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LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN, April 22, 2022

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN


IN THIS ISSUE:

  1. Germany ready to “essentially contribute” to formation of NATO brigade in Lithuania
  2. EU Commission approves EUR 6.4 b Cohesion Fund investment in Lithuania
  3. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, April 22, 2022
  4. Baltic prime ministers to discuss efforts to beef up regional security in Riga
  5. Nauseda to discuss energy independence from Russia with Lithuania's EU commissioner
  6. Japanese culture and sakura blossom festival kicks off in Lithuanian Capital of Culture
  7. Kaunas to celebrate centenary of Lithuanian basketball, unveil sculpture of James Naismith
  8. Lithuania reports 1,154 new COVID-19 cases, 5 deaths
  9. Number of Ukrainian war refugees registered in Lithuania rises to 47,800
  10. Lithuania turns 18 irregular migrants away on border with Belarus (expands)
  11. Military support for Ukraine must be swift and effective – Lithuanian president
  12. Lithuanian conductor, composer Abarius passes away at 92
  13. Lithuania ready to scale up training for Ukrainian troops – formin
  14. Lithuanian postal operator warns about potential delays in mail delivery to China
  15. Lithuania ready to scale up training for Ukrainian troops – formin (expands)
  16. Lithuanian PM: LNG terminals in all three Baltic states will be needed
  17. Germany ready to “essentially contribute” to formation of NATO brigade in Lithuania (expands)
  18. Lithuania to build EUR 12 mln worth workshop for IFVs in Rukla
  19. Berlin does its best to help Ukraine, but burden can't fall on all Europeans – formin
  20. LNG terminals in all three Baltic states will be needed – Lithuanian PM  (expands)
  21. Baerbock praises German firms for staying in Lithuania despite China's pressure
  22. Baltics see sanctions on Russian gas, oil as key element in next package – Lithuanian PM 
  23. Over 40 countries join Lithuania's call to investigate Russian war crimes in Ukraine – PM
  24. Lithuanian actor, monk Marciulynas passes away in South Korea 
  25. Eastern Europe's 1st NBA Basketball School opens in Vilnius
  26. Lithuanian minister in Kyiv: 'absurd' that Russia chairs UNESCO heritage committee   
  27. Lithuanian minister in Hague: justice must triumph in Ukraine
  28. Lithuania ranks 10th in EU for number of registered Ukrainian refugees
  29. Lithuania's national pavilion opens at Venice Biennale 
  30. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Monday, April 25, 2022

Germany ready to “essentially contribute” to formation of NATO brigade in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – Berlin is ready to essentially contribute to the formation of a NATO brigade in Lithuania in place of the existing battalion, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in Vilnius on Friday adding that a decision of the whole Alliance was necessary for the deployment of a larger unit in the country.

“We are currently discussing the new defense concept with our NATO partners, therefore it is important that we act decisively together as an alliance and not as individual foreign ministers. It is important to be together during the process,” she said during a joint news conference with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.

“If NATO decides that [the battalion] shall be reinforced to the level of a brigade, we, as the Federal Republic of Germany, will essentially contribute to that. I’ve understood that there is a necessity, there is a need, and Germany will take respective actions,” the German minister added.

Battalions of international allies were deployed in the Baltic countries and Poland back in 2017 as a way to deter Russia. NATO's multi-national battalion stationed in Lithuania is currently led by Germany, which has deployed approximately 900 troops in the country.

The region’s countries seek to reinforce those battalions to the level of a brigade in response to Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine.

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EU Commission approves EUR 6.4 b Cohesion Fund investment in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – The European Commission on Friday adopted its Partnership Agreement with Lithuania, laying down Lithuania’s investment strategy worth 6.4 billion euros in cohesion policy funding for the period 2021–2027.

Compared to the period of 2014–2020, the amount decreased by approximately one-fourth, Lithuania's European Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius said calling, however, to taking into account the current level of Lithuania’s development and support for post-pandemic economic recovery allocated last year.

“We received approximately 8.4 billion euros in the previous period but Lithuania’s current level of development is way different from what it was eight years ago. Including 2.2 billion euros approved by the EU last year within the framework of the Economic Recovery and Resilience Facility, the amount of financial support is broadly the same,” he told BNS on Friday.

According to the commissioner, 2.1 billion euros would be earmarked to support the green transition that would allow renovating more than 4,000 multi-apartment buildings, 1.8 billion euros would be allocated to measures to address social problems, reduction of poverty and income inequality, nearly 1 billion euros – to the transformation of the country’s economy, and another nearly 1 billion euros – to urban development.

By Valdas Pryšmantas

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, April 22, 2022

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Friday, April 22, 2022:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to meet with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock at 9 a.m.; to meet with European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries, Virginijus Sinkevicius at 10.30 a.m.

PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to meet with Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas in Riga.

DEFENSE MINISTER Arvydas Anusauskas to meet with CHIEF OF DEFENSE Valdemaras Rupsys at 10 a.m.

FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to meet with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.

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Baltic prime ministers to discuss efforts to beef up regional security in Riga

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – Prime ministers of the Baltic countries will meet in Riga on Friday to discuss joint efforts to beef up regional security amid Russia’s war in Ukraine and preparations for the forthcoming NATO summit in Madrid.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas will also discuss ways to ensure energy security of the three countries while weaning off Russia’s energy supplies

Also, the leaders of the three Baltic governments will talk about the tightening of sanctions against Russia and Baltic support for Ukraine.

As NATO prepares to adopt a new security concept for its June summit, Lithuania and the other Baltic states are pushing for the multi-national battalions deployed in the region to be converted into brigades, thus significantly increasing the number of troops present in the countries.

The countries in the region also want more air and air defense systems and other capabilities. They say this is needed not only to deter Russia but to actually defend against it.

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Nauseda to discuss energy independence from Russia with Lithuania's EU commissioner

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda will on Friday meet with Lithuania's delegated EU Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius to discuss the issues of energy security and energy independence from Russia.

Ridas Jasiulionis, spokesman for the president, told BNS that Nauseda and Sinkevicius would also talk about support for war-ravaged Ukraine, its European integration as well as sanctions against Russia and Belarus.

Many Central and Eastern European countries, including Lithuania, call for the sanctioning of Russian oil and gas imports but certain European countries, including Germany, have been stalling this sanctioning process.

By Ramūnas Jakubauskas

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Japanese culture and sakura blossom festival kicks off in Lithuanian Capital of Culture

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – A three-day festival of Japanese culture and sakura blooming kicks off in Alytus, the Lithuanian Capital of Culture 2022, on Friday.

Guests will be invited to get to know Japanese culture through the folding of origami, the Japanese tea ceremony, the reading of haiku poetry, lessons in bonsai pruning, various workshops and kimono photoshoots.

On Saturday, festival guests would be greeted by Japanese Ambassador to Lithuania Ozaki Tetsu, Alytus, a town in Southern Lithuania, said on a website dedicated to its activities as the Lithuanian Capital of Culture 2022.

The program of the festival will also include a sakura planting ceremony, performances by judo clubs and other events.

The festival in Alytus will take place on April 22–23 and May 1.

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Kaunas to celebrate centenary of Lithuanian basketball, unveil sculpture of James Naismith

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – Kaunas, Lithuania’s second-largest city, will on Friday celebrate the centenary of Lithuanian basketball and will unveil a sculpture of James Naismith, the inventor of the game.

“He invented basketball, without him we would probably not play basketball and would not have all those victories,” Mindaugas Gobikas, spokesman for the Lithuanian Basketball Federation (LKF), told BNS.

A plaque on the sculpture reads: “The sculpture dedicated to celebrate the centenary of Lithuanian basketball. The sculpture represents James Naismith – the inventor of basketball.”

The sculpture, which was created by Lukas Siupsinskas and cost 40,000 euros, is erected near the Lithuanian Basketball House on Santakos street.

A basketball court of legends and fans located nearby will be unveiled, too.

“It is a basketball court of a reduced size, which, over time, will be covered with round brass plates bearing the names of anyone willing to have his name written there,” Gobikas said.

The court was sufficient for 6,000 nameplates, he said adding that 100 plates dedicated to Lithuanian basketball legends would be unveiled on Friday.

Later, the Basketball House will host a festive commemoration of the centenary that will be attended by President Gitanas Nauseda, ex-President Valdas Adamkus, representatives of FIBA and NBA, municipal mayors, members of basketball community and basketball legends.

The first basketball game in Lithuania took place one hundred years ago, on April 23, 1922.

By Ramūnas Jakubauskas

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Lithuania reports 1,154 new COVID-19 cases, 5 deaths

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 1,154 new coronavirus infections and five deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Friday morning.

