LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Three irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
2. Lithuanian court starts hearing case of Zamolskis accused of murders
3. Vilnius blames insufficient industrial capacity for delays in EU supply of shells to Kyiv
4. Lithuania reports 799 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
5. Lithuanian president to decide on London ambassador only after independent probe – advisor
6. Lithuanian president to decide on London ambassador only after independent probe – advisor (expands)
7. Funding sources remain in question as EU mulls extra money for Ukraine – advisor
8. Lithuanian legislation does not provide for independent probe over London ambassador – PM
9. Lithuanian parlt decides to investigate SSD whistleblower story
10. Lithuanian court to rule on Irish citizens' cases in late November
11. Army, allies to conduct helicopter training over Lithuania’s largest cities
12. Russia adds advisor to Lithuanian defmin to its wanted list
13. Lithuanian president calls for political will for breakthrough as Moldova seeks to join EU

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

VILNIUS, Oct 31, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away three migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Tuesday morning.

Latvia reported 79 attempts at illegal border crossings on Monday, and 93 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Sunday, according to the latest available information.

A total of 2,191 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year.

Lithuanian border guards have prevented a total of some 21,500 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 influx of irregular migrants to the EU's eastern member states from Belarus began in 2021 and is blamed by the West on the Minsk regime.

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

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Lithuanian court starts hearing case of Zamolskis accused of murders

VILNIUS, Oct 31, BNS – The Panevezys Regional Court on Tuesday starts hearing the case of Romas Zamolskis, accused of murders committed several decades ago.

The case will be heard without the defendant, who has been living in Russia for many years and is currently serving a sentence for crimes committed in that country, but Russia has refused to hand him over to Lithuania.

Lithuanian law allows for cases to be heard in absentia in certain cases, such as those involving defendants in hiding and the like.

The criminal case was referred to court more than two and a half years ago, in February 2021, but the Lithuanian courts failed to open it and it was even returned to the prosecutor's office.

In June 2021, the Court of Appeal finally ruled that the criminal case of Zamolskis, who is serving a prison sentence in Russia, can be heard by the Panevezys Regional Court.

Zamolskis, who is currently in prison in Russia, is accused of having committed extremely serious crimes in Lithuania decades ago.

He is accused of the murder of two people, the attempted murder of 14 people, illegal possession of firearms, ammunition and explosives, and robbery.

Civil claims amounting to more than 0.5 million euros have been lodged and 18 persons have been recognized as victims in this criminal case.

In Russia, Zamolskis and his two accomplices were convicted of crimes committed in the Sverdlovsk region between 2003 and 2006.

The accused was informed in Russia of the allegations made against him in Lithuania, but he did not admit his guilt and refused to testify.

By Ingrida Steniulienė

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Vilnius blames insufficient industrial capacity for delays in EU supply of shells to Kyiv

VILNIUS, Oct 31, BNS – Delays in the provision of artillery shells promised by the European Union (EU) to Ukraine stem from insufficient military industrial capacity, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said.

"We have to admit that we have not yet reached the volumes that are necessary to continue providing this military support to Ukraine," he told the LRT television on Monday.

His comment came after Bloomberg reported last week that the bloc is falling behind on plans to provide Ukraine, which is fighting back against Russia's invasion, with a million artillery shells. 

According to Bloomberg, the EU has so far only achieved about 30 percent of the target of delivering the artillery ammunition rounds to Ukraine by March 2024 and, based on the volume of contracts signed to date, risks missing it.

Speaking about the new 50-billion-euro financial package to support Kyiv, Nauseda said that "the political will is definitely there". However, there are ongoing discussions on where to get these funds from, either through a reallocation of the EU budget or a commitment to new national contributions.

Nauseda hoped that a consensus would be found within a few months.

The new financial instrument, consisting of grants and loans, was proposed by the European Commission in the summer.

"The question is whether this money will be enough, because we are talking about a longer period of time, which means [the amount] has also to be divided into years. Then we end up with an average annual amount that will be less than the 18 billion [euros] granted this year," Nauseda said.

However, the Lithuanian leader stressed that the countries had agreed to go back to this issue should Kyiv really need more funds.

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Lithuania reports 799 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths

VILNIUS, Oct 31, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 799 new coronavirus infections and no deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Tuesday morning.

The 14-day primary infection rate has risen to 189.9 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 31.4 percent.

The number of new coronavirus cases hit the peak in Lithuania in early February 2022 when more than 14,000 new infections were recorded daily. Around 1.19 million people in Lithuania have tested positive for COVID-19 at least once.

