LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, February 7, 2023
2. One irregular migrant turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
3. Swedish PM, Lithuanian leaders to discuss NATO summit, energy, support for Ukraine  
4. Lithuania reports 571 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
5. Lithuanian president's aide welcomes proposed windfall tax on banks 
6. Lithuanians trained Ukrainian troops to use anti-aircraft gun
7. Lithuanian formin calls for Saakashvili's release for treatment abroad
8. Lithuanian parlt opposition collects signatures for extraordinary session
9. EUR 2.58 mln worth of cigarettes found in apple shipment in Lithuania
10. Lithuanian National Drama Theater sacks playwright Ivaskevicius
11. Lithuania launches competition for post of cultural attaché in Ukraine, Georgia  
12. Lithuanian president calls for Russia sanction agreement at preparatory EC session
13. ECCs need more visibility – EU commissioner in Lithuania's Kaunas
14. Sweden would contribute to air policing mission in Lithuania after NATO membership
15. Sanctions have impact on Russia's economy – Lithuanian PM
16. Lithuanian PM: parlt speaker didn’t inform me about top prosecutor's plans
17. Lithuania to send earthquake aid to Turkey and Syria – PM

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, February 7, 2023

VILNIUS, Feb 07, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Tuesday, February 7, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to meet with European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Mariya Gabriel at 8.30 a.m.; to attend a virtual preparatory European Council session at noon; to meet with visiting Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson at 4.30 p.m.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to attend an international conference on regional development at 9 a.m.; to meet with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson at į.15 p.m.

PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to meet with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson at 2.20 p.m.; followed by a joint press conference at 4.50 p.m.

CULTURE MINISTER Simonas Kairys to accompany European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Mariya Gabriel during her visit to Kaunas; to attend a joint press conference with the European commissioner and Education, Science and Sport Minister Jurgita Siugzdiniene at 3 p.m.

EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND SPORT MINISTER Jurgita Siugzdiniene and European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Mariya Gabriel to attend AgriFood, an international start-up conference, at 9 a.m.; to take part in a discussion on start-ups' regional development at 9.20 a.m.; to visit the VGTU Lyceum at 10.35 a.m.; to visit the central post office in Kaunas at 1.30 p.m.; to attend a joint press conference with the European commissioner and the Lithuanian culture minister at 3 p.m.

JUSTICE MINISTER Ewelina Dobrowolska to visit a correctional facility in Tallinn at 9.30 a.m.; to attend a meeting at the Estonian Justice Minister at 2 p.m.; to meet with her Estonian counterpart at 3 p.m.

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One irregular migrant turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus

VILNIUS, Feb 07, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away one migrant attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Tuesday morning.

Latvia reported 24 attempts at illegal border crossings on Monday, and 26 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Sunday, according to the latest available information.

A total of 289 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year.

Lithuanian border guards have prevented over 19,600 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 SBGS says that illegal migration to Lithuania and the EU is being facilitated by Belarusian officials. 

Almost 4,200 irregular migrants crossed into Lithuania from Belarus illegally in 2021.

 

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Swedish PM, Lithuanian leaders to discuss NATO summit, energy, support for Ukraine  

VILNIUS, Feb 07, BNS – Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is coming to Vilnius on Tuesday to discuss July's NATO summit, energy issues, and support for Ukraine with Lithuanian leaders. 

Kristersson is scheduled to meet with President Gitanas Nauseda, Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, speaker of the parliament, and Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte.

Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO last May, abandoning their longstanding policy of military non-alignment in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.    

However, Turkey has blocked the bids, accusing Sweden of providing a safe haven for what it considers "terrorists", especially members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party.

Tensions have been fueled recently by a protest in Sweden in which a copy of the Koran was burnt.

Lithuania expects Sweden and Finland to take part in NATO's Vilnius summit as full-fledged members of the Alliance. 

The leaders will also discuss sanctions against Russia and Belarus, the priorities of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, energy security cooperation and energy prices.

Lithuania and Sweden have recently asked the European Commission to mediate in their talks on the sharing of surplus revenue generated by electricity producers.

 

 

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Lithuania reports 571 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths

VILNIUS, Feb 07, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 571 new coronavirus infections and no deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Tuesday morning.

Of the new cases, 425 were primary, 127 were secondary and 19 were tertiary.

The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 now stands at 129, including four ICU cases.

The 14-day primary infection rate has edged up to 132.2 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 21.5 percent.

The daily number of new coronavirus cases remains well below the peak of over 14,000 reached in early February 2022.

More than 1.17 million people in Lithuania have tested positive with COVID-19 at least once.

Some 69.7 percent of people in the country have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab so far.

 

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Lithuanian president's aide welcomes proposed windfall tax on banks 

VILNIUS, Feb 07, BNS – The Lithuanian government's proposal to temporarily impose an additional tax on banks' profits soaring on the back of rising interest rates is a welcome step, a presidential advisor said on Tuesday. 

"Encouraging socially responsible behavior in the financial sector, all of its participants, with a focus on a greater balance is certainly welcome," Irena Segaloviciene, President Gitanas Nauseda's chief economic and social policy advisor, told the Ziniu Radijas radio station.   

The so-called solidarity tax would even out the imbalances due to which interest rates on bank deposits are rising more slowly than those on loans, she said. 

The advisor also welcomes the Finance Ministry's proposal to use the proceeds from the solidarity tax for public purposes such as defense.

 

By Valdas Pryšmantas

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuanians trained Ukrainian troops to use anti-aircraft gun

VILNIUS, Feb 07, BNS - The Lithuanian army has trained Ukrainian troops to use a Swedish L70 anti-aircraft gun and carry out military police operations, the army said on Tuesday.

Lithuania's Air Force trained L70 anti-aircraft gun operators who are able to prepare the gun for battle, fight against air targets, and carry out post-battle maintenance and minor repairs, the statement said.

After live-fire training, Ukrainian soldiers will be able to destroy enemy planes, helicopters and drones within a range of 5 km in all weather conditions.

Lithuania's Military Police have also completed a two-week military police operations instructor training course for Ukrainian soldiers to improve their knowledge and skills in professional tactics, traffic regulation and control, the use of special means, operational planning, and the protection of VIPs.