Some 994 of the new cases were primary, 156 were secondary and four were tertiary.

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals has decreased to 631, including 40 ICU cases.

The 14-day primary infection rate has fallen further to 514.9 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests down to 19 percent.

The daily count of new infections had been rising at a rapid pace since late 2021, but took a downward turn in early February after hitting a new high of over 14,000 cases.

Some 69.8 percent of the Lithuanian population have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab so far.

One of the latest fatalities was aged over 60 years and the others were aged 80 or over. Four of the deceased were fully vaccinated.

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Number of Ukrainian war refugees registered in Lithuania rises to 47,800

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – The total number of Ukrainian war refugees registered in Lithuania so far has risen to 47,800, including 19,600 minors, according to the latest official statistics published on Friday.

Some 447 people, including 149 minors, have registered with refugee registration centers or the Migration Department's units over the past 24 hours. The number of minors included 42 children under the age of six.

The average daily number of arrivals from Ukraine has fallen to 332 in the past seven days, from over 500 a week ago.

Some 15,800 people, or around a third of all refugees, have registered with the Vilnius registration center.

Of the total number of war refugees registered so far, 5,200 are children under the age of six, and 14,400 are minors aged between six and 18 years.  Another 2,200 are people aged over 65 years. 

Most of the arrivals are women and children and the majority of them have applied for a temporary residence permit on humanitarian grounds.

According to the United Nations, over 5 million people have left Ukraine and more than 7.7 million Ukrainians have been displaced since Russia invaded its neighbor in late February.

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Lithuania turns 18 irregular migrants away on border with Belarus (expands)

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away 18 migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Friday morning.

The SBGS also reported that border guards and troops assisting them had not used their service guns in the past 24 hours.

Border guards refused entry to six migrants on Wednesday after recording no attempted illegal crossings in the previous five days.

Latvia has turned away two migrants on its border with Belarus in the past 24 hours. Polish border guards on Thursday denied entry to 10 irregular migrants.

A total of 1,372 people have been prevented from crossing from Belarus into Lithuania at non-designated places so far this year.

Lithuanian border guards sent 8,106 people back to Belarus between last August, when they were given the right to deny entry to irregular migrants, and December. However, the number includes repeated attempts by the same people to cross the border.

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Military support for Ukraine must be swift and effective – Lithuanian president

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – Military support for Ukraine must be swift and effective, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda stated during a meeting with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Vilnius on Friday.

He stressed that political and military support by European and world democracies was crucial for Ukraine at this time, the presidential office said in a press release.

“With the outbreak of a large-scale military offensive in the Donbas region, rapid and effective delivery of weaponry to Ukraine could become a decisive factor in this war. We no longer have time to hesitate, we must act decisively and quickly,” the press release quoted Nauseda as saying.

The Lithuanian president and the German minister discussed reinforcement of NATO’s eastern flank.

Nauseda stated that NATO’s enhanced forward presence battalion should be expanded to a brigade-sized unit, air policing should be upgraded to air and missile defense, and forward presence should be switched to forward defense. He also called to strengthen the so-called Suwałki Corridor.

He thanked Germany for leading NATO forward presence battlegroup in Lithuania and for its contribution to the security of the Baltic region, and expressed his expectation that more German troops would be deployed to Lithuania in the near future.

The Lithuanian president also underlined that pressure by Western countries on Russia must be further increased by tightening sanctions in energy, finance, trade, and other sectors.

According to him, sanctions should also be imposed on Belarus, which is participating as a party to Russia’s war against Ukraine and allows the aggressor to deploy its troops in its territory.

Nauseda and the German foreign minister also discussed the prospects for Ukraine’s European integration.

According to the Lithuanian president, following Ukraine’s completion of the EU accession questionnaire this week, it is necessary to speed up the process of granting Ukraine EU candidate status.

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Lithuanian conductor, composer Abarius passes away at 92

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – Lionginas Abarius, former chief conductor of Lithuanian Song Festivals and composer, has died at the age of 92 in Vilnius.

“He passed away this night,” his daughter Daina Lazauskiene told BNS on Friday.

Born in Zarasai County in 1929, Abarius graduated from Tallat-Kelpsa Music School in Vilnius in 1953 and studied choral conducting at the Lithuanian Conservatory between 1953 and 1958.

He spent many years teaching at the Lithuanian Music Academy and headed its department of choral conducting between 1988 and 1995.

In 1960, Abarius was appointed as chief conductor of the Lithuanian Song Festivals and conducted the mixed choir of the Lithuanian Radio and Television between 1963 and 1981.

The composer and conductor left a great number of works, including books of canticles and masses, romances, poems, etc.

In 1967, Abarius was awarded the distinction of an honored artist of the Socialist Soviet Republic of Lithuania. In 1995, he was decorated with the Gediminas Order of the 3rd degree and was awarded Lithuania’s National Prize for Culture and Arts in 2016.

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Lithuania ready to scale up training for Ukrainian troops – formin

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – With the West stepping up its military support for Ukraine, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has said that Vilnius is ready to train Ukrainian troops how to use modern weaponry being supplied to the country and to scale up the existing training program accordingly.

“If our partners need to train Ukrainian troops how to use advanced equipment, Lithuania may offer the competence of our instructors, equipment, training areas and other necessary assistance,” he said during a joint news conference with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Vilnius on Friday.

“We provide training to Ukrainian troops already hence we see no obstacles for scaling up the training program,” the Lithuanian minister added.

Lithuania is currently training Ukrainian troops how to use American anti-tank weaponry.

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Lithuanian postal operator warns about potential delays in mail delivery to China

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – The Lithuanian postal operator Lietuvos Pastas (Lithuanian Post) has warned about potential delays in the delivery of mail sent from Lithuania to China starting from early April as the postal service of China has temporarily suspended international mail acceptance.

Lietuvos Pastas reported on Friday that it continued to accept mail addressed to China but warned that its acceptance might be suspended temporarily taking into account the situation.

The closure of Ukrainian airspace for civilian aircraft due to the war and changes in airlines’ routes to avoid Russia’s territory had led to difficulties in mail delivery to other Asian countries, in particular Japan, the Lithuanian postal operator explained.

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Lithuania ready to scale up training for Ukrainian troops – formin (expands)

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – With the West stepping up its military support for Ukraine, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has said that Vilnius is ready to train Ukrainian troops to use modern weaponry being supplied to the country and to scale up the existing training program accordingly.

“If our partners need to train Ukrainian troops to use advanced equipment, Lithuania may offer the competence of our instructors, equipment, training areas and other necessary assistance,” he said during a joint news conference with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Vilnius on Friday.

“We provide training to Ukrainian troops already hence we see no obstacles for scaling up the training program,” the Lithuanian minister added.

Lithuania is currently training Ukrainian troops to use American anti-tank weaponry.

Berlin stated earlier this week that it would train Ukrainian soldiers to use German-made Panzerhaubitze 2000 self-propelled howitzers, which, as reported, would be supplied by the Netherlands.

Asked whether Lithuania could train Ukrainian troops to use that equipment, given that Vilnius had also purchased German-made howitzers, Landsbergis said that Lithuania was ready to do that but “decisions are made by officials responsible for defense, be it Berlin or other capitals”.

“My task is to invite not to forget that we can do that,” he said.

Landsbergis added that Lithuania was suitable for this mission due to both geographical proximity and experience.

“Lithuania is close to Ukraine geographically. Similarly, we have an advantage of being familiar with the German military,” he said.

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Lithuanian PM: LNG terminals in all three Baltic states will be needed

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – With Latvia and Estonia planning to build their own liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, the prime minister of Lithuania, which already has such a facility, believes that all three will be needed.  

"I'd hardly see any risk of something becoming redundant, especially if the European Union's steps to stop importing Russian gas are long term and sustainable," Ingrida Simonyte said at a joint press conference with her Latvian and Estonian counterparts on Friday.  

The Lithuanian prime minister was commenting on the question of whether the LNG terminals planned to be built in Latvia and Estonia would cause friction among the three Baltic countries. 

 

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Germany ready to “essentially contribute” to formation of NATO brigade in Lithuania (expands)

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – Berlin is ready to essentially contribute to the formation of a NATO brigade in Lithuania in place of the existing battalion, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in Vilnius on Friday adding that a decision of the whole Alliance was necessary for the deployment of a larger unit in the country.

“We are currently discussing the new defense concept with our NATO partners, therefore it is important that we act decisively together as an alliance and not as individual foreign ministers. It is important to be together during the process,” she said during a joint news conference with Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.

