LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus for 3rd straight day
2. Lithuania's latest civic empowerment index to be published
3. Lithuania reports 25 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death
4. Lithuanian director receives best directing award at Sundance Film Festival
5. Only 187 irregular migrants remain in Lithuania's accommodation centers
6. EU commission aims to increase return of irregular migrants – Lithuanian commissioner
7. Lithuanians launch fundraiser for air surveillance systems for Ukraine
8. Lithuanian, Polish, Ukrainian MPs off to US to discuss Ukraine's prospects in NATO 
9. NATO jets scrambled 3 times last week to intercept Russian planes
10. Chairs of 20 European parlt committees call for special tribunal for Russia
11. Lithuania's civic empowerment index dips despite people's efforts to help Ukraine 
12. Lithuania's Klaipeda port resumed ship traffic (updates)
13. Lithuania with partners must do all they can to bar Russia from Olympics – parlt speaker
14. Lithuania with partners must do all they can to bar Russia from Olympics – parlt speaker (expands)
15. Lithuanian cities, towns with 100 Jewish heritage sites to get special signs
16. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus for 3rd straight day

VILNIUS, Jan 30, BNS – Lithuanian border guards recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally for the third day in a row on Sunday, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Monday morning.

Latvia reported four attempted illegal border crossings on Sunday, and 41 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Saturday, according to the latest available information.

A total of 202 regular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year.

Lithuanian border guards have prevented about 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's latest civic empowerment index to be published

VILNIUS, Jan 30, BNS – The Lithuanian Civil Society Institute (CSI) is to publish the country's latest Civic Empowerment Index on Monday.  

The index shows that the level of civic engagement has dipped slightly from its record high level reached during the pandemic, but it still remains high, according to CSI Director Ieva Petronyte-Urbonaviciene. 

"Last year, we saw quite marked changes in the index's individual dimensions," Petronyte-Urbonaviciene told LRT Radio on Monday morning.

"On one hand, (...) the public's civic engagement remained really high in 2022," the director said.  

"On the other hand, the overall civic empowerment index is lower this year, because the other three dimensions – the perception of influence, of risks and of how much you could get involved if there was a problem – declined last year," she added.

The CSI has said in a press release that the latest study paid special attention to the Lithuanian public's support for Ukraine and Ukrainians, people's willingness to defend their country, and their attitudes toward protests and support campaigns of recent years.

The CSI has been measuring Lithuania's Civic Empowerment Index since 2007.

The index rose to 41.3 out of a possible 100 points, its highest score yet, in 2020, when the study was last conducted.

The index measures the level of and changes in the public's interest in public affairs, civic participation and its potential, people's attitudes towards their civic powers and their perception of how favorable the social environment is for civic activity.

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Lithuania reports 25 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death

VILNIUS, Jan 30, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 25 new coronavirus infections and one death from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Monday morning. 

Of the new cases, 22 were primary, one was secondary and two were tertiary.

The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 now stands at 104, including nine ICU cases.

The 14-day primary infection rate has remained stable at 119.3 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests unchanged at 19.9 percent.

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

More than 1.16 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 director receives best directing award at Sundance Film Festival

VILNIUS, Jan 30, BNS – Lithuanian film director Marija Kavtaradze has received the Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic for her film Slow at the Sundance Film Festival, production company M-Films says.

The film premiered at the prestigious US festival and is scheduled to be released in Lithuania in the fall.

"It's still hard to believe that the film's first world release is such a success. I am grateful to the entire film team and to each and every one of them for this creative journey together. The next stage is about to begin as the film meets the viewer. It's incredible that Slow has received such an immediate and overwhelming acclaim at my dream festival, Sundance," the director said after accepting the award.

The love drama tells the story of Elena, a contemporary dancer, and Dovydas, a sign language interpreter, their encounter and the dynamic, immediate and romantic relationship evolving from platonic to romantic. But as the relationship deepens, it becomes increasingly difficult to make sacrifices and find compromises and each is forced to find the limits of their generosity.

Kavtaradze also wrote the film's screenplay.

This is her second feature-length work.