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Lithuanian formin calls for Saakashvili's release for treatment abroad

VILNIUS, Feb 07, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has called on Georgia to release the country's convicted former president Mikheil Saakashvili for medical treatment abroad.

"Releasing Mikheil Saakashvili for medical care abroad would be the best solution – for him, for his family, and for the sake of Georgia’s European future," Lithuania's top diplomat tweeted on Tuesday.

On Monday, a Georgian court rejected Saakashvili's request for a postponement of his prison sentence due to his poor health.

The pro-Western reformer, 55, has been in hospital since last year after refusing food for 50 days in protest of his imprisonment which rights groups say is politically motivated.

The founder of the country's main opposition force, Saakashvili was convicted in absentia in 2018 for abuse of office and sentenced to six year in prison. He was arrested in 2021, days after his secret return from exile.

The politician's doctor says the country's former leader might die without proper medical care.

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Lithuanian parlt opposition collects signatures for extraordinary session

VILNIUS, Feb 07, BNS – Opposition MPs in the Lithuanian Seimas have collected the required 47 signatures for an extraordinary session to look into whether information about an investigation into the possible sexual abuse of minors against former MP Kristijonas Bartosevicius was leaked.

Agne Sirinskiene, a representative of the Lithuanian Regions political group, confirmed it to BNS that all the necessary signatures had been collected.

The agenda of the extraordinary session, to be held on Thursday, will include answers of Seimas Speaker Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen and Prosecutor General Nida Grunskiene to MPs' questions, as well as an initiative to set up a temporary investigation commission to look into a possible leak of information on the ongoing investigation regarding Bartosevicius.

The Seimas speaker and the prosecutor general will be asked to provide details of their meeting on stripping an MP of their legal immunity, what information was shared and when Bartosevicius' was mentioned, etc. The speaker will also be asked which MPs she shared information about Grunskiene's visit with and whether she contacted Bartosevicius.

On January 23, the Prosecutor General's Office said Grunskiene had turned to the Seimas speaker on stripping Bartosevicius of their legal immunity regarding for further prosecution of restriction of their freedom. 

The prosecution service's statement came a couple of hours after Bartosevicius confirmed that he was resigning as an MP. He added, however, that he had resigned for personal reasons.

It later emerged that the prosecutor general met with the Seimas speaker on January 20 to inform her about the plans to ask the Seimas to strip an MP of their legal immunity. Cmilyte-Nielsen insists that neither the name of the MP in question, nor the political group was mentioned during that meeting.

Last week, the Prosecutor's Office said Bartosevicius was officially suspected of alleged sexual abuse and molestation of four minors when he was still a member of parliament.

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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EUR 2.58 mln worth of cigarettes found in apple shipment in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Feb 7, BNS - Lithuanian customs officers have seized a record-high number of smuggled cigarettes this year as 2.58 million euros worth of cigarettes were detained in the country's second-largest city of Kaunas, the customs service said on Tuesday. 

Lithuanian customs officers have recently completed their pre-trial investigation into the seizure of a large amount of smuggled cigarettes in Kaunas on January 24. On that day, officers from the country's Customs Criminal Service, in cooperation with the State Border Guard Service, detained a group of five people, two HGVs and three semi-trailers in the Petrasiunai area of Kaunas. One of the semi-trailers contained 1,330 boxes of Belarusian cigarettes.

The illegal tobacco products had been smuggled into Lithuania hidden among 14.5 tons of apples. The HGV was driven to Kaunas from Belarus by a Russian citizen who was arrested at the scene. He declared at the border that he was taking the apple shipment through Lithuania to the Kaliningrad region. The man was arrested for 20 days and two other Lithuanian nationals signed written promises not to leave the country.

A total of 1,330 boxes (665,000 packs) of cigarettes were found in the semi-trailer with a total value of 2.58 million euros, including the taxes payable, which is the largest amount of smuggled cigarettes seized in Lithuania this year.

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Lithuanian National Drama Theater sacks playwright Ivaskevicius

VILNIUS, Feb 07, BNS – The Lithuanian National Drama Theater said on Tuesday that it is dismissing its playwright Marius Ivaskevicius because his position has become "redundant" with the appointment of three new artistic directors.

Ivaskevicius says that the decision to sack him was not unexpected, but adds that it is the theater's director general who should step down.

"I thank Marius Ivaskevicius for his work at the theater and I hope that we will find other formats for successful cooperation in the future," LNDT Director General Martynas Budraitis said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Naturally, when the artistic direction and artistic director of a theater change, so does the creative team of the theatre," Budraitis said. "A new group of artistic directors takes over the helm of the theater's entire creative program from the tandem of Oskaras Korsunovas and Marius Ivaskevicius."  

"This is a consistent change, successive stages in the theater's development," he added. 

Ivaskevicius says that he was asked to leave his job "by mutual consent", but refused to do so and was fired.

"The director simply has a new survival plan to stay in his position, which I am not part of," he told BNS, commenting on the reasons for his dismissal.

The playwright said he will seek changes in LNDT and a new competition for the position of the theatre's director general.

"The person who has caused such a crisis in the theater should think about submitting himself to a vote of confidence," he said. 

Ivaskevicius took up the job as playwright at the LNDT in January 2021 at the invitation of Oskaras Korsunovas, the theatre's artistic director at the time, who was fired last December.

In late January, Budraitis announced the appointment of three theater directors – Kamile Gudmonaite, Egle Svedkauskaite and Antanas Obcarskas – as artistic directors.

 

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Lithuania launches competition for post of cultural attaché in Ukraine, Georgia  

VILNIUS, Feb 07, BNS – The Lithuanian Culture Ministry has launched a call for applications for the position of cultural attaché in Ukraine, who will also perform this function in Georgia.

February 22 is the deadline for submitting applications, the ministry said on Tuesday.

The term of office of the cultural attaché is three years, with a monthly salary starting from 1,860 euros before taxes. 

The cultural attaché is directly subordinate to the culture minister and to the head of the diplomatic mission or consular post.