“If NATO decides that [the battalion] shall be reinforced to the level of a brigade, we, as the Federal Republic of Germany, will essentially contribute to that. I’ve understood that there is a necessity, there is a need, and Germany will take respective actions,” the German minister added.

Battalions of international allies were deployed in the Baltic countries and Poland back in 2017 as a way to deter Russia. NATO's multi-national battalion stationed in Lithuania is currently led by Germany, which has deployed approximately 900 troops in the country.

The region’s countries seek to reinforce those battalions to the level of a brigade in response to Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine.

"Security from Russia"

NATO’s strategy of deterrence, which had been in force thus far, was no longer suitable in the Baltic countries, Baerbock said adding that the Alliance had to be ready to combat a potential threat and defend itself immediately in this region.

“The previous NATO’s deterrence logic is no longer sufficient in the Baltic countries… Such an approach is no longer suitable,” the Germany foreign minister stated.

The experience of Ukrainian towns that had been attacked by Russian forces and later retaken by Ukrainian troops had shown that “security from Russia” was necessary, she stressed.

“Putin’s Russia forces to choose a new course,” Baerbock said.

“Response – in the first centimeter”

The German minister stressed that the German troops whom she would visit in Rukla, Jonava District, later on Friday, stood “shoulder to shoulder with Lithuanian soldiers”.

“Germany will continue to participate by contributing and reinforcing long-term presence of NATO troops,” she said.

Landsbergis emphasized in his turn that Russia’s actions had radically changed the security environment, which should be reflected in the decisions that would be adopted by the NATO summit in Madrid in summer.

He noted that, in addition to more troops, Lithuania also needed more air defense systems, military equipment, other weaponry.

“The most important change is a strategic change so as to make sure that we are no longer stuck in a position where we respond later if we are attacked. The response should be immediate, in the first centimeter,” the Lithuanian minister said.

Baerbock assured that those issues would be discussed “in the coming weeks”.

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Lithuania to build EUR 12 mln worth workshop for IFVs in Rukla

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – With Lithuania holding talks on the second stage in the project on acquisition of Vilkas fighting vehicles, a 12-million-euros contract to build a workshop for infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) in Rukla, Jonava District, has been signed.

The Defense Ministry reported on Friday that premises for the workshop, which would repair armored tracked and wheeled vehicles, trucks and equipment, would be built in the territory of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Algirdas Mechanized Infantry Battalion.

The workshop complex would also include a washing area, a shed for equipment, as well as areas for vehicle inspection and painting.

The envisaged building of approximately 5,000 square meters will be the biggest workshop of the Lithuanian Armed Forces.

Construction works are planned to be finalized in July 2023. A respective construction contract was signed between the Infrastructure Management Agency under the Ministry of Defense and private company Jungtiniai Projektai last week.

“The future workshop is closely related to the IFVs acquisition program being implemented by the Lithuanian Armed Forces, which is particularly important for ensuring national security. The workshop, once installed, will ensure maintenance of combat equipment of the Lithuanian military,” a press release from the Defense Ministry quoted Deputy Defense Minister Vilius Semeska as saying.

Earlier this month, the Defense Ministry initiated talks on the second stage in Vilkas Infantry Fighting Vehicle acquisition project. According to the deputy minister, a contract on new armored vehicles could be signed as early as in summer.

The Lithuanian Armed Forces will be reinforced with more than 120 additional Infantry Fighting Vehicles of Boxer type. Some of them will be armed with a 30 mm cannon, and others – with a 12.7 mm machine guns.

If the contract is signed, the delivery of new infantry fighting vehicles will be launched in late 2023–early 2024.

Earlier Lithuania purchased approximately 90 Vilkas IFVs. Their delivery will be completed this year.

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Berlin does its best to help Ukraine, but burden can't fall on all Europeans – formin

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – Berlin is doing all it can to help Ukraine in the face of Russia's continued aggression, but the burden of war cannot be placed on the shoulders of all Europeans, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said in Vilnius on Friday.

"We want to and will do everything to support Ukraine [and] to help it to the best of our ability," she told reporters.

However, Germany's top diplomat added that there is "a bitter reality" to be faced.

"We have a responsibility to prevent the war from falling on the shoulders of 450 million EU citizens, so we are talking about individual steps," she said. 

Central and Eastern European countries are calling for EU sanctions on Russian oil and gas, but Germany and other member countries that are dependent on Russian energy resources are blocking these efforts.  

However, Baerbock said earlier this week that her country intends to stop importing Russian oil by the end of the year.  

"We have a plan to phase out oil by the end of the year, together with other EU countries," she said.

According to the German foreign minister, it would be difficult to cut off oil imports from Russia immediately, because that would affect product and fuel prices across Europe.

"I don't think you should promise things you can't deliver," she said. 

In Baerbock's words, this has to be done consistently and "for good".

However, she did not say if the bloc's sixth package of sanctions might include an embargo on Russian oil.

The German foreign minister added that her country will eventually wean itself off Russian gas, but did not specify by when it could do so. 

Baerbock said the EU will continue to press Russia until Ukraine is free and secure.

"There cannot be a ceasefire at any price. We will not accept a dictatorial peace," she said. "Only Ukrainians can decide on their future."   

In recent years, Berlin has drawn a great deal of criticism from Central and Eastern European countries over its close economic ties with Moscow, especially over Nord Stream 2, a German-Russian gas pipeline whose launch was suspended in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine.

Berlin's lack of leadership in putting pressure on Moscow has prompted several protests outside the German embassy in Vilnius in the past month.

 

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LNG terminals in all three Baltic states will be needed – Lithuanian PM  (expands)

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – With Latvia and Estonia planning to build their own liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, the prime minister of Lithuania, which already has such a facility, believes that all three will be needed.  

"I'd hardly see any risk of something becoming redundant, especially if the European Union's steps to stop importing Russian gas are long term and sustainable," Ingrida Simonyte said at a joint press conference with her Latvian and Estonian counterparts on Friday.  

The Lithuanian prime minister was commenting on the question of whether the LNG terminals planned to be built in Latvia and Estonia would cause friction among the three Baltic countries. 

In Simonyte's words, Lithuania's Klaipeda LNG terminal and Latvia's Incukalns gas storage facility are not sufficient to meet the needs of the broader Baltic gas region "from Finland down to Poland". 

"The interconnections that are already in place or are about to come on stream – the GIPL link [between Lithuania and Poland] is due to open in early May – allow us to take a much broader view of the issue," she said.  

"The infrastructure that exists in all countries is important. The storage facility is in Latvia and the Klaipeda terminal is in Lithuania. That is not enough to fully meet all the needs."

Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins said that Latvia cooperates with Estonia which is planning to purchase a floating LNG facility this year, but added that this would be a short-term project.

"If we are looking at the development of the gas market in the medium term, there is another argument for Latvia to build a different type of terminal that would use the Incukalns gas storage facility. And it would be cheaper in the medium term [...] for every consumer," he said. 

 

By Giedrius Gaidamavičius

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Baerbock praises German firms for staying in Lithuania despite China's pressure

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Friday praised German businesses for staying in Lithuania despite pressure from China to pull out of the country.

She said Berlin supports Lithuania in its diplomatic row with Beijing that broke out last year.

"We stand united in our support for our partner in the World Trade Organization," Baerbock told reporters in Vilnius. "Not a single German company has bowed to China's threats and left Lithuania."  

"We do not allow ourselves to be divided," she added.

Lithuania angered China by allowing Taiwan to open its representative office in Vilnius under the name "Taiwanese" instead of "Taipei". 

In retaliation, Beijing downgraded diplomatic ties with Vilnius and blocked Lithuanian exports.

In response, the European Commission in late January launched a case at the WTO against China over possible violations of international trade rules.

According to diplomats, Beijing also pressed multinationals to sever ties with Lithuania or face exclusion from its market. 

Among those publicly named was Germany's automotive giant Continental, which has an automotive components plant in Lithuania.

 

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Baltics see sanctions on Russian gas, oil as key element in next package – Lithuanian PM 

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS –  Discussions on sanctions on Russian gas and oil are not easy, but all three Baltic countries have agreed that this must be a key element of the bloc's next sanction package, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said on Friday. 

"We believe that this is a key element of the future sanction package, but it has to be agreed on, so that these sanctions are implemented," she said at a joint press conference with her Latvian and Estonian counterparts.  

Simonyte noted that an embargo on Russian gas and oil would have a significant impact on its economy. 

"It is not a very big secret that the Russian economy and the Kremlin regime are extremely dependent on the flow [of money] they receive for raw materials and, above all, for energy resources – oil and gas," the Lithuanian prime minister said. 