The Sundance Film Festival is the largest annual independent film event in the United States, held since 1978.

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Only 187 irregular migrants remain in Lithuania's accommodation centers

VILNIUS, Jan 30, BNS – Irregular migrants whose freedom of movement is not restricted continue to flee their places of accommodation in Lithuania, with only 187 people currently remaining in the centers.

"We had 205 migrants in early January and now we have 187," Giedrius Misutis, spokesman for the State Border Guard Service, told BNS last week.  

Almost 4,200 irregular migrants crossed into Lithuania from Belarus illegally in 2021. The vast majority of them fled Lithuania after being allowed to move freely.

Over a thousand irregular migrants have been returned to their countries of origin, and another 500 or so have been granted asylum.

"Their number is decreasing every day, although not at the same rate as last year when they were granted the right of free movement," Misutis said. 

"It will not fall to zero for now, because some of them do not have the right to leave their places of accommodation," he added. 

Such migrants currently account for around 15 percent, according to the spokesman.

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EU commission aims to increase return of irregular migrants – Lithuanian commissioner

VILNIUS, Jan 30, BNS – The European Commission is taking measures to increase the return of irregular migrants to their countries of origin, Lithuania's European Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius has said. 

Figures from the EU's border guard agency Frontex show that 330,000 migrants crossed the bloc's borders illegally last year, a 64 percent increase compared to 2021, according to a press release issued by the commissioner's office on Saturday.

"Currently, EU countries are only able to return around 20 percent of irregular migrants to their countries of origin, that is, around 70,000 people per year," said Sinkevicius. "I hope that Mari Juritsch, who has recently taken office as the EU return coordinator, will be instrumental in tackling this problem." 

"But this is not enough. At the next European Council (meeting), (EU) leaders will also discuss other measures to prevent illegal migration and increase the effectiveness of returns. I hope that they will endorse the European Commission's proposals," he added. 

The Commission aims to help EU member states to better monitor and control the bloc's external borders and to shorten asylum and return procedures, according to the commissioner.

Lithuania has so far received around 60 euros million in EU funding for its external border surveillance equipment and its modernization.

The Commission also expects to better manage irregular secondary migration within the EU, where people who enter the bloc illegally continue to travel between member countries, through proper registration of migrants in certain systems and databases.

"Climate change, environmental problems and military conflicts will continue to make Europe attractive to migrants," Sinkevicius said in the press release. "The pressure will not ease, which is why the European Commission is already taking measures to prevent illegal migration."

The commissioner discussed the issues with Rustamas Liubajevas, commander of the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service, during his visit to a frontier station on Lithuania's border with Belarus on Saturday. 

In recent years, Lithuania has faced an influx of foreign nationals attempting to illegally cross into the country from Belarus.

In response to what it calls a "hybrid attack" by Minsk, Vilnius has adopting a policy of turning away migrants.

Lithuania's officials are also seeking to amend legislation to provide for stricter migration rules in such cases.

Almost 4,200 irregular migrants crossed into Lithuania from Belarus illegally in 2021. The vast majority of them fled Lithuania after they were allowed to move freely. 

Over a thousand irregular migrants have been returned to their countries of origin, and another 500 or so have been granted asylum.

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Lithuanians launch fundraiser for air surveillance systems for Ukraine

VILNIUS, Jan 30, BNS - Non-governmental organizations supporting Ukraine and Lithuania's public broadcaster have launched a fundraiser to raise money for air surveillance radars for Ukraine as it's fighting against Russian aggression. 

The campaign called "Radarom!" will run from Monday until February 24, the 1st anniversary of the war in Ukraine, and will also include Blue/Yellow, Laisves TV, 1K Fondas and Stiprus Kartu (Strong Together), the public broadcaster LRT said.

"Radars are used for monitoring the airspace. These new radars from Israel are unique in the way that they can detect all types, sizes and speeds of objects moving in the sky. Conventional radars are not designed to track small and low-flying objects. Russian missiles and drones pose a lethal threat to Ukrainian defenders and civilians. These radars will very much help to prevent Russian death carriers," Jonas Ohman, founder of Blue/Yellow, says.