 

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Lithuanian president calls for Russia sanction agreement at preparatory EC session

VILNIUS, Feb 07, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda attended a virtual preparatory European Council session and called on EU member states to agree on a 10th sanction package for Russia as soon as possible and to tighten the existing sanctions for Belarus.

"We need to leave no room for Russia and Belarus to circumvent the sanctions to avoid their impact one way or another. The effectiveness of sanctions is key to maximizing their impact. I propose to look for mechanisms to ensure this," Nauseda was quoted as saying in a statement released by the presidential press service.

Held in preparation for the European summit on February 9-10, the session was also attended by European Council President Charles Michel and the leaders of Romania, Spain, Luxembourg and Slovakia.

During the session, Nauseda also expressed his expectation that the EU summit in Brussels would include a fruitful discussion on Ukraine's European integration, Russia's accountability for crimes of aggression, and the use of frozen Russian funds for Ukraine's reconstruction.

The preparatory session also discussed economic and migration issues. The Lithuanian president stressed the importance of stepping up the EU's economic growth and competitiveness, strengthening the EU's single market, technological and productive potential, and providing adequate funding.

Speaking on migration, Nauseda underlined the need for pan-EU agreement on legislation to respond effectively to and overcome the challenges posed by irregular migration, in particular the instrumentalization of migration by authoritarian regimes.

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ECCs need more visibility – EU commissioner in Lithuania's Kaunas

KAUNAS, Lithuania, Feb 07, BNS - European Capitals of Culture need more visibility, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Mariya Gabriel said on Tuesday during her visit to Lithuania's second-largest city of Kaunas that was a European Capital of Culture last year.

She met with the ECC project team and said Kaunas' ECC year was a "big success" reflected by thousands of events and partnerships.

"We now have so many outstanding and successful Capitals of Culture that I see the challenge as how to give them more visibility," the commissioner told BNS. "I am going to take care of that as I had a great idea to organize an event in Brussels where they can showcase what they are doing and how useful and positive it is."

The second challenge, she said, is to build "a really strong network" among cities that are getting ready to become ECCs and those that have already held the title.

ECCs send a great message to young people that they can express their creativity at home without having to look abroad, Gabriel said.

Lithuanian Culture Minister Simonas Kairys said that even though the ECC year was over, Kaunas still has its own continuous mission of talking about "Europeanness, values".

Lithuanian Minister of Education, Science and Sport Jurgita Siugzdiniene also met with the visiting commissioner and said that the visit symbolically brought education and culture together, which was also seen as an important factor for innovation in the context of Kaunas as the European Capital of Culture.

In Vilnius, Gabriel also talked about regional development, and she also visited cultural and heritage sites and discussed major cultural initiatives in Kaunas.

By Austėja Masiokaitė-Liubinienė

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Sweden would contribute to air policing mission in Lithuania after NATO membership

VILNIUS, Feb 07, BNS – Sweden would contribute to the NATO air policing mission in Lithuania after joining the Alliance, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said in Vilnius on Tuesday.

"Sweden will assist with air presence to the NATO air policing," he told reporters.

Stockholm is grateful to Lithuania for supporting Sweden and Finland's NATO membership, the Swedish prime minister said.

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland abandoned their long-standing non-alignment policy and applied to join the military Alliance last May. However, Turkey is blocking these applications, accusing Sweden of harboring what it considers to be "terrorists", particularly members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party.

A protest in Sweden when a Koran was burnt have recently fueled tensions between Sweden and Turkey. However, Lithuania hopes that Sweden and Finland will already be full members during the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius.

Kristersson says Sweden and Finland will also strengthen NATO's regional land forces after becoming allied members.

Sweden took over the rotating EU presidency early this year and the Swedish prime minister says Stockholm says it will focus on European security issues over the next six months.

He also stressed the need to support Ukraine as it's fighting Russian invasion, stating that Ukraine's fate is also Europe's fate.

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Sanctions have impact on Russia's economy – Lithuanian PM

VILNIUS, Feb 07, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte says one needs to have patience regarding sanctions for Russia, adding that they do have an impact on Russia's economy, although not as quickly as predicted.

Although Russia's GDP does not look "as bad as it really is", part of it is made up of the war economy, she said.

"That Russia's GDP has fallen less than forecasters expected. I'll say very simply as an economist: the military industry's production results are included into the GDP, and that includes uniforms that will rot on Ukrainian fields, as well as the funeral services, and this way that GDP can. … look not as bad as it really is," the prime minister told a press conference on Tuesday after her meeting with visiting Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

The isolation of Russia and its accomplices, as well as the sanctions, need to be strengthened, the Lithuanian premier said.

"We see some signs there are attempts to circumvent the existing sanctions in some situations, attempts to deny the impact of those sanctions on the Russian economy, and I can mention once again that we must, first of all be, patient because a lot of the figures and assessments we see on the surface do not necessarily tell the story that Russian propaganda is trying to tell us," Simonyte said.

In her words, due to its primitiveness and focus on raw materials, "the pathways of impact on the Russian economy are not as fast as some would like them to be".

Diplomats are currently discussing a 10th package of sanctions for Russia. The European Union' has so far imposed sanctions on Russian individuals, certain companies, banks, channels, technology and other items. Nine sanctions packages have so far been adopted since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

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Lithuanian PM: parlt speaker didn’t inform me about top prosecutor's plans

VILNIUS, Feb 07, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte says Speaker of the Seimas Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen did not inform her about Prosecutor General Nida Grunskiene's plans to ask the parliament to strip an MP of their legal immunity.

The prime minister said the Seimas speaker had asked her whether the government needed the convention of an extraordinary session regarding her initiated projects, but the speaker did not mention the top prosecutor's request.

"That day, we talked about the need for the government to organize an extraordinary session, and she (Cmilyte-Nielsen) asked if there was a need for me, if I had any questions that I could bring to the extraordinary session," the prime minister told reporters on Tuesday.

"No, she didn't," Simonyte said when asked whether Cmilyte-Nielsen had told her about the top prosecutor's planned appeal.

The prime minister also said that both the Seimas speaker and the prosecutor general insist the name of disgraced MP Kristijonas Bartosevicius was not mentioned during their meeting

On January 23, the Prosecutor General's Office said Grunskiene had turned to the Seimas speaker on stripping Bartosevicius of their legal immunity regarding for further prosecution of restriction of their freedom. 