"Any reduction or disappearance of this source of funding would therefore have a very significant impact on Russia's economy and its ability to continue to finance the war," she added. 

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that the approval of all EU countries is needed for such an embargo, which requires convincing the states that are still heavily dependent on Russia's energy resources.

Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins believes that tougher sanctions against Russia should have been introduced earlier.

"We are working and will continue to work with our partners toward our goal of isolating the Russian economy so that they have as little money as possible to finance their ruthless war machine," he said. 

 

By Giedrius Gaidamavičius

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Over 40 countries join Lithuania's call to investigate Russian war crimes in Ukraine – PM

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – More than 40 countries around the world have joined Lithuania's call to investigate Russia's war crimes in Ukraine, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said on Friday. 

"Lithuania initiated the so-called Hague process back in late February, requesting an investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Russia and Belarus under the Rome Statute," Simonyte said at a joint press conference with her Latvian and Estonian counterparts in Riga.  

"More than 40 countries from all over the world have now joined this call," she added.

The prime minister also said it is important "to keep international efforts focused on ensuring that those responsible for war crimes do not escape accountability".

Lithuania was the first country to ask the International Criminal Court's prosecutor to open an investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Russia and Belarus.

 

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Lithuanian actor, monk Marciulynas passes away in South Korea 

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – Lithuanian actor and Buddhist monk Kestutis Marciulynas, also known as Bo Haeng Sunim, passed away in South Korea on Friday, the Hwa Gye Sa Seoul International Zen Center said.

"We have the sadness to announce the passing of Lithuanian Monk Bo Haeng Sunim, at the age of 60 (monk age 21), on the 22nd April 2022," it posted on Facebook.

Marciulynas took his vows as a Buddhist monk in 2001. He had lived and practiced meditation in South Korean temples for the past 20 years.

He published a book entitled "Nabi, or the Theatre of Life" several years ago.  

 

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Eastern Europe's 1st NBA Basketball School opens in Vilnius

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – NBA Basketball School, the first of its kind in Eastern Europe, opened in Vilnius on Friday to develop and promote the sport among children.

Representatives of the NBA, the Lithuanian Basketball Federation and Vilnius Municipality, who unveiled the initiative on Friday, said the new school will organize NBA camps for children, international tournaments and other high-level events that will help promote basketball and improve the skills of young players.

"We are delighted. It's an amazing moment. It's our first NBA school in Eastern European countries. We have a couple in Madrid, in Italy, in Greece, but never in this part of our beloved European countries," Jesus Bueno Pascual, vice-president of NBA Europe, told a news conference in Vilnius. 

The official said the school will not only run special basketball programs for children, summer camps and other NBA events.

"We can also help coaches, we can also help other clubs, the local federation or stakeholders to develop physical clinics, physical events here – not only for kids that are playing here, but for everyone in Lithuania," he said.  

"Hopefully, they'll play in the professional leagues in Lithuania, professional leagues somewhere else and, hopefully, one day, they'll play in the NBA. But the purpose is not to develop players for the NBA. It's to develop basketball among the community, among young people to show them how beautiful our game is."  

NBA Basketball School will be run by Vilniaus Krepsinio Mokykla (Vilnius Basketball School), a municipal body. The venue can accommodate around 1,400 spectators at a time. 

Vilnius Deputy Mayor Valdas Benkunskas said the municipality has invested more than 5 million euros in the project.    

Mindaugas Balciunas, secretary general of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation, underlined that this will be a "permanent program", rather than a temporary project.

The highlights of the program this summer include visits by former famous NBA players and other events under the NBA brand, which will allow communicating them internationally, according to him.

 

By Ignas Jačauskas

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Lithuanian minister in Kyiv: 'absurd' that Russia chairs UNESCO heritage committee   

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – Lithuanian Culture Minister Simonas Kairys, who is visiting Kyiv on Friday, described as absurd the situation where Russia, which waging war in Ukraine and destroying the country, is chairing UNESCO's World Heritage Committee. 

"Yesterday we heard the news that there will be no session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Kazan," the minister said in a press release. "The Saint Sophia Cathedral, which we visited today, is a symbol of the history and statehood of Ukraine, a grand and culturally rich country."

"We would like to once again emphasize the absurdity of the situation in which Russia is still the chair of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, whose aim is to preserve, not to destroy," he said. 

Kairys is visiting Ukraine together with Polish Vice Prime Minister and Culture and National Heritage Minister Piotr Glinski at the invitation of Ukraine's Culture and Information Policy Minister Oleksandr Tkachenko, according to the press release. 

"The purpose of their visit is to support Ukraine in countering the aggression of the Russian Federation on the cultural and information fronts," it said.

Russia announced this week that it has indefinitely postponed the June meeting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Kazan, which was due to consider an application from Lithuania's second-largest city of Kaunas to include its modernist architecture on the World Heritage List.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis says this might mean that Russia expects to host the session in the second half of the year.

Kairys believes, however, that Moscow had been informed through diplomatic channels that a number of countries would not attend the session in Kazan.

Lithuania's position is that Russia, which is destroying cultural heritage in Ukraine, should be removed as the chair of the World Heritage Committee and that another venue should be chosen for the committee's session. 

Landsbergis has said Lithuania "will pursue this goal, including through our diplomats". 

 

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Lithuanian minister in Hague: justice must triumph in Ukraine

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS –  Lithuanian Justice Minister Evelina Dobrovolska said that justice must triumph in the face of Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine as she met with representatives of international justice institutions in The Hague on Friday. 

"The efforts of all of us will remain in the history books. We must preserve faith in justice for future generations. That is why we must strive in every way to ensure that justice triumphs," Dobrovolska said in a press release. 

"In the face of the brutal military aggression by Russia and Belarus against independent Ukraine, we must use all possible algorithms to bring war to criminal responsibility as soon as possible," she said. 

In Dobrovolska's words, the solidarity of all countries, the involvement of the non-governmental sector and the use of Eurojust as a coordinator of member states' actions are key to achieving these goals.

Vilnius will host on May 6 an international conference on how to ensure that perpetrators of the crime of aggression are punished, according to the Justice Ministry. 

In The Hague, Dobrovolska met with Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC), to discuss the court's investigation into Russia's war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine, as well as possibilities for cooperation.

 

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Lithuania ranks 10th in EU for number of registered Ukrainian refugees

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – Lithuania ranks 10th in the EU in terms of the number of officially registered Ukrainian refugees, according to data from the European Commission's Blueprint network.

In terms of the number of refugees per capita, however, Lithuania ranks third among all EU countries, except for Greece which did not provide data, with a ratio of 1.66 percent.

According to the latest figures from the Commission, 2,061,556 refugees from Ukraine have been registered under temporary protection across Europe. In total, the United Nations estimates that over 5 million people have fled the country since the start of Russia's military invasion.

Lithuania's latest official statistics showed on Friday that almost 48,000 refugees from Ukraine have been registered in the country so far, but it is believed that the actual number could be considerably higher.

Ninety-nine percent of the officially registered refugees in Lithuania have Ukrainian citizenship and 40 percent are minors.

 

 

By Ignas Jačauskas

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Lithuania's national pavilion opens at Venice Biennale 

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – Lithuania has opened its national pavilion at the Venice Biennale, featuring Gut Feeling, a project by Robertas Narkus, the Contemporary Art Centre (CAC) in Vilnius said on Friday. 

A major highlight of the opening ceremony was a performance by Silvana Imam, a famous Swedish rapper of Lithuanian descent.

"I have already heard from several critics that the Lithuanian pavilion is the punkiest one," Narkus said in a press release. "It is great to get such feedback. The project is really crazy. Despite all the apocalyptic moods and contexts, it fills the audience with optimism".  

The Lithuanian pavilion has already been visited by the Venice Biennale jury, journalists, art critics and members of the public and has received initial feedback, according to Neringa Bumbliene, its curator. 

"We have heard comments that the piece is visually compelling, photogenic, dynamic, witty and close to today's reality," said Bumbliene.

"It is also very pleasing that it overlaps with the aesthetics of the main exhibition of the Venice Biennale, The Milk of Dreams, which, like Robertas' project, is full of color, craftsmanship, diverse materials, forms and a strong connection to the present day and cultural heritage," she said. 

The organizers describe Gut Feeling as "a multi-layered work balancing between an honest desire to change the world, a persistent belief in the promise of collaboration, the egocentric ambitions of the artist, flirtation with financial structures and technological progress, and humor".

According to Narkus, the Lithuanian pavilion is a gateway to a town where the first of the two spaces houses a fictitious factory and the other the office of the fictitious organization. 

