALTOPS 24 commander said.
BALTOPS 24, the largest military exercise ever held in the Baltic Sea, starts with a pre-sail conference taking place on Wednesday and Thursday at the Svyturys Arena. This is the second time the event has been organized in Lithuania.
According to the military, 30 allied ships are currently moored in Klaipeda, and their number may change before the exercise starts. They are manned by over 4,000 sailors, marines, naval aviators and other naval specialists.
The active phase at sea will take place on June 7-20.
BALTOPS is organized by the US Naval Forces Europe and Africa, and the US Sixth Fleet, with command and control provided by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO).
By Dominykas Biržietis
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Lithuania provides EUR 100,000 in humanitarian aid to flood-hit Armenia
VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS – The Lithuanian government on Wednesday allocated 100,000 euros in humanitarian aid to flood-hit Armenia.
The funds are being provided from the government's reserve in response to a request for assistance from Yerevan.
Floods in northern Armenia in late May damaged roads and bridges, claiming at least two lives and forcing the evacuation of around 200 people.
Several bridges and part of a key road linking the mountainous Caucasus country with Georgia collapsed as the River Debed spilled over its banks.
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Lithuanian govt in favor of female quota for listed companies
VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS - The Lithuanian government on Wednesday backs plans to ensure that women held at least a third of senior positions at listed companies by July 2026.
According to the Social Security and Labor Ministry, the amendments to the Law on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men are aimed at increasing the number of female executives.
"In Lithuania, we have the leading numbers of women scientists and engineers, but the number of women in management positions, on boards and as directors is below the EU average," said Minister Monika Navickiene said at a government meeting.
Under the proposal, 33-49 percent of members of management and supervisory bodies of large listed companies should be women, and women should also fill 33-49 percent of positions of executives, board members and members of Supervisory Councils.
According to the ministry, data from the European Institute for Gender Equality shows that the share of women on the boards of the largest listed companies in the EU-27 is 33 percent, compared to 25 percent in Lithuania.
This new initiative proposes transposing the provisions of the EU Directive on Women on Boards into national law, the ministry said.
The amendments will still need parliamentary approval.
Editor: Roma Pakėnienė
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Lithuania plans to sign contracts for additional air defense systems in summer – minister
VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS – Lithuania is planning to conclude this summer contracts for the purchase of additional medium- and short-range air defense systems, Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas said on Wednesday.
"Together with the prime minister, we are now looking for all possible ways to make decisions over the summer on contracting these systems," Kasciunas told reporters after presenting planned new arms acquisitions to the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense.
"We are talking about an additional medium-range air defense system, a short-range air defense system and certain mechanization processes so that all of this can be included in the contract," the minister said.
"I believe we are going to have good news in early July," he added.
Kasciunas said in May that Lithuania was considering acquiring Iris-T medium-range air defense systems from Germany.
The minister said on Wednesday that he also briefed the parliamentary committee on the architecture of the division being developed in Lithuania and efforts to "make it heavier", as well as the layers of air defense that are planned to be reinforced.
Draft amendments to the Law on the Principled Structure of the Armed Forces, which passed the first reading in the parliament on Tuesday, call for expanding the military structure to create new units – an infantry division and a tank battalion.
"Tanks are moving on schedule. I mean they are now in the consultation processes and then we will see how we align in time with our budgetary possibilities," the minister said.
Lithuania plans to buy Leopard 2 tanks for the development of the division, but wants to do so in stages to able to speed up the acquisition of air defense weapons.
By Paulius Perminas
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BALTOPS'24 to focus on landing operations – commander
KLAIPEDA, Lithuania, Jun 05, BNS –The BALTOPS'24 military exercise in the Baltic Sea will focus on landing operations and will take place mainly in the central part of the sea.
"Amphibious operations are going to be our main focus in this BALTOPS. I think there's a great opportunity to learn and relearn a lot about this war-fighting domain," Thomas Edwards Ishee, a US Navy vice admiral and the BALTOPS'24 commander, told a press conference in Klaipeda on Wednesday.
In his words, work related to mine counter-measures, air defense, medical response, multi-domain combined and joint operations, and the protection of vital sea links of communication will continue. The operations will take place throughout the Baltic region, especially in the deep part of the Baltic Sea, primarily its central part, and a little bit in its western and eastern sides.
"There will be a lot of air defense exercises, a lot of anti-surface exercises, some anti-submarine exercises, some amphibious operations when we will actually put some forces ashore in various places and we have several amphibious task groups that are participating in this," Ishee said, adding that there will be some call for fire operations.
He also pointed out that Sweden and Finland, which have recently joined NATO, have been BALTOPS partners in for decades, so "their participation this year is about the same as it was last year, maybe it's a bit more this year as allies".
His position was echoed by Deputy Commander of the Swedish Navy Colonel Adam Camel,, stating that Sweden has been a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace program since 1994.
"We're already quite integrated within the NATO, but if you're not part of the Alliance than you can't make the last step, you see. We have been very well welcomed and we do feel like a member of the Alliance, I would say," he said.
BALTOPS'24, the largest military exercise ever held in the Baltic Sea, starts with a pre-sail conference taking place on Wednesday and Thursday at the Svyturys Arena. This is the second time the event has been organized in Lithuania.
According to the military, 30 allied ships are currently moored in Klaipeda, and their number may change before the exercise starts. They are manned by over 4,000 sailors, marines, naval aviators and other naval specialists.
The active phase at sea will take place on June 7-20.
BALTOPS'24 is organized by the US Naval Forces Europe and Africa, and the US Sixth Fleet, with command and control provided by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO).
By Dominykas Biržietis
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No obstacles for BRELL exit in February 2025 – Lithuanian minister
VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS – There are no more obstacles for the Baltic states to synchronize their energy system with that of continental Europe in February 2025 and to notify Russia and Belarus in August of the termination of the BRELL agreement, Lithuanian Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys says.
"The progress is certainly the right one, the pace is the right one, and we do not see any major obstacles to sending a letter in early August so we can start the BRELL exit in February, first, the test (of isolated operation - BNS) and then the connection to the continental European grid," Kreivys told BNS after a meeting of the Lithuanian government's synchronization commission on Wednesday.
In his words, the content of the letter on the non-renewal of the BRELL contract has already been agreed between the Baltic TSOs and they will decide on the exact date of its dispatch: "The TSO agreement is in place, the documents have been prepared, we don't see any problems."
Under the terms of the BRELL contract, notice of non-renewal must be given by August 7, six months before the disconnection from the Russian IPS/UPS electricity system and the planned synchronization.
"There is no reason why synchronization could not take place early next year. (...) We do not see any problems with the implementation of the technical projects in any of the countries," Kreivys said.
In August 2023, the Baltic prime ministers signed a declaration committing to synchronize the Baltic electricity grids with Western Europe by February 2025. The commitment was confirmed in December in a declaration signed by the European Commission and the Baltic and Polish ministers in charge of energy.
Earlier, synchronization with Europe was scheduled for the end of 2025.
Editor: Roma Pakėnienė
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