The prosecution service's statement came a couple of hours after Bartosevicius confirmed that he was resigning as an MP. He added, however, that he had resigned for personal reasons.

It later emerged that the prosecutor general met with the Seimas speaker on January 20 to inform her about the plans to ask the Seimas to strip an MP of their legal immunity. Cmilyte-Nielsen insists that neither the name of the MP in question, nor the political group was mentioned during that meeting.

Last week, the Prosecutor's Office said Bartosevicius was officially suspected of alleged sexual abuse and molestation of four minors when he was still a member of parliament.

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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Lithuania to send earthquake aid to Turkey and Syria – PM

VILNIUS, Feb 07, BNS - Lithuania will contribute to the provision of aid to earthquake-hit Turkey and Syria, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte says.

"Usually, we always react and provide support in such cases. I think that our competent authorities will simply submit a proposal to the Cabinet for discussion and we will form some kind of aid package because this is a very big disaster," the prime minister told reporters on Tuesday.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson also confirmed in Vilnius on Tuesday that his country would also help the affected countries.

"We are not only discussing but we are already doing it. We are sending aid and we are offering even more aid. We would have done the same for every country that has faced such a huge disaster. I think there are many countries willing and able to help, that feel obliged to help, there is no doubt about that," he said.

By Austėja Masiokaitė-Liubinienė

 

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LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, February 2, 2023
2. European chief prosecutor visiting Lithuania
3. Thirteen irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
4. Lithuania reports 345 new COVID-19 cases, 2 deaths
5. Enhanced US Army rotation to begin mission in Lithuania 
6. Two Vilnius courts get new presidents
7. Baltic ministers to discuss joint appeal to IOC to bar Russians from Olympics
8. Jewish community turns to Lithuanian formin over party member's insulting words
9. Lithuanian, Czech chiefs of defense agree on further cooperation
10. EC to announce aid package, discuss Ukraine's EU membership in Kyiv – Lithuanian rep
11. Lithuania's CEC removes three mayoral candidates, five party lists from municipal election
12. Lithuanian president favors extending tax incentive for investments in new technologies
13. Lithuania issued record-high number of residence permits in 2022
14. Lithuanian PM, Europe's chief prosecutor talks Russian sanctions
15. Some candidates for Lithuanian municipal elections registered despite hidden links to KGB
16. Lithuania's Audimas says its brands used in Russia without authorization
17. Lithuanian president, PM talk EU's Russia sanctions with Europe's chief prosecutor (updates)
18. Baltics, Poland call on IOC to bar Russian, Belarusian athletes from intl competitions
19. A number to complain, buy 'pot': Lithuanians ingeniously invite donations for Ukraine
20. Lithuanian court won’t hear Rosneft's lawsuit due to natl security concerns
21. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, February 3, 2023

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, February 2, 2023

VILNIUS, Feb 02, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, February 2, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to meet with MPs, government officials, business representatives and economists at 10 a.m. to discuss Lithuania's economic growth and investments; to meet with European Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruta Kovesi at 1 p.m. 

PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to meet with Kovesi at 10 a.m. 

EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND SPORT MINISTER Jurgita Siugzdiniene to meet with the Latvian and Estonian ministers responsible for sport via video link at 1:45 p.m.

JUSTICE MINISTER Ewelina Dobrowolska to meet with Kovesi at 9 a.m. 

FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to meet with the ambassador of Georgia; to meet with the ambassador of South Korea. 

ARMED FORCES

The General Silvestras Zukauskas Training Area in Pabrade, close to Vilnius, to host at 3 p.m. a changeover ceremony of US rotational battalions deployed in Lithuania. 

 

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European chief prosecutor visiting Lithuania

VILNIUS, Feb 02, BNS – European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kovesi is visiting Lithuania. 

On Thursday, Kovesi is scheduled to meet with President Gitanas Nauseda, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte and Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska. 

She met with Police Commissioner General Renatas Pozela and the leadership of the Prosecutor General's Office on Wednesday.

Kovesi and Simonyte plan to discuss the activities of the European Public Prosecutor's Office and administrative support for its activities in Lithuania, and the institution's role in ensuring compliance with the EU's sanctions against Russia, the government's press office has said.

Kovesi, who was appointed as the first European chief prosecutor in 2019, paid a visit to Lithuania in February 2020.

Launched in June 2021, the European Public Prosecutor's Office is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the EU's financial interests, including several types of fraud, VAT fraud, money laundering, corruption, etc.

 

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Thirteen irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus

VILNIUS, Feb 02, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away 13o migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Thursday morning.

Latvia reported six attempts at illegal border crossings on Wednesday, and 37 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Tuesday, according to the latest available information.

A total of 232 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year.

Lithuanian border guards have prevented over 19,500 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.

Lithuanian border guards have prevented over 19,500 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 SBGS says that illegal migration to Lithuania and the EU is being facilitated by Belarusian officials. 

Almost 4,200 irregular migrants crossed into Lithuania from Belarus illegally in 2021.

 

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Lithuania reports 345 new COVID-19 cases, 2 deaths

VILNIUS, Feb 02, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 345 new coronavirus infections and two deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Thursday morning.

Of the new cases, 239 were primary, 93 were secondary and 13 were tertiary.

The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 now stands at 122, including four ICU cases.

The 14-day primary infection rate has edged up to 124.9 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests up to 20.6 percent.

The daily number of new coronavirus cases remains well below the peak of over 14,000 reached in early February 2022.

More than 1.17 million people in Lithuania have tested positive with COVID-19 at least once.

Some 69.7 percent of people in the country have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab so far.

 

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Enhanced US Army rotation to begin mission in Lithuania 

VILNIUS, Feb 02, BNS –  Rotational US Army battalions in Lithuania are holding a casing and uncasing of colors ceremony at the General Silvestras Zukauskas Training Area in Pabrade, close to Vilnius, on Thursday.

Troops from the 1st Battalion of the 8th Cavalry Regiment and the 3rd Battalion of the 16th Field Artillery Regiment are starting their rotation in Lithuania, the Armed Forces said in a press release. 