"In this factory, together with David Zilber, a professional chef, we use fermentation processes to process invasive seaweed and create a product that has the power to remind us of our inner voice and draw attention to our intuition," he said.  

According to the creator, the pavilion is about a journey inwards, about getting closer to what is small, sometimes frightening or seems alien.

 

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Monday, April 25, 2022

VILNIUS, Apr 22, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Monday, April 25, 2022:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to give an interview to Good Morning Britain at 9 a.m.  

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, on a visit to Berlin, to meet with Annett Witte, CEO of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, and Karl-Heinz Paque, the chairman of the board, at 4:15 p.m. and to meet with the local Lithuanian community at 7 p.m. 

THE CABINET to hold a meeting at 10:30 a.m.  

OTHER EVENTS

A third marathon of Monday rallies in support for Ukraine's freedom fight to get underway in Vilnius' central Cathedral Square at 6 p.m.

 

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Apr 28 2022

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN, April 14, 2022

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN


IN THIS ISSUE:

  1. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, April 14, 2022
  2. Lithuanian president condemns war crimes in Ukraine during visit to Kyiv
  3. Finland, Sweden joining NATO would enhance region’s security – Lithuanian PM
  4. Lithuania reports 1,507 new COVID-19 cases, six deaths
  5. Number of Ukrainian war refugees registered in Lithuania rises to almost 45,000
  6. Lithuania turns 1 irregular migrant away on border with Belarus, allows 4 persons to enter
  7. Lithuanian president calls on Western countries’ leaders to come to Ukraine
  8. Parlt speaker: Lithuania to suspend state of emergency to vote on direct mayoral elections
  9. Lithuanian ministers call to suspend Russia’s, Belarus’ membership in intl institutions
  10. Lithuanian PM: one LNG terminal would be enough for Baltic States, but “not without risks”
  11. Lithuanian defmin puzzled by Russia’s talk on deployment of nuclear weapons in Kaliningrad
  12. Lithuanian parlt grants special status to Rudninkai training area
  13. Lithuanian defmin puzzled by Russia’s talk on deployment of nuclear weapons in Kaliningrad (expands)
  14. Border guards let 4 foreigners under ECHR protection enter Lithuania
  15. Lithuanian PM regrets diplomatic tensions between Ukraine, Germany
  16. Some 100 extra US troops with Paladin artillery systems arrive in Lithuania
  17. Lithuania tests functioning of secure network in crisis situation – DefMin
  18. Court orders Ryanair to pay EUR 600,000 to ex-employees in Lithuania
  19. Lithuanian president calls Russia's nuclear threats "an empty shot in the air"
  20. Intl community backs tribunal over Russian aggression – Lithuanian president
  21. President asks Lithuanian businesses to help to rebuild Ukraine
  22. Lithuanian president warns EU states have hopes for post-war ties with Russia
  23. Ukraine needs heavy military equipment, missile systems – Lithuanian president
  24. Lithuanian FM issues warning as Belarus offers visa-free visits
  25. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, April 15, 2022

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, April 14, 2022

VILNIUS, Apr 14, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, April 14, 2022:

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to attend a meeting of the Conference of Chairs at 8.30 a.m.; to chair the parliament's morning sitting at 10 a.m.; to attend the parliament's afternoon sitting at 2 p.m.

PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to give an interview to the Ziniu Radijas radio station at 8:05 a.m; to attend the parliament's morning sitting at 10 a.m.; to participate in the so-called "government hour" at the Seimas at noon; to attend the parliament's afternoon sitting at 2 p.m.

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Lithuanian president condemns war crimes in Ukraine during visit to Kyiv

VILNIUS, Apr 14, BNS – Potential war crimes being recorded in Borodyanka and other Ukrainian towns could only have been committed “by zombies, not humans”, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said after visiting the said suburb of Kyiv on Wednesday.

“This is the place where we witness the dark side of the human kind. Such atrocities could have been committed only by zombies, not humans. They were executing orders by their military leaders – zombies, too. They are consciously annihilating the Ukrainian nation,” Nauseda said during a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of Estonia, Latvia and Poland.

“There is no way we can let this go, the Russian authorities must pay for their crimes,” he added.

While showing respect for the Ukrainian nation and President Zelensky, Nauseda stressed that the heroic Ukrainian nation had shown “incredible strength” in recent weeks and continued this fight mobilizing the world “to stand up for truth and peace”.

He repeatedly called on Western partners to step up military support for Ukraine and also urged the European Union (EU) to adopt as soon as possible the sanctions against Russian oil and gas as well as “all Russian banks”, saying that Ukrainian people were not in a position to wait “a year or two”.

Nauseda on Wednesday visited Ukraine together with the presidents of Estonia, Latvia and Poland.

On Tuesday, he paid a visit to Poland where he met with the presidents of Poland and Latvia and the foreign minister of Estonia to discuss the war in Ukraine, expanding support to Ukraine and strengthening the eastern flank of NATO.

The aim of the presidents’ visit was to demonstrate support to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky amid the continuing Russia’s military invasion, officials said.

As Russia unleashed war against Ukraine, the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor opened a probe into car crimes in Ukraine in response to an appeal from several dozens of states parties to the Rome Statute.

By Ignas Jačauskas

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Finland, Sweden joining NATO would enhance region’s security – Lithuanian PM

VILNIUS, Apr 14, BNS – Joining NATO by Finland and Sweden would enhance the region’s security, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte has said.

“That support, which we see, that unprecedented support, first of all in Finland, but also in Sweden, where more than half of people are in favor of NATO membership, I think, it is … a game changer for us, the security of the Baltic Sea region,” she told the Ziniu Radijas radio station on Thursday.

The accession to NATO by two countries of the Baltic Sea region would “significantly” strengthen the security of not just that region but also of the whole of NATO, Simonyte stated.

“I think the presence of these countries as members of the Alliance would actually much strengthen both the Alliance and these countries, as well as our security. Once this decision is announced, and I hope it will be taken, I think the Baltic countries will have a very good reason to welcome it,” she added.

Finland and Sweden are NATO partners but formally are not members of the Alliance. The countries’ policymakers started debating joining NATO in the wake of Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine, which heightened concerns over military security. Finland is due to decide on NATO membership within weeks.

By Ignas Jačauskas

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Lithuania reports 1,507 new COVID-19 cases, six deaths

VILNIUS, Apr 14, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 1,507 new coronavirus infections and six deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Thursday morning.

Some 1,287 of the new cases were primary, 217 were secondary and three were tertiary.

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals has dropped 810, including 47 ICU cases.

The 14-day primary infection rate has fallen to 765.7 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests down to 23.4 percent.

The daily count of new infections had been rising at a rapid pace since late 2021, but took a downward turn in early February after hitting a new high of over 14,000 cases.

Almost 69.8 percent of the Lithuanian population have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab so far.

Five of the latest fatalities were aged over 70 years, and the sixth was aged over 40. Three of the fatalities, including the one in their 40s, were unvaccinated.

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Number of Ukrainian war refugees registered in Lithuania rises to almost 45,000

VILNIUS, Apr 14, BNS – The total number of Ukrainian war refugees registered in Lithuania so far has risen to almost 45,000, including 18,600 minors, according to the latest official statistics published on Thursday.

Some 580 people, including 493 minors, have registered with refugee registration centers or the Migration Department's units over the past 24 hours. The number of minors included 50 children under the age of six.

Around a third of all refugees, or 14,500, have registered with the capital's registration center, almost 6,300 – with the registration center of Kaunas, 4,900 – in Klaipeda, 4,500 – in Alytus, and 2,300 – in Siauliai.

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Lithuania turns 1 irregular migrant away on border with Belarus, allows 4 persons to enter

VILNIUS, Apr 14, 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 Thursday morning adding that the number of migrants had been decreasing for the fifth consecutive day.

The SBGS also reported that border guards had allowed four foreign nationals, whose identities were being established, to enter Lithuania on humanitarian grounds.

One flare was fired on the Belarusian side overnight near Lithuania’s Salcininkai District and four more, also fired on the Belarusian side, were spotted after dark near Lithuania’s Druskininkai municipality.

In addition, border guards found a hole cut in the concertina wire barrier near the municipality of Druskininkai after dark but did not find anything suspicious, including the evidence of breaching the border, after checking the site and its surroundings.

The barrier was fixed while the SBGS officers started collecting evidence for a pre-trial investigation into the destruction or damage to property.

According to the latest official data, 1,347 people have been prevented from crossing from Belarus into Lithuania at non-designated places so far this year, compared to 2,600 people in Latvia and 3,600 in Poland.