COVID-19 incidence in Lithuania took an upward turn in mid-September after having stayed at a low level since May. 

Some 68.5 percent of people in the country have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab so far, according to the statistics.

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Lithuanian president to decide on London ambassador only after independent probe – advisor

VILNIUS, Oct 31, BNS – Lithuanian president is still waiting for an independent inquiry into allegations against the country's Ambassador to the UK, Eitvydas Bajarunas, who has been summoned to Vilnius for consultations, before he can make a decision on his fate, Asta Skaisgiryte, an advisor to Gitanas Nauseda, has said.

"The president is certainly waiting for an independent investigation, which would be carried out in accordance with all institutional procedures. If a person is accused of something, that something must be investigated, proven and findings must be presented. The president could decide on the fate of Bajarunas after receiving such findings, but now there is simply no material that would allow the president to make a decision one way or another," she told the Ziniu Radijas radio station on Tuesday.

Some time ago, Bajarunas was accused by staff in London of misconduct and the violation of working conditions. Having looked into the complaints, the Inspectorate General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs found irregularities and proposed considering Bajarunas' suitability to head the embassy.

In mid-October, Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis suspended Bajarunas and summoned him to Vilnius for consultations. Nauseda then called the decision half-hearted.

For his part, Bajarunas has requested an independent investigation, claiming that he is being subjected to psychological abuse by the ministry, because his reputation is being damaged by information leaks to the media.

Meanwhile, Conservative MP Matas Maldeikis asked the Chief Official Ethics Commission (VTEK) to assess a visit to the opera in London by the president and the ambassador and their spouses. The VTEK said it would still seek additional material to decide whether to open an investigation.

Skaisgiryte told the news radio that the subject of the VTEK investigation "is different from the subject of Bajarunas' activities", as the ambassador is accused of mobbing.

"In this case, we don't have institutionally confirmed evidence in black and white, and as long as the investigation is not carried out properly, I don't see this case moving forward ... If a person can be convicted in a lynch mob without institutional proof, it is a bad precedent for the future", she noted.

By Ignas Jačauskas

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Lithuanian president to decide on London ambassador only after independent probe – advisor (expands)

VILNIUS, Oct 31, BNS – Lithuanian president is still waiting for an independent inquiry into allegations against the country's Ambassador to the UK, Eitvydas Bajarunas, who has been summoned to Vilnius for consultations, before he can make a decision on his fate, Asta Skaisgiryte, an advisor to Gitanas Nauseda, has said.

"The president is certainly waiting for an independent investigation, which would be carried out in accordance with all institutional procedures. If a person is accused of something, that something must be investigated, proven and findings must be presented. The president could decide on the fate of Bajarunas after receiving such findings, but now there is simply no material that would allow the president to make a decision one way or another," she told the Ziniu Radijas radio station on Tuesday.

Some time ago, Bajarunas was accused by staff in London of misconduct and the violation of working conditions. Having looked into the complaints, the Inspectorate General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs found irregularities and proposed considering Bajarunas' suitability to head the embassy.

In mid-October, Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis suspended Bajarunas and summoned him to Vilnius for consultations. Nauseda then called the decision half-hearted.

For his part, Bajarunas has requested an independent investigation, claiming that he is being subjected to psychological abuse by the ministry, because his reputation is being damaged by information leaks to the media.

Meanwhile, Conservative MP Matas Maldeikis asked the Chief Official Ethics Commission (VTEK) to assess a visit to the opera in London by the president and the ambassador and their spouses. The VTEK said it would still seek additional material to decide whether to open an investigation.

Skaisgiryte told the news radio that the subject of the VTEK investigation "is different from the subject of Bajarunas' activities", as the ambassador is accused of mobbing.

"In this case, we don't have institutionally confirmed evidence in black and white, and as long as the investigation is not carried out properly, I don't see this case moving forward ... If a person can be convicted in a lynch mob without institutional proof, it is a bad precedent for the future", she noted.

The Delfi news portal reported earlier that an investigation had also been launched over the conduct of Lithuania's Ambassador to NATO Deividas Matulionis who allegedly failed to comply with the mandate given by state institutions and might have weakened Lithuania's negotiating position during the negotiations on the documents of the NATO summit in Vilnius.

According to Skaisgiryte, Matulionis is under investigation, the commission of inquiry has also interviewed the ambassador himself, and the Foreign Ministry's divergent behavior towards the two diplomats shows double standards.