"It will be the first reinforced American rotation since the US decision last fall to ensure a persistent US rotational presence in Lithuania," the military said.  

The American troops have arrived in Lithuania for the nine-month deployment from their home base in Fort Hood, Texas.

The new rotation brings along M1A2 Abrams tanks, Bradley IFVs, M1068A3 armored personnel carriers, trucks, and other military equipment.

While in Lithuania, the US troops will regularly take part in exercises, thus increasing interoperability between the allied armed forces, according to the press release. 

Last December, Washington's embassy in Vilnius said that the US would further step up its military presence in the Baltic countries and change the status of American forces in Lithuania to "a persistent rotational presence". 

For the past few years, the US battalion has been deployed at the Pabrade training area with longer or shorter breaks between rotations.

A company-size unit of around 150 US troops was stationed in Lithuania on a rotational basis in the wake of Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. 

After company rotations ended three years later, the US has been deploying battalions more regularly to Lithuania since 2019.

 

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Two Vilnius courts get new presidents

VILNIUS, Feb 02, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has appointed the presidents of two Vilnius courts.

Loreta Brazdiene starts her second term as president of the Vilnius Regional Court on Thursday.

She has served as president of the Vilnius Regional Court from 2017 until early December when her term of office ended. She was the only candidate for this position.

Meanwhile, Gediminas Uzubalis on Thursday assumed the position of president of the Vilnius Regional Administrative Court.

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Baltic ministers to discuss joint appeal to IOC to bar Russians from Olympics

VILNIUS, Feb 02, BNS – Lithuanian Education, Science and Sport Minister Jurgita Siugzdiniene is meeting with her Latvian and Estonian counterparts via video link on Thursday to discuss her initiative for a joint Baltic appeal to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from the Olympics.

"Efforts to bring Russian and Belarusian athletes back into competition under the guise of neutrality are helping Russian and Belarusian propaganda to prop up the criminal regimes of these countries by claiming that not everyone sees Russia or Belarus as aggressors," Siugzdiniene has said. 

"We do not agree with this and we do not want our athletes to be forced to compete with representatives of the aggressors and to sacrifice their values and those of the countries and societies they represent," she said. 

Siugzdiniene has initiated Thursday's remote meeting with the Latvian and Estonian ministers responsible for sport to discuss the highlights of the document, according to the Lithuanian Education, Science and Sport Ministry.  

It is also planned to invite the Nordic and other countries to join the appeal, it said.

The IOC suggested last week that Russians and Belarusians should be allowed to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics as "neutral athletes".

"No athlete should be prevented from competing just because of their passport," it said in a statement. 

The Baltic states and Poland say they do not support such a move, and Latvia is even considering boycotting the Olympics if Russian athletes take part.

 

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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Jewish community turns to Lithuanian formin over party member's insulting words

VILNIUS, Feb 02, BNS - The Jewish Community of Lithuania on Thursday turned to the country's Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, leader of the ruling conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats, over the words of the party's member, the elder of the town of Nemaksciai in the western district of Raseiniai, which it considers to be anti-Semitic.

The appeal comes in response to a report of a local publication on Remigijus Laugalis' statement during a meeting with voters when he said: "Those who will not vote for me will get buried at the Jewish cemetery".

"These insulting words that single out Jewish people from the society as a whole are openly anti-Semitic, inciting hatred and fear. Moreover, they were said at a particularly sensitive time when the whole world was commemorating the International Holocaust Remembrance Day," the Jewish community said in its statement.

It also underlines that Laugalis, who is running for the Raseiniai District Council with the incumbent mayor and HU-LCD member Andrius Bautronis, humiliated "the town and demonstrated his lack of knowledge about the history of his region".

"The old Jewish cemetery in Nemaksciai was put on the Register of Cultural Heritage in 1993 because of its cultural and historical significance and is protected by the state," the statement reads.

The Jewish Community of Lithuania has also turned to Raseiniai Mayor Audrius Bautronis and Laugalis, expecting their unequivocal response.

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Lithuanian, Czech chiefs of defense agree on further cooperation

VILNIUS, Feb 02, BNS – Lithuania's Chief of Defense Lieutenant General Valdemaras Rupsys and Major General Karel Rehka, Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Armed Forces, have agreed on further cooperation, the Lithuanian military said on Tuesday. 

"We agreed to expand military cooperation in the field of CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear security) by participating in collective level exercises organized in the Czech Republic or by training military personnel to conduct CBRN reconnaissance and work with chemical samples," Rupsys said in a press release.

During their meeting on Monday, the chief of defense also thanked his Czech counterpart for Czech troops' participation in NATO's enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group in Lithuania and in the Alliance's Baltic air policing mission.

Rehka came to Lithuania as part of a delegation led by Czech Defense Minister Jana Cernochova. 

The delegation visited the Lithuanian Great Hetman Jonusas Radvila Training Regiment and met with Czech troops serving in the NATO battle group.

The Czech Armed Forces have been sending rotations to the NATO battle group in Lithuania on a regular basis since 2018, and the Czech Air Force has contributed JAS 39C Gripen fighter jets to the Baltic air policing mission flown from Lithuania's Siauliai air base. 

Military personnel from the two countries participate in joint training and other military events.

 

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EC to announce aid package, discuss Ukraine's EU membership in Kyiv – Lithuanian rep

VILNIUS, Feb 02, BNS - The European Commission will announce a new aid package for Ukraine and discuss the prospects of the country's EU membership during its visit to Kyiv, Lithuanian EC member Virginijus Sinkevicius, who is part of the EC delegation, says.

"The president will announce an additional package of 50 million euros. It’s big, compared to the total aid of 50 billion euros, but it will be another new additional package," the commissioner told BNS by phone from Kyiv on Thursday.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and 15 commissioners are visiting Ukraine at Sinkevicius' initiative.

"We plan to discuss a whole range of issues – from the announcement of a new aid package to the budget, financial issues, the coordination of diplomatic efforts, and the green and sustainable reconstruction of Ukrainian cities. An agreement on hydrogen and biomethane production, cooperation and development will be signed", the politician said.