The fundraiser is expected to raise 5 million euros, and the first surveillance equipment would reach Ukraine at the beginning of the campaign.

Business organizations are also invited to join the fundraiser.

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Lithuanian, Polish, Ukrainian MPs off to US to discuss Ukraine's prospects in NATO 

VILNIUS, Jan 30, BNS – The heads of the foreign affairs committees of the Lithuanian, Polish and Ukrainian parliaments left for the United States on Monday discuss Ukraine's prospects in NATO.

"For the first time, I am going to Washington, DC in the Lublin format, which is very natural for us – Lithuanians and Poles – because all of us, from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, have been fighting together for our common freedom (...) for centuries," Zygimantas Pavilionis, chairman of Lithuania's parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, said ahead of the visit. 

The Lublin Triangle is a platform for trilateral cooperation between Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine.

According to Pavilionis, "now is the time to secure Ukraine's freedom in the EU and NATO".

"We cannot do this without Washington, which is why, in the framework of the Lublin Triangle, our parliamentary leaders have agreed to join forces across the Atlantic: with like-minded US Congress members, on both the left and the right, and with the powerful US communities." 

The visit by the heads of the Lithuanian, Polish and Ukrainian parliamentary committees comes as the 118th US Congress is starting its work. 

At meetings in Washington, DC, the Lithuanian, Polish and Ukrainian parliamentarians expect to discuss multilateral financial, military and political assistance to Ukraine, security issues in the Baltic Sea region, and a planned visit to the US by the parliamentary speakers of the three Lublin Triangle countries.

Lithuania's preparations to host NATO's summit in Vilnius in July will also be discussed.

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NATO jets scrambled 3 times last week to intercept Russian planes

VILNIUS, Jan 30, BNS – Fighter jets stationed in the Baltic states as part of NATO's air policing mission were scrambled three times last week to intercept Russian military aircraft flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

On January 24, NATO jets identified a Russian IL-20 and two fighter jets SU-24, flying in the international airspace from Kaliningrad and then returning to this Russian region. 

On January 25, NATO jets escorted a Russian IL-20. Jets were scrambled because of the same type aircraft on January 27.

Also on January 27, NATO jets accompanied an IL-76 flying in international airspace from Kaliningrad and then returning to this region. The plane was accompanied by to SU-27s.

The majority of the Russian planes were flying without flight plans, with their onboard transponders off, and some of them were not in contact with the regional flight control center.

The NATO Baltic air policing mission is conducted from Lithuania and Estonia.

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Chairs of 20 European parlt committees call for special tribunal for Russia

VILNUS, Jan 30, BNS – The chairs of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committees from 20 European countries have issued a joint statement calling for the establishment of a special international tribunal for the perpetrators of Russia's aggression in Ukraine.

Issued on Monday, the statement condemns Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, rejects the annexation of the occupied territories, and supports the investigation launched by the International Criminal Court.

"We advocate the establishment of a dedicated international tribunal for bringing to justice the perpetrators of the international crime of aggression initiated by the Russian Federation on 24 February 2022 with a full-scale military invasion of the territory of sovereign Ukraine, by setting up an appropriate legal basis for this purpose, in addition to the International Criminal Court which cannot exercise jurisdiction over this aggression," the statement reads.

It underlines that the crimes committed so far by the armed forces of the Russian Federation in Ukraine demonstrate cynicism and impunity, and disregard forward regulations and laws that limit the use of military force.

The statement was signed by the chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Belgium, Slovenia, Croatia, Spain, Sweden, Ireland, Norway, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Germany, Bulgaria, the Netherlands and the European Parliament.

In mid-October, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia called on the European Union and its international partners to set up a special tribunal to investigate the crimes of Russian aggression in Ukraine. The countries argue that such a tribunal would also bring the Russian leadership to justice.

The special tribunal would target Russia's civilian and military leadership for ordering and supervising the invasion of Ukraine

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Lithuania's civic empowerment index dips despite people's efforts to help Ukraine 

VILNIUS, Jan 30, BNS – Lithuania's Civic Empowerment Index declined in 2022 despite the public's active indolent in efforts to help Ukraine, the Civil Society Institute (CSI) said on Monday.  