Lithuanian border guards have sent 8,106 people back to Belarus since August 3, 2021, when they were given the right to deny entry to irregular migrants. However, the number includes repeated attempts by the same people to cross the border.

Almost 4,200 irregular migrants crossed into Lithuania from Belarus last year.

Western countries accuse the Minsk regime of orchestrating the unprecedented migration influx, calling it "hybrid aggression".

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Lithuanian president calls on Western countries’ leaders to come to Ukraine

VILNIUS, Apr 14, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Thursday called on Western countries’ leaders to come to war-ravaged Ukraine after visiting Kyiv and its surroundings the day before.

Nauseda stated after a joint visit to Ukraine with the leaders of Poland, Latvia and Estonia that visits to Ukraine might reinforce commitment to impose tighter sanctions against Russia, which was pressing on with its military invasion.

“Our task was to visit and to see with our own eyes those atrocities the Putin’s regime committed in Borodyanka. I think it is a very good idea for many leaders from many countries to come to Borodyanka, to other places and to see with their own eyes what is happening there,” he told a news conference in Rzeszow-Jasionka airport in South Eastern Poland on Thursday.

“Most likely it would contribute to more decisive actions of the EU, of other countries,” Nauseda added.

The Lithuanian president also stressed that the West should “lose any illusions” that Russia “could be affected by diplomatic measures” as it could only be defeated in Ukraine by taking “decisive actions”.

“First of all, sanctions. We have to introduce much stronger sanctions and not to stay halfway,” Nauseda stated.

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Parlt speaker: Lithuania to suspend state of emergency to vote on direct mayoral elections

VILNIUS, Apr 14, BNS – The state of emergency introduced in Lithuania due to Russia’s war against Ukraine will be suspended temporarily next week in order to enable the parliament to vote on constitutional amendments legitimizing direct mayoral elections, Seimas Speaker Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen confirmed on Thursday.

“The agenda for next Thursday has been approved and it includes holding three votes on the Constitution, and it means that the state of emergency will have to be suspended for at least a short period of time to provide at least a small window for voting on the Constitution,” she told reporters at the Seimas.

The state of emergency was introduced across Lithuania on February 24 when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine and will stay in place until the midnight of April 20.

Cmilyte-Nielsen assumed that the state of emergency would be extended after voting on the Constitution.

“The decision on the state of emergency will be taken next week but I would assume that, following voting on the Constitution, it will need to be extended,” she said.

The state of emergency has stalled parliamentary voting on constitutional amendments on direct mayoral elections as the Constitution cannot be amended during the state of emergency or during the martial law period.

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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Lithuanian ministers call to suspend Russia’s, Belarus’ membership in intl institutions

VILNIUS, Apr 14, BNS – Lithuania’s Finance and Foreign Ministers Gintare Skaiste and Gabrielius Landsbergis have called on the Group of Seven (G7) countries to suspend Russia’s and Belarus’ membership in international institutions.

The ministers called inter alia for “the immediate and indefinite suspension” of those countries membership in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG), according to a statement published on Thursday.

The ministers stated that the international community should clearly demonstrate that Russia’s and Belarus’ military aggression was not tolerated.

“Russia and Belarus cannot further have access to the resources of international financial institutions — we must prevent any possibility of redirecting these funds to the financing of the war against Ukraine,” Skaiste stressed in the statement.

“The aggressor countries also cannot participate in making decisions on financial assistance to Ukraine in supporting the country both in the short term and in rebuilding Ukraine after the war,” she pointed out.

Next week, Skaiste will talk about the suspension of Russia’s and Belarus’ membership in international financial institutions at the IMF and World Bank spring meetings in Washington.

“For its unprecedented military aggression against Ukraine, Russia must be isolated, as much as possible, in all international forums and institutions, including financial, must lose the privileges of the membership. The suspension of Russia’s membership should be a significant part of international sanctions, which would help stop the Kremlin’s war machine,” Landsbergis stated.

The Lithuanian ministers pointed out that both Russia and Belarus currently had access to Special Drawing Rights of the IMF, where Russia had accumulated SDRs worth approximately 23.9 billion US dollars, and Belarus – 1.42 billion US dollars.

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Lithuanian PM: one LNG terminal would be enough for Baltic States, but “not without risks”

VILNIUS, Apr 14, BNS – The liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda and the Incukalns underground storage facility in Latvia could suffice for the three Baltic countries to provide themselves with gas yet such a scenario would “not be without risks”, Lithuania’s Prime Minister said.

“It is necessary to assess not just the terminal but the entire infrastructure, to include Incukalns, and then the states could function in the whole package. However, such a scenario could not be convenient, it would not be a risk-free scenario that could eliminate that pressure,” Ingrida Simonyte told the Ziniu Radijas radio station on Thursday.

Simonyte stated in late March that the Klaipeda LNG terminal would not be sufficient to meet gas needs of all Baltic countries. However, Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys explained on Wednesday that she had implied the three Baltic countries together with Finland, which was part of the common market. However, Finland could replace gas with fuel oil, the minister said.

He also claimed that the capacities of the LNG terminal in Klaipeda would be sufficient for the Baltic countries in particular as Finland and Estonia planned to build their own terminal by the beginning of the heating season.

“As regards the Baltic countries, yes, the terminal is sufficient today. Considering the existing capacities, sometimes perhaps with some minor restrictions for larger users, in principle, we are definitely secure,” Kreivys said.

Latvia’s ruling coalition agreed early this week that Latvia needed its own terminal for LNG imports. It agreed in principle that the facility should be built either in Skulte or Riga and its construction should be mainly financed by private investors. The coalition admitted, however, that the LNG terminal project would take some time to implement.

Meanwhile, Estonian Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Taavi Aas and Finnish Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintila agreed last week that Finland and Estonia would jointly rent an LNG floating terminal, which would ensure security of gas supply in the two countries.

By Valdas Pryšmantas

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuanian defmin puzzled by Russia’s talk on deployment of nuclear weapons in Kaliningrad

VILNIUS, Apr 14, BNS – Russia’s talk about the deployment of nuclear weapons in its exclave of Kaliningrad “looks rather strange”, given that those weapons “have always been kept in the Kaliningrad region”, Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas has said.

“They keep nuclear weapons, delivery vehicles, have warehouses there. The international community, the region’s countries are perfectly aware of that… It is a mean of intimidation,” he told BNS on Thursday.

“Russia’s current threats look rather strange in particular as we know that, leaving the current security situation aside, they keep those weapons at a distance of 100 kilometers from Lithuania’s border,” he added.

“Nuclear weapons have always been kept in the Kaliningrad region,” Anusauskas said.

Reuters on Thursday quoted Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president and prime minister and current deputy chairman of the country’s Security Council, as saying that Sweden and Finland joining the NATO would result in Moscow going back on its commitments not to deploy nuclear weapons in the Baltic Sea region.

“There can be no more talk of any nuclear-free status for the Baltic [region] – the balance must be restored,” he said.

“Until today, Russia has not taken such measures and was not going to,” he added.

The war unleashed by Russia in Ukraine has drastically swayed the opinion of the public and policymakers in Finland and neighboring Sweden in favor of membership in defense organizations. Now the two countries mull joining NATO and may apply for membership in the Alliance in the near future.

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Lithuanian parlt grants special status to Rudninkai training area

VILNIUS, Apr 14, BNS – Lithuanian lawmakers on Thursday granted the status of a project of special national importance in the area of national defense to the Rudninkai training area in Salcininkai District.

Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas told MPs that the presence of the training area would mean additional investment and new jobs for local residents.

The Law on the Rudninkai Training Area of the Lithuanian Armed Forces was passed with 126 votes in favor and one abstention.

Arvydas Pocius, member of parliamentary National Security and Defense Committee and former chief of defense, said that the new training area was necessary if Lithuania were to host more troops of its allies.

The training area was important for the national defense and would contribute to the implementation of the country’s strategy of deterrence, Anusauskas stressed.

“The training area is not just a territory – it is a territory that is being invested in. Certainly, it will also contribute to the promotion of local business. Investment of 26 million euros has been planned for next year and investment will in fact be made each year until the development of the entire infrastructure of the training area,” he told MPs.

The Ministry of Defense has said that the adoption of the law and the granting of the status of a project of special national importance to the Rudninkai training area would allow to substantially speed up the process of its setting up.

Military training areas in Lithuania are currently used for training both by Lithuanian troops and troops of NATO countries deployed in Lithuania but the existing training areas are deemed insufficient.