Ukraine is making progress on its path towards EU membership, Sinkevicius said, adding that he can only assess the country's processes in his own area of competence.

"The country is certainly making progress. It's fantastic how Ukraine manages everything during the war," Sinkevicius said. "We have made a lot of progress, despite it being one of the most difficult areas, but we have probably covered more than 70 percent of the legislation. Of course, adopting laws is not enough, they need to be implemented and this will take time, but we are ready to support Ukraine."

Kyiv's progress will be assessed in more detail in a report, the politician said.

In June, EU leaders agreed to grant Ukraine candidate status, paving the way for Kyiv to start the process of joining the EU, which can take years, if not decades, and will require fundamental governance reforms and difficult negotiations.

"But the key message of this visit is that the European Commission, the European Union will stand with Ukraine until the end and will support Ukraine in every way possible," Sinkevicius said.

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Lithuania's CEC removes three mayoral candidates, five party lists from municipal election

VILNIUS, Feb 02, BNS – Lithuania's central Election Commission on Thursday removed three mayoral candidates and five party lists candidates from the upcoming municipal election.

The candidates were removed for failure to meet the Electoral Code requirements as they failed to collect the required number of voters' signatures, failed to submit their biographies and photographs after a court ruling or failed to serve an imposed sentence.

According to the CEC, 21 politicians failed to submit their biographies and photographs. Almost 500 politicians were initially removed from the election for this reason but the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania ordered the CEC to reconsider its decision and set a deadline for candidates to correct the shortcomings, and most politicians did so.

Lithuanian will hold local elections on March 5.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Lithuanian president favors extending tax incentive for investments in new technologies

VILNIUS, Feb 02, BNS – Lithuania should keep the existing corporate income tax incentive for businesses investing in technological renewal, which is set to expire this year, in place for another five years to provide stability for companies, President Gitanas Nauseda said on Thursday.

 "I was pleased to hear an almost unanimous opinion from the ministers, analysts and business representatives that this tax incentive should be extended for at least five years to create some certainty in the investment climate," Nauseda said at a news conference after his traditional annual meeting with MPs, government officials, business representatives and analysts.  

"This means that we can take the necessary decisions in the Seimas' upcoming spring session," he said, adding that "this will be an important step toward ensuring continuity and stability of the business environment for our companies." 

It is important that this decision is not linked to the government's planned tax reform which is still under discussion, according to the president.  

Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste told BNS in an interview in January that the corporate tax incentive for businesses investing in new technologies "has its own logic", adding that additional options would be offered to encourage investment. 

Meanwhile, Economy and Innovation Minister Ausrine Armonaite has said recently that all development investments by businesses should be subject to a zero corporate tax rate.

Currently, a five percent corporate tax rate applies to profits generated by businesses investing in R&D, and companies investing in technological renewal can reduce their taxable profits by up to 100 percent.

 

By Erika Alonderytė-Kazlauskė

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuania issued record-high number of residence permits in 2022

VILNIUS, Feb 02, BNS - A record-high number of temporary residence permits were issued in Lithuania last year, mostly to Ukrainians fleeing the war, the latest figures from Lithuania's Migration Department's migration showed on Thursday. 

In 2022, the department issued a total of 133,628 temporary residence permits, including 117,091 issued for the first time and 16,537 extended permits.

"These figures are also the highest in the history of the Migration Department," the department noted. 

In 2021, a total of 51,821 permits were issued to foreigners, including 35,404 permits issued for the first time and 16,417 extended permits.

Last year, the largest number of temporary residence permits were issued or extended for Ukrainian citizens, a total of 8, 940.

According to the Migration Department, the main reason for the number of temporary residence permits issued to Ukrainian citizens in Lithuania in 2022 was the EU's temporary protection mechanism for war refugees.

The second largest group in this statistical category included Belarusian citizens as 30,815 of them were issued temporary residence permits and their existing permits extended last year.

Also, 5,042 documents were issued or extended for Russian citizens last year.

More than 1,000 permits were issued or extended for citizens of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, India and Georgia. 

The Migration Department also points out in its report that the number of temporary residence permits issued or extended for highly-skilled foreigners working in Lithuania almost trebled last year to 4,145, from 1,428 in 2021.The increase was mainly due to the rise in the number of highly-skilled workers coming from Russia and Belarus.

49,049 permits were issued in those cases when the foreigners planned to work in Lithuania in the professions with a shortage of workers or the Employment Service decided that the foreigners' work met the needs of the national labor market.

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Lithuanian PM, Europe's chief prosecutor talks Russian sanctions

VILNIUS, Feb 02, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte met with European Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruta Kevesi in Vilnius on Thursday and discussed cooperation between the Lithuanian and European Prosecutor's Offices, administrative support for the institution's activities, and its possible role in ensuring the implementation of the European Union's sanctions against Russia and Belarus, the prime minister's press service said.

The prime minister stressed that Lithuania sees the value and potential of the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor's Office to ensure independent and effective detection of international financial crimes.

"In principle, we would welcome the possibility of extending the mandate of the European Public Prosecutor's Office so that it could oversee the implementation of the EU sanctions against Russia and Belarus.  The sanctions hurt the aggressor Russia and its supporter Belarus, therefore they are and will be looking for ways to illegally circumvent them. In order to prevent these processes, we need not only national efforts but also cross-border mechanisms at the European level," Simonyte was quoted as saying in the statement.

The European Public Prosecutor's Office launched its operations in June, 2021. It's an independent, decentralized EU agency with competence to investigate the crimes affecting the EU's financial interests.

Kovesi became the first European chief prosecutor in 2019.

Also on Thursday, Kovesi is scheduled to meet with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska. On Wednesday, she met with Lithuanian Police Commissioner General Renatas Pozela and the leadership of the Prosecutor General's Office.

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Some candidates for Lithuanian municipal elections registered despite hidden links to KGB

VILNIUS, Feb 02, BNS – Lithuania's Central Electoral Commission (CEC) on Thursday registered candidates for mayors and municipal councilors without receiving information about former collaborators with Soviet secret services.