"Unlike the Bajarunas' case, such a commission of inquiry has been set up in the case of NATO Ambassador Matulionis, which means that it can be done. It has not only interviewed other staff members, it has also interviewed the ambassador himself, which is different from the treatment of Bajarunas, who has not yet been interviewed ... Double standards are never a good way to resolve conflicts," she pointed out.

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Funding sources remain in question as EU mulls extra money for Ukraine – advisor

VILNIUS, Oct 31, BNS – EU member states agree on additional funds for Ukraine in the EU's revised long-term budget, but they disagree on the sources of such funds, Asta Skaisgiryte, an advisor to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, says.

"On Ukraine, in principle, even the austerity-backing countries did not object to the need for additional money for the country. The only question that remains as to where that money will come from, from the redistribution of the existing funds or from new ones", Skaisgiryte told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Tuesday.

"I think that the European Council meeting in December will be very stormy in this respect and we will need to get well prepared," the presidential advisor said. 

The additional billions for Ukraine are the most divisive issue among EU member states in their debate on the 2021-2027 budget review as the EU's austerity wing are calling for the money to be provided by taking it away from other areas, rather than simply providing additional funding.

A decision on additional funds for Ukraine in the EU's revised budget will be made during the European Council meeting in December, Skaisgiryte said, adding that the Lithuanian president is in favor of creating a special EU fund for Ukraine.

The EC proposed revising the EU budget last summer and to create a new financial instrument to support Kyiv. Made up of grants and loans, this fund should amount to around 50 billion euros.

Further financial support for Ukraine is supported by almost all 27 EU countries, and only Hungary and Slovakia are against.

By Giedrius Gaidamavičius

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Lithuanian legislation does not provide for independent probe over London ambassador – PM

VILNIUS, Oct 31, BNS – With the presidential office saying that the head of state is still waiting for an independent inquiry into allegations against the country's Ambassador to the UK, Eitvydas Bajarunas, who has been summoned to Vilnius for consultations, the prime minister says that there are no provisions for such an inquiry in the country’s legislation.

“In accordance with [existing] legislation, the Law on the Diplomatic Service actually does not provide for such a genre – some kind of independent investigation,” Ingrida Simonyte told reporters on Tuesday.

“All investigations and all assessments of specific problems and specific situations are described in the statute of the Diplomatic Service and, in fact, neither the initiative itself is clear, on what basis it was created, nor why such a proposal had to be made in the first place."

Her comments came after Asta Skaisgiryte, an advisor to the Lithuanian president, said earlier on Tuesday that Gitanas Nauseda could only decide on the fate of Bajarunas after receiving the findings of “an independent investigation, which would be carried out in accordance with all institutional procedures”.

Some time ago, Bajarunas was accused by staff in London of misconduct and the violation of working conditions. Having looked into the complaints, the Inspectorate General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs found irregularities and proposed considering Bajarunas' suitability to head the embassy.

In mid-October, Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis suspended Bajarunas and summoned him to Vilnius for consultations. Nauseda then called the decision half-hearted.

For his part, Bajarunas has requested an independent investigation, claiming that he is being subjected to psychological abuse by the ministry, because his reputation is being damaged by information leaks to the media.

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Lithuanian parlt decides to investigate SSD whistleblower story

VILNIUS, Oct 31, BNS – The Lithuanian parliament on Tuesday decided to conduct a parliamentary inquiry into the whistleblower's story related to the actions of the State Security Department's leaders in checking the then presidential candidate's Gitanas Nauseda's inner circle of people.

The parliament set up a temporary inquiry commission to investigate the circumstances disclosed by the whistleblower, and the finding should be presented by March 10. The commission will be chaired by Vytautas Bakas of the opposition Democrats "For Lithuania".

62 MPs voted in favor of establishing such a commission, 36 were against and three abstained.

Supporters of this inquiry argue that the whistleblower's story has left unanswered questions, while opponents argue that it would be directed against the president in order to undermine his popularity in the run-up to the presidential election that will be held in the spring.

The commission is tasked with investigating the whistleblower's information on possible unlawful collection of personal information, possible unlawful influence on intelligence activities, possible interference on the electoral process during the 2019 presidential election, possible unlawful support to the presidential campaign, possible violations of the whistleblower's rights, possible unlawful influence on the imposition of sanctions against Belarus.

The initiative to set up the commission came after the Prosecutor General's Office stated last spring that the whistleblower's (an intelligence officer's) report, submitted four years ago, to the then chair of the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense on the actions of the SSD leadership had not been properly investigated.

The whistleblower contacted Bakas the then CNSD chair, in 2019.

New details about this case emerged in the book The Whistleblower and the President by journalists Dovydas Pancerovas and Birute Davidonyte.