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Lithuanian defmin puzzled by Russia’s talk on deployment of nuclear weapons in Kaliningrad (expands)

VILNIUS, Apr 14, BNS – Russia’s talk about the deployment of nuclear weapons in its exclave of Kaliningrad “looks rather strange”, given that those weapons “have always been kept in the Kaliningrad region”, Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas has said.

“They keep nuclear weapons, delivery vehicles, have warehouses there. The international community, the region’s countries are perfectly aware of that… It is a mean of intimidation,” he told BNS on Thursday.

“Russia’s current threats look rather strange in particular as we know that, leaving the current security situation aside, they keep those weapons at a distance of 100 kilometers from Lithuania’s border,” he added.

“Nuclear weapons have always been kept in the Kaliningrad region,” Anusauskas said.

Russia’s threats

Russia made its new threats in response to reports that Sweden and Finland were considering joining NATO amid Moscow’s military invasion of Ukraine.

Reuters on Thursday quoted Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president and prime minister and current deputy chairman of the country’s Security Council, as saying that Sweden and Finland joining the NATO would result in Moscow going back on its commitments not to deploy nuclear weapons in the Baltic Sea region.

“There can be no more talk of any nuclear-free status for the Baltic [region] – the balance must be restored,” he said.

“Until today, Russia has not taken such measures and was not going to,” he added.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte stressed that the region of Kaliningrad “has already been a very militarized zone for many years”.

“And Russia making threats is nothing new,” she told reporters in the Seimas on Thursday.

“Does not have effective tools”

Despite Russia’s threats, Simonyte said that Finland and Sweden joining NATO would enhance the Baltic Sea region’s security.

“That support, which we see, that unprecedented support, first of all in Finland, but also in Sweden, where more than half of people are in favor of NATO membership, I think, it is … a game changer for us, the security of the Baltic Sea region,” she told the Ziniu Radijas radio station on Thursday.

“I think it is necessary to open the map and look at the Baltic Sea. Then you will understand how it is important that virtually all countries around the Baltic Sea become members of one defense Alliance,” Simonyte pointed out.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis stated that Russia’s threats were abstract.

“It is not yet clear what those new forces would be: either it would be the enhancement of existing troops or some replacements,” he said.

Nonetheless, the minister stressed that Russia did not have “effective tools” to respond to potential accession to NATO by Sweden and Finland.

“Considering the scale, how the joining of NATO by Finland and Sweden would change the security situation of the Baltic region, Russia does not have effective tools for that,” he said.

Russia would always have explanations for its actions, whatever those might be, Landsbergis said. He stressed that such statements “should be taken seriously”.

According to him, such rhetoric by Russia is yet another proof that it is necessary for NATO to review and update “the defense strategy of the Baltic region … by assessing the factor of the Suwalki corridor”.

The war unleashed by Russia in Ukraine has drastically swayed the opinion of the public and policymakers in Finland and neighboring Sweden in favor of membership in defense organizations. Now the two countries mull joining NATO and may apply for membership in the Alliance in the near future.

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Border guards let 4 foreigners under ECHR protection enter Lithuania

VILNIUS, Apr 14, BNS – Lithuanian border guards on Wednesday allowed four foreigners who are subject to the European Court of Human Rights' interim measures to enter Lithuania from Belarus.

They were checked by medics and found to have no health risks, Rokas Pukinskas, spokesman for the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service, told reporters on Thursday.

"At the moment the persons are at one of the SBGS units. The results of their COVID-19 tests are also pending, and the issue of the foreigners' temporary accommodation will be addressed later. The foreigners have applied for asylum," he said, adding that he could not provide any more information about the persons.

NGOs claim that Lithuanian border guards on Saturday night turned away four Cuban nationals under the ECHR interim measures. The SBGS then said the decision was made because the persons in question „did not have documents that would give them the right to stay in Lithuania".

Later, the SBGS said it had received the ECHR decision on interim measures and that it would be implemented, but speaking with BNS, Pukinskas didn’t confirm that the decision was made specifically regarding the Cubans in question.

He said he could not confirm this information on Thursday either.

The ECHR ruling states that the four Cubans are subject to interim measures until May 6.

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Lithuanian PM regrets diplomatic tensions between Ukraine, Germany

VILNIUS, Apr 14, BNS – Being at war with Russia, Ukraine has the right to sharp rhetoric with respect to Germany yet it is regrettable that it has to criticize a strategic partner, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte has said.

“Ukraine’s people are currently dying in this war and, to tell the truth, this gives Ukraine’s leadership and its president the right to assess the situation in a way they consider proper and necessary and even to use sharp rhetoric. It is regrettable, however, that we now see such a situation where they have to make such a remark to someone who is seemingly a strategic partner,” she said.

Diplomatic tensions between Kyiv and Berlin have arisen due to Germany being slow to tighten sanctions against Moscow by giving up its gas as well as due to Berlin being indecisive as to the supply of certain German weapons.

Tensions rose further this week after Kyiv said that a visit to Ukraine by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was not welcome right now and called on German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to come to Kyiv instead as he was in a position to “take direct practical decisions, including weapons deliveries”.

Simonyte added in her turn that “the interests of the industry and business have a clear priority” in Germany and were important to all major parties.

“And later the leaders of some parties even find a job in those Russian concerns, which, I would say, is almost an example of corruption,” she said.

The Lithuanian prime minister stressed that it was the German society that had to pressure its government into making decisions as it would be the society that would be affected by the termination of Russian gas imports.

On the other hand, Simonyte pointed out that Lithuania had to be grateful to Germany for its security.

“Forward presence forces deployed in Lithuania are led by Germany. Hence we also have to be grateful to Germany for our security situation, for our defendability,” she said.

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Some 100 extra US troops with Paladin artillery systems arrive in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Apr 14, BNS – Some 100 additional US troops with Paladin artillery systems arrived in Lithuania on Thursday, the Lithuanian army said on today.

Troops from the 1st Battalion from the US Pennsylvania National Guard's 109th Field Artillery Regiment arrived in Lithuania on Thursday morning with combat equipment, it said.

"This unit will reinforce the existing US rotational capability in Lithuania. The unit will include a battery of 155mm M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzers and more than 100 other vehicles," the army said.

The troops will join the US rotational battalion currently deployed in Lithuania and having around 600 troops with tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and short-range air defense systems.

Army representatives told BNS the incoming unit has a total of about 10 Paladin howitzers. The military equipment was transported by rail to the General Silvestras Zukauskas training area in Svencionys Dstrict where the US unit will be based.

Once there, the troops will take part in an international live-fire exercise in the Pabrade training area in May, together with troops from Lithuania and other countries.

US troops are currently stationed in Lithuania on a rotational basis but Lithuanian politicians want permanent American presence and are asking NATO and the US to ensure effective air defense in the region.

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Lithuania tests functioning of secure network in crisis situation – DefMin

VILNIUS, Apr 14, BNS – Lithuanian authorities tested the functioning of the existing secure public data transmission network in a crisis situation involving the disruption of international internet services, the Ministry of Defense reported on Thursday.

The test, which was carried out in order to step up Lithuania’s resilience to cyber incidents, was organized by the Core State Telecommunications Center (KVTC) early this week.

“Such tests, which are carried out by actually switching off international internet services instead of desktop training, are important for assessing the resilience of the country’s information resources, its cyber security and autonomous functioning in such circumstances, for evaluating the potential for electronic information exchange between key public institutions,” the press release from the ministry quoted Deputy Defense Minister Margiris Abukevicius as saying.

The test involved the assessment of possibilities of public and municipal institutions, which use the services of the secure network and are charged with vital state functions, to use information resources and communicate with other institutions using the network in the event of a crisis.

The secure network is separate from public communications networks; it must function in the event of a crisis or a war and ensure the continuity of operations of the country’s key institutions.

The users of the network include institutions charged with functions during emergencies, natural disasters, mobilization, war and other critical events.

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Court orders Ryanair to pay EUR 600,000 to ex-employees in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Apr 14, BNS - Irish low-cost airline Ryanair must pay more than 600,000 euros to its ten former employees in Lithuania for unlawful dismissal, a Lithuanian court has ruled.

Kaunas District Court considered a lawsuit filed by the dismissed employees against Ryanair's subsidiaries, Ireland's Ryanair Designated Activity Company and Poland's Ryanair Sun.

All the plaintiffs are Lithuanian residents, Vaiva Milkeraitiene, the media and PR assistant to the Kaunas court's president, confirmed it to BNS.

The employees were dismissed in June, 2020 on the employer's initiative when their functions became redundant, the court statement reads. The claimants argued that they were unlawfully dismissed because they should have been transferred to the Polish company under the same conditions following the transfer of the business.