The index, which measures the public's actual and potential engagement, perception of their influence and assessment of the risks associated with civic engagement, fell to 35.9 out of a possible 100 points, the lowest score since 2017, when it stood at 37.

Last year, 46.3 percent of respondents said they had donated, 38.6 percent said they had taken part in environmental clean-ups, and 30.7 percent said they had participated in local community activities.

The highest ever percentage of respondents said they had boycotted (27.1 percent) or bought (23.2 percent) certain goods or services for moral or political reasons, participated in public organizations and movements (13.6 percent), or taken part in a demonstration, a support campaign, or a rally or picket (13 percent).

Among other things, the study showed that two thirds of the Lithuanian population had contributed in one way or another to supporting Ukraine or Ukrainians.

Some 58.2 percent of respondents did so by donating money or items, and almost 10 percent volunteered in aid organizations or directly helped Ukrainians.

However, the Civic Empowerment Index declined last year, due mostly to an increase in the number of people saying they did not know how they would behave in the event of a political, economic, or local problem, and a decrease in the percentage of those who said they would take action in such situations.

The CSI has published the index since 2007. In the previous study conducted in 2020, it reached 41.3 out of 100 points, its highest score so far.

The index measures the level of and changes in the public's interest in public affairs, civic participation and its potential, people's attitudes towards their civic powers and their perception of how favorable the social environment is for civic activity.

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Lithuania's Klaipeda port resumed ship traffic (updates)

KLAIPEDA, Lithuania, Jan 30, BNS – The Lithuanian seaport of Klaipeda resumed ship traffic after it was restricted on Monday morning due to strong winds.

The traffic was resumed at noon, the port's authority said.

Post-midday wind speeds of around 13 meters per second were recorded in Klaipeda, Igne Rotautaite-Pukene, spokeswoman for the Klaipeda seaport authority, told BNS, adding that ships enter and leave the port normally.

Klaipeda restricted ship traffic on Monday morning after winds strengthened to 21 m/s and 4-meter high waves were recorded.

Two ships were waiting to enter the port and two others were waiting to leave at around 9 a.m.

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Lithuania with partners must do all they can to bar Russia from Olympics – parlt speaker

VILNIUS, Jan 30, BNS – Lithuania and its Western partners must do everything possible to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in the Olympic Games, even as neutrals, Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, speaker of the parliament, said on Monday. 

Cmilyte-Nielsen said that a boycott of the 2024 Paris Olympics would be "an extreme measure" and that "it is too early to speak about it now". 

"At this stage, we have to do all we can to prevent Russian athletes from competing in the Olympics and in other major non-Olympic competitions, even under a neutral flag," she told reporters.

Cmilyte-Nielsen earlier on Monday met with other parliamentarians and government officials to discuss joint action to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in the Olympic Games as neutrals, as proposed by the International Olympic Committee.

"With the war raging in Ukraine, and Ukrainian athletes, coaches and children being killed by Russian missiles every day, it is cynical to say that sports and politics should not be mixed," she told reporters. 

The speaker said that an international coalition must be built to speak out in different formats against bringing Russian and Belarusian athletes back to the Olympics.

"Russia and Belarus are using sport for their own propaganda and they will try to find ways, some tracks, to get back into the Olympic movement, into sports competitions," she said.

"Today, the vice-minister, my colleagues from the Seimas and I discussed what steps we could take and what initiatives we could join to urge sports federations to take into account the fact that there should be no way for Russian and Belarusian representatives to compete even under a neutral flag." 

The speaker said that the Lithuanian government is taking such initiatives, adding that she herself intends to table a Seimas resolution on the matter and has discussed the idea with her Estonia, Latvian and Polish counterparts.

The International Olympic Committee said last week that "a pathway" for Russian and Belarusians to participate in the Paris Olympics as "neutral athletes" should be "further explored".

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

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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Lithuania with partners must do all they can to bar Russia from Olympics – parlt speaker (expands)

VILNIUS, Jan 30, BNS – Lithuania and its Western partners must do everything possible to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in the Olympic Games, even as neutrals, Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, speaker of the parliament, said on Monday. 