In The Whistleblower and the President, the now former SSD officer, claimed that, in July 2018, he received several sheets of paper with many names and a verbal order from the department's deputy director Remigijus Bridikis to "check one candidate's election team and a list of possible supporters". It turned out that the list includes Nauseda's supporters and associates.

Having looked into the situation at the time, the CNSD stated that the SSD had acted lawfully in checking people close to the presidential candidates, but also urged the SSD to refrain from verbal orders in such situations.

SSD representatives said they had checked all the candidates' teams, while the whistleblower assured that only Nauseda's team had been checked and Bridikis confirmed to him that the lists had been obtained from Nauseda.

The president categorically denies having asked the SSD to check his team.

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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Lithuanian court to rule on Irish citizens' cases in late November

VILNIUS, Oct 31, BNS - The Supreme Court of Lithuania will rule on November 22 whether the criminal proceedings against two Irish citizens for terrorism offenses were justly terminated after the statute of limitations expired.

The court took up the Irish cases on Tuesday after the prosecution service appealed against previous court decisions.

In September 2022, the Vilnius Regional Court dismissed the criminal case of Irish citizen Liam Campbell for attempting to provide support to the Real IRA terrorist group. The same court also dropped the case of Brendan McGuigan, another Irish citizen accused of terrorist offenses.

In January, the Lithuanian Court of Appeal confirmed that the cases against the Irish citizens for terrorism offenses had been dismissed justly as the statute of limitations expired, and dismissed the prosecutor's appeals against the rulings of the Vilnius Regional Court.

Campbell and McGuigan were not present in court and were represented by their Lithuanian lawyers. 

As stated in the cassation appeal to the SCL, the statute of limitations starts on January 22, 2008, but, according to the prosecutor, the period should have expired after fifteen years, not ten years, due to the change in legislation, i.e. on January 22, 2023, instead of January 22, 2018, as stated in the opinion of the regional court.

Nevertheless, the prosecutor is asking in his appeal for the criminal case to be dismissed, but only because the statute of limitations has already expired this year.

Campbell's lawyer stressed that, when deciding on a person's criminal liability, one cannot apply an article that was not in force at the time of the offense.

Currently, the law provides for a sentence of up to ten year in prison for the offense of supporting a terrorist organization, whereas before 2013 the Criminal Code provided for a sentence of between 10 and 20 years for such an offense.

The Irish duo is accused of crimes committed between 2006 and 2008.

As reported in 2008, Michael Campbell, a member of the radical Irish Republican organization, had been arrested in Vilnius during a joint operation by Lithuanian and Irish police and international security organizations, and was later convicted.

Campbell's brother, Liam stood trial in Vilnius last year, some 15 years after the alleged crime as Ireland had previously refused to extradite him to Lithuania because of poor prison conditions.

Lithuanian and foreign law enforcement officials found out that in November 2006-January 2007, a group of Irish citizens, including the Campbell brothers, allegedly sought to acquire arms in Lithuania for a terrorist group, and agreed to find out whether the arms could be used for terrorist acts.

At least three firearms, large quantities of high-power explosives, ammunition, automatic rifles, sniper rifles, pistols, grenade launchers, grenade launcher exhausts, cartridges, detonators with capsules, incendiary rope, detonating cord, and grenades may have been illegally obtained in Lithuania.

The acquired weapons were to be shipped to Ireland and members of the terrorist group were to be trained in Lithuania to use of the acquired weapons, with 100,000 allocated for that.

In August 2007, the weapons were tested in a homestead in Lithuania's western Raseiniai District. A few days later, the weapons and ammunition were inspected at the Rokai training area in Kaunas District.

The Irish asked the undercover agents posing as arms suppliers to explain the mechanism of action of TNT, a plastic explosive, its power, to demonstrate its performance, and to indicate the quantity of explosives that would be sufficient to blow up a police or armored government car.

According to law enforcement authorities, the Irish also asked for an explanation of possible safe hiding places for the weapons and the cost of the weapons. The foreigners explained that they would purchase 1,000 electronic detonators, a detonating cord, 100 clockwork fuses, grenade launchers, grenade launcher exhausts, electric fuses, TNT briquettes, and other armaments.

By Greta Zulonaitė

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Army, allies to conduct helicopter training over Lithuania’s largest cities

VILNIUS, Oct 31, BNS – The Lithuanian Armed Forces and allies will conduct helicopter training over the cities of Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipeda, the army said on Tuesday.

The joint exercise between the Lithuanian Armed Forces and the German Bundeswehr, during