The Irish company maintained there had been no transfer of the business and that the applicants had been dismissed because they had committed a serious breach of the work discipline by failing to come to work after their transfer to Stansted Airport. The employees claimed tat they had not agreed to the transfer to London.

The court partially upheld the claim, saying that the business transfer had in fact taken place and that the workers had been dismissed without their fault, in breach of the Labor Code.

"As the transfer of part of the business was found to have taken place, joint solidarity liability of the defendants (the Irish and Polish companies - BNS) is applicable," it said.

The court also pointed out that the employees were required to live within an hour's drive from Kaunas Airport, and they settled or lived in Lithuania for many years, had families and young children.

The court's decision of March 29 can still be appealed.

By Valdas Pryšmantas

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuanian president calls Russia's nuclear threats "an empty shot in the air"

VILNIUS, Apr 14, BNS - Russia's recent threats to deploy nuclear weapons in the Baltic region, if Sweden or Finland join NATO, are "an empty shot in the air", Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says.

"I don't know whether it's possible to redeploy what is essentially deployed (...) Nuclear weapons are deployed in Kaliningrad. Not strategic ones, but they are deployed, and in this case such threats are an empty shot in the air", the president told reporters on Thursday, stressing that Russia would not decide the fate of other states.

"They will decide for themselves whether they want to join NATO – whether Sweden wants to do it, or Finland, or Ukraine. It will be a matter for them to decide and the NATO alliance will consider such applications and make decisions", Nauseda said.

Ex-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy head of Russia's National Security Council, warned on Thursday that Russia would deploy nuclear weapons near the Baltic states and Scandinavia, if Finland or Sweden decided to join NATO.

Speaking earlier on Thursday, Lithuanian National Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said Russia's consideration of deploying nuclear weapons in Kaliningrad "seems rather strange" as they "have always been kept in the Kaliningrad region".

Moscow's military actions in Ukraine have sparked a dramatic change of opinion among Finnish and Swedish populations and politicians over their long-standing policy of military non-alignment.

Finland said this week it would decide "within weeks" whether to apply to join NATO. Sweden also mulls joining the Alliance.

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Intl community backs tribunal over Russian aggression – Lithuanian president

VILNIUS, Apr 14, BNS - The international community supports the establishment of a special tribunal to ensure that the leaders of Russia and Belarus are held criminally responsible for the military aggression in Ukraine, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says.

"The support is undoubtedly there," he told reporters on Thursday without specifying when such a tribunal could be established.

"It's very important to collect evidence and information that would not leave the slightest doubt who the criminal is here and what evidence of that exists," Nauseda said.

It will be more difficult to do so in the future, he stressed, as the Kremlin forces are changing their tactics and are "no longer leaving certain traces they left in Borodyanka, in Bucha".

Ukraine reported at the end of last week that more than 1,200 bodies had been found in Bucha and around Kyiv, most of the people having been brutally murdered.

Earlier on Thursday, Latvian President Egils Levits expressed support for the initiative to create a special tribunal.

In early March, Lithuanian Justice Minister Evelina Dobrovolska sent an official letter to the European Commission's Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders and to EU justice ministers on the establishment of such a court.

The International Criminal Court is already in the process of investigating war crimes and crimes against humanity. However, the minister said, the question of criminal responsibility for the international crime of aggression remains, and this could be resolved by a special tribunal set up for this purpose.

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President asks Lithuanian businesses to help to rebuild Ukraine

VILNIUS, Apr 14, BNS - Lithuanian businesses could help Ukraine to rebuild the country, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says.

"The kind of ongoing work very clearly demonstrates that, and yesterday the prime minister (Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal – BNS) also made it clear that they already need equipment to help clear the rubble," Nauseda told reporters on Thursday after returning to Vilnius from Kyiv.

The president asked the Lithuanian construction industry to consider taking part and using special equipment to clear the rubble in Ukraine.

"I would like to appeal to our businesses, to our construction sector, and ask them to think about how we could help the Ukrainians in this area, with this kind of equipment," Nauseda said, adding that this would help to contribute to the reconstruction of the war-torn country.

By Valdas Pryšmantas

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuanian president warns EU states have hopes for post-war ties with Russia

VILNIUS, Apr 14, BNS - Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has warned some EU states not to have high hopes of resuming "normal" post-war cooperation with Russia.

The president also says Lithuania has demonstrated to the whole of Europe that it's possible to give up Russian gas quickly, doubting, however, that other countries on the continent could do so quickly. 

"Lithuania wanted to set an example that it can be done – it can be done quickly enough, but we need to have no illusion of what I hear today in certain speeches and that showing that there's still some hope for cooperation with Russia. I hear again the sentiment that we will return to normal cooperation when the war is over," Nauseda told a press conference in Vilnius on Thursday, held following his recent visit to Kyiv.

According to Nauseda, resumption of dialogue with Russia is possible only after a regime change.

"Let's not be fooled and let's s understand that without a regime change, the very essence of the regime, that dialogue will be one-sided, and the other side will use it to manipulate, deceive and otherwise fool Western leaders. Let'ss not put ourselves in such a position", Nauseda said.

He does not believe that some European countries will be able to swiftly cut their dependence on Russian gas as it has so far been increasing rather than decreasing.

By Valdas Pryšmantas

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Ukraine needs heavy military equipment, missile systems – Lithuanian president

VILNIUS, Apr 14, BNS - Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, who returned from Kyiv on Thursday, urged Western countries to provide Ukraine with heavy military equipment and missile systems.

"We must, first of all, talk about the assistance to Ukraine from countries like the United States, the UK and France as if we had to prioritize in this way, then heavy equipment, heavy missile systems are Ukraine's number one priority," the president told reporters, adding that with Western countries' help, the Ukrainian forces are "quite well equipped with other weapons".

Nauseda says the goal will be to have NATO involved in coordinating the supply of these weapons.

"These things have to be coordinated at the NATO level", he said.

Nauseda visited Ukraine together with his Polish, Latvian and Estonian counterparts. During the visit, he said, arms for to equip a brigade-sized unit as well as ammunition for that purpose were delivered to Ukraine.

No ticking over

The Lithuanian president also underlined that disagreement among Western countries on sanctions for Russia was "good news" for Moscow as it continues its invasion of Ukraine.

The EU is now debating an energy embargo for the Kremlin, with some EU countries categorically objecting. Hungary, which is particularly dependent on Russian energy resources, has recently been the main obstacle to a joint EU solution, with diplomats saying that the German, Austrian and Italian governments also have reservations about sanctions.

"Let's make it so that there's no good news for Russia, so that it receives on only bad news. (...) It's very important that we do not tick over or make millimeter-long decisions in terms of sanctions. We need to make decisions that will have some consequences in the near future", Nauseda said.

In his words, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's all hopes are now "focused on decisions that we can make as a family of states".

Stressing that Lithuania had done "what was in our power", he once again reiterated his call on the EU to grant Kyiv candidate status as soon as possible.

Ukraine's chances of joining the EU are currently being assessed by the European Commission.

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Lithuanian FM issues warning as Belarus offers visa-free visits

VILNIUS, Apr 14, BNS – Lithuania's Foreign Ministry is urging people not to travel to Belarus despite reports of the possibility to visit the country visa-free.

"The recommendation not to visit Belarus is still valid in Lithuania. First of all, because of the country's action against its own citizens, but also because of its involvement in Russia's military aggression in Ukraine," Vytaute Smaizyte-Kuliesiene, spokeswoman for the foreign minister, told BNS on Thursday.

Vilnius has not received any official information from Minsk regarding the possibility for Lithuanian citizens to visit the country without visas, she underlined.

The Belarusian border service announced on Thursday that Latvian and Lithuanian citizens would be able to enter the country visa-free for a month in view of the upcoming Orthodox and Catholic religious festivals. People will reportedly be able to cross the Belarusian border with Latvia and Lithuania without visas through border crossing points from April 15 to May 15.

Also, as reported, people will be able to make multiple visits, visit to the whole territory of Belarus and will not require permits to visit the border area but will only be required to notify border guards of such intentions in advance.

In response to these reports, the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also advised its citizens on Thursday not to do so.

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, April 15, 2022

VILNIUS, Apr 15, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Friday, April 15, 2022:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to meet with NATIONAL DEFENSE MINISTER Arvydas Anusauskas and CHIEF OF DEFENSE Valdemaras Rupsys at 10 a.m.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to chair a meeting of the Board of the Seimas at 10 a.m.; to meet with Vydas Gedvilas, president of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation, at 1 p.m.

HEALTH MINISTRY

Lithuanian medics to leave for Ukraine.

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Apr 16 2022

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