CEC Chairwoman Jolanta Petkeviciene told the commission's members on Thursday that Lithuania's Genocide and Resistance Research Center (LGGRTC) had admitted that some of the candidates had concealed their former links with the KGB, but it refused to provide their names.

The CEC back on January 4 asked the LGGRTC for information about persons who had in the past collaborated with former Soviet special services and the center replied on January 23 that it could not grant the request and that it would provide the requested information when "you are ready to receive it", according to Petkeviciene.

In its response to a repeated request from the election watchdog, the LGGRTC said that former secret KGB collaborators' confessions are classified and that such information can only be provided to those who have the right to work with classified information.

"The center replied that after checking candidates (...), it had found persons who had secretly and knowingly collaborated with former Soviet special services," the chairwoman said. 

"The letter also says that the information is classified for 75 years and is protected by law," she said. 

According to Petkeviciene, the center did not provide the requested data after a third request either. 

In her words, the law says that information about former secret KGB collaborators "is declassified and made public when a person holds or is a candidate for a position of a member of a municipal council or mayor, and such information is discussed at a public meeting".

In the past, the CEC was able to obtain such data without any obstacles.

"The situation is really strange," said Andrius Vaisnys, a CEC member. "This can be seen as obstructing the work of the CEC, (...) because we cannot take the decision we are obliged to take." 

Inga Milasiute, another CEC member, noted that the LGGRTC does not have the right to decide whether or not to declassify data on candidates.

Gitana Matiekuviene, another member of the commission, said that the watchdog will later have to exclude from the elections persons who failed to confess to their former links with the KGB, as required by the Election Code.

On Thursday, the CEC decided to register 13,797 candidates for municipal councilors, 433 candidates for mayors, and 467 lists of parties and political committees.

Lithuania will elect a total of 1,498 municipal councilors and 60 mayors this year.

The municipal elections are scheduled for March 5. 

 

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Lithuania's Audimas says its brands used in Russia without authorization

VILNIUS, Feb 02, BNS – Lithuania's leisure and sportswear producer Audimas has no business or assets in Russia, and its brands are used in Moscow stores without authorization, Lina Slegeriene, the company's CEO, said on Thursday.

"Audimas has no assets or business in Russia. We halted exports to Russia in the first days of (Russia's) war (in Ukraine). We stopped production in our factory in Belarus," Slegeriene told a news conference. 

"Stores in Moscow, to our knowledge, are operating and using our trademark without any authorization, which means illegally," she added.

Photos taken by the company's lawyers show that Audimas-branded stores in the Russian capital are selling items from its 2015-2017 collections with old logos, according to the CEO. 

"We hired lawyers to take photos for us. From the photos we have received, we can see that these are old (collections)," she said

In Slegeriene's words, Audimas ceased operations in Russia in 2017, and its products were supplied to stores in Moscow by a single wholesaler until 2022. 

The last time Audimas' products were delivered to Russia was in December 2021, she said.  

 

By Giedrius Gaidamavičius

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuanian president, PM talk EU's Russia sanctions with Europe's chief prosecutor (updates)

VILNIUS, Feb 02, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte met with visiting European Chief Prosecutor Laura Codruta Kevesi in Vilnius on Thursday and discussed the EU sanctions for Russia and the latter's accountability for war crimes in Ukraine.

The president and the prosecutor also discussed the supervision of EU funds and ensuring transparency, according to the presidential press service's press release.

Nauseda and Kovesi discussed the implementation of the existing sanctions for Russia, the need to prevent all ways of circumventing them, as well as the effective investigation of violations of the existing sanctions for Russia and Belarus.

Nauseda stressed the importance of mobilizing the international community to establish a special tribunal to investigate Russia's atrocities in Ukraine.

"The pressure on Russia needs to continue to increase and I very much hope that a tenth sanction package will be adopted soon. However, it is important to minimize the chances of circumventing or avoiding sanctions. Effective implementation of sanctions is crucial. I am, therefore, in favor of reviewing the mandate of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office to enable it to investigate violations of the sanctions imposed on Russia," Nauseda was quoted as saying in the presidential press service's release.

Earlier in the day, Kovesi met with Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte and they discussed cooperation between the Lithuanian and European Prosecutor's Offices, administrative support for the institution's activities, and its possible role in ensuring the implementation of the European Union's sanctions against Russia and Belarus, the prime minister's press service said.

The prime minister stressed that Lithuania sees the value and potential of the establishment of the European Public Prosecutor's Office to ensure independent and effective detection of international financial crimes.

"In principle, we would welcome the possibility of extending the mandate of the European Public Prosecutor's Office so that it could oversee the implementation of the EU sanctions against Russia and Belarus. The sanctions hurt the aggressor Russia and its supporter Belarus, therefore they are and will be looking for ways to illegally circumvent them. In order to prevent these processes, we need not only national efforts but also cross-border mechanisms at the European level," Simonyte was quoted as saying in the statement.

The meeting also discussed national administrative support for the European Public Prosecutor's Office's decentralized activities which are necessary to ensure the conditions for the effective functioning of this institution and the implementation of the responsibilities entrusted to it.

Also on Thursday, the European chief prosecutor visited Lithuania's Special Investigation Service (STT) to discuss the investigations being carried out by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), the activities of the EPAC/EACN network, as well a ways to strengthen cooperation between the STT and the EPPO.

The European Public Prosecutor's Office launched its operations in June, 2021. It's an independent, decentralized EU agency with competence to investigate the crimes affecting the EU's financial interests.

Kovesi became the first European chief prosecutor in 2019.

Also on Thursday, Kovesi is scheduled to meet with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska. On Wednesday, she met with Lithuanian Police Commissioner General Renatas Pozela and the leadership of the Prosecutor General's Office.

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Baltics, Poland call on IOC to bar Russian, Belarusian athletes from intl competitions

VILNIUS, Feb 02, BNS – The Baltic and Polish sports ministers on Thursday called on international sports federations and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from international competitions.

The Nordic countries will also be invited to join the statement, the Lithuanian Education, Science and Sport Ministry, which initiated it, said in a press release.  

"Sport is not above or beyond politics, so we, sports politicians, must take a firm stance and strive in a very united and purposeful way, together with national and international sports organizations, to ensure that sport does not become a cover for war crimes and a safe haven for those who support or perpetrate them," said Education, Science and Sport Minister Jurgita Siugzdiniene. 