Cmilyte-Nielsen said that a boycott of the 2024 Paris Olympics would be "an extreme measure" and that "it is too early to speak about it now". 

"At this stage, we have to do all we can to prevent Russian athletes from competing in the Olympics and in other major non-Olympic competitions, even under a neutral flag," she told reporters.

Cmilyte-Nielsen earlier on Monday met with other parliamentarians and government officials to discuss joint action to bar Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in the Olympic Games as neutrals, as proposed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

"With the war raging in Ukraine, and Ukrainian athletes, coaches and children being killed by Russian missiles every day, it is cynical to say that sports and politics should not be mixed," she told reporters. 

The speaker said that an international coalition must be built to speak out in different formats against bringing Russian and Belarusian athletes back to the Olympics.

"Russia and Belarus are using sport for their own propaganda and they will try to find ways, some tracks, to get back into the Olympic movement, into sports competitions," she said.

"Today, the vice-minister, my colleagues from the Seimas and I discussed what steps we could take and what initiatives we could join to urge sports federations to take into account the fact that there should be no way for Russian and Belarusian representatives to compete even under a neutral flag." 

The speaker said that the Lithuanian government is taking such initiatives, adding that she herself intends to table a Seimas resolution on the matter and has discussed the idea with her Estonia, Latvian and Polish counterparts.

The IOC said last week that "a pathway" for Russian and Belarusians to participate in the Paris Olympics as "neutral athletes" should be "further explored".

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

Deputy Education, Science and Sport Minister Linas Obcarskas confirmed that a statement by ministers from the region's countries on Russian and Belarusian athletes' participation is currently being drafted. 

"A statement is being coordinated; it will certainly not be from Lithuania alone," the vice-minister said. "We are analyzing the situation and what actions are being planned by other ministries and other countries."

"(The statement) will be published shortly. It will be signed by the region's countries, and we will definitely go to a larger (format)," he added. 

Lithuania's Olympic discus throwing champion Virgilijus Alekna, who now chairs the parliamentary Commission for Youth and Sport Affairs, said that Ukraine is considering boycotting the Olympics if Russian athletes are allowed to take part.

"The IOC is making a lot of efforts to get these athletes into (the Games), which is bad," Alekna said. "Lithuania's position is clear: Russian and Belarusian athletes should not be there." 

"I have recently spoken to parliamentarians from Ukraine; they are also considering what to do, and a boycott is an option they are not ruling out. For now, they have chosen the path of making efforts to keep Russians and Belarusians out of the Olympics," he said.  

The chairman of the parliamentary commission said that Lithuania is not considering a boycott, at least for now, and that he personally thinks that athletes should be free to decide whether to participate in the Olympics if Russians are allowed to compete.

"Even after the doping scandals, when sanctions against Russia were adopted, the main task of IOC President Thomas Bach was to travel around and find ways to bring Russian athletes back into the Olympics," Alekna said, commenting on the situation. 

"Honestly, now you can feel, too, that the person is very interested in Russian athletes' participation in the Olympic Games," he added. 

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Lithuanian cities, towns with 100 Jewish heritage sites to get special signs

VILNIUS, Jan 30, BNS – Lithuanian cities and town with 100 Jewish heritage sites will get a special sign, the Jewish Cultural Heritage Route Association announced on Monday.

The plan is to mark Jewish cultural heritage sites with a common symbol over the course of this year. The plaque will feature a stylized dreidel, one of the most important symbols of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, and the text "History happened here".

Each Jewish heritage sign will have a link to online resources people will be able to scan using their mobile device to get more information about the marked site and its history.

Sites to be marked with the new sign will include synagogues, Jewish cemeteries, their outbuildings, sites associated with famous Lithuanian Jewish figures, as well as Holocaust sites.

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, January 31, 2023

VILNIUS, Jan 31, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Tuesday, January 31, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to pay a visit to the Kedainiai region.

FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to attend a meeting of the Baltic and Polish foreign ministers in Riga, followed by a press conference at 2 p.m.

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