In their joint statement, the Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian and Polish ministers thanked sports organizations for their solidarity and assistance to Ukraine, while condemning the IOC's efforts to bring Russian and Belarusian athletes back to international competitions.

"At a time when free and democratic countries unite their forces to increase support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia's war of aggression supported by its ally Belarus and impose more sanctions on Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, the IOC launches the search for special forms of participation for athletes from Russia and Belarus in international sports competitions including the Olympic Games in Paris in 2024, allowing sport to be used to legitimize and distract attention from Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine," they said. 

"Efforts to return Russian and Belarusian athletes to international sports competitions under the veil of neutrality legitimize political decisions and widespread propaganda of these countries also through the use of sport as a distraction from the illegal aggression against Ukraine."  

The ministers thanked "all international sport organizations and federations that have removed athletes and representatives of Russia and Belarus from international competitions and organizations" and called on the rest to do so immediately.

The statement calls on sports organizations not to change their position towards Russian and Belarusian athletes and representatives of these countries until Moscow and Minsk stop their aggression against Ukraine.

The ministers warned that "allowing Russians and Belarusians to return to the international competitions could also put athletes in a difficult position and under extra pressure by competing against Russians and Belarusians or facing them and their supporters at sport events". 

"We will continue supporting Ukrainian athletes, coaches, sports staff, stakeholders and their country and defending our common values and interests of free and democratic states," they said.  

The IOC suggested last week that Russians and Belarusians should be allowed to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics as "neutral athletes".

"No athlete should be prevented from competing just because of their passport," it said in a statement. 

The Baltic states and Poland say they do not support such a move, and Latvia is even considering boycotting the Olympics if Russian athletes take part.

 

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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A number to complain, buy 'pot': Lithuanians ingeniously invite donations for Ukraine

VILNIUS, Feb 02, BNS – A phone number to complain against authorities, to get advice or to buy "pot" – these are some of the ingenious ways used by Lithuanian activists and politicians to encourage people to call 1482 to donate five euros to the Let's Radar! fund-raising campaign to buy air surveillance radars for Ukraine. 

"This profile has been hacked, so we can announce what Vilnius' authorities have been hiding from you for a long time: streets that need to be widened can be registered by calling 1482," Vilnius Mayor Remigijus Simasius posted on Facebook on Thursday, 

The mayor has recently come under criticism for his initiative to narrow the capital's streets.

The "news" was immediately shared by Tomas Vytautas Raskevicius, the Freedom Party's candidate for Vilnius mayor in March's elections.  

"Stop the criminal narrowing of streets: CALL 1482", the MP wrote.

Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte closed Wednesday's Cabinet meeting by saying, "And that concludes the agenda. Anyone who has forgotten something, call 1482 and report it there."

Nerijus Vitkauskas, a Freedom Party member campaigning for the legalization of cannabis, tweeted, "If anyone wants pot, call 1482".

Jonas Ohman, founder of Blue/Yellow, a NGO raising funds for Ukraine, shared a post disparaging Let's Radar! and suggested that anyone with complaints about the campaign should call 1482.

"We will listen," he promised.

Turto Bankas, Lithuania’s centralized public property management company, has also joined the campaign, announcing that it can now be reached at 1482, and a car mechanic has posted on social media that the number can be called for advice on "various car electronics issues".

The campaign runs from January 30 to February 24, the anniversary of Russia's full-scale military invasion of Ukraine. 

It was launched by the public broadcaster LRT, along with Blue/Yellow, Laisves TV, 1K Fondas and Stiprus Kartu (Strong Together).

The organizers expect to raise five million euros to buy five radars for Ukraine. 

Three million euros have been raised as of Thursday. 

 

By Austėja Masiokaitė-Liubinienė

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Lithuanian court won’t hear Rosneft's lawsuit due to natl security concerns

VILNIUS, Feb 02, BNS - A Lithuanian court has dismissed a case in which Russian oil group Rosneft sought restitution for real estate transactions of Mogita, a Kaunas-based oil wholesaler undergoing bankruptcy proceedings.

On January 23, the Kaunas Regional Court ruled that the legal assistance provided to the Russian company during the proceedings would harm Lithuania's security and sovereignty. The court pointed out that Rosneft is directly controlled by the Russian government and in the context of the war in Ukraine assistance to Russia would run counter to the European Union and Lithuania's values.

"In the context of Russia's war against Ukraine, any assistance to the state waging the war would also run counter the fundamental principles of EU law Lithuania accepted as part of its EU membership, and, therefore, the applicant cannot be granted legal aid in the case at hand," the court stated.

Rosneft had asked the court to annul the sale and purchase agreements signed in 2019 between Mogita and two natural persons regarding a warehouse in Kaunas and a land plot in Vilnius District as it sought to this way recover a debt of 190,000 euros from Mogita.

However, Mogita's representatives asked the court to drop the case because Rosneft's CEO Igor Sechin is under the existing EU sanctions, and legal assistance to the Russian group could pose a threat to Lithuania's sovereignty and security.

In its lawsuit, Rosneft claimed that the company that sold the real estate owes it 6.9 million roubles under the ruling of the International Commercial Arbitration Court at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, which has been recognized and is being enforced in Lithuania.

In September, the Lithuanian Court of Appeal ruled that Mogita must pay the Russian company 183,000 in debt and 6,600 in legal costs.

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, February 3, 2023

VILNIUS, Feb 03, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Friday, February 3, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to meet with Andrew Parsons, president, of the International Paralympic Committee, at 9.30 a.m.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to meet with Andrew Parsons, president, of the International Paralympic Committee, at 11 a.m.

PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to take part in a virtual press conference on the Estonian Cabinet's YouTube channel at noon together with her Latvian and Estonian counterparts.

EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND SPORT MINISTER Jurgita Siugzdiniene to visit several Ukrainian schools in Vilnius with Ukrainian Ambassador to Lithuanian Petro Beshta; to meet with to meet with Andrew Parsons, president, of the International Paralympic Committee, at 1.30 p.m.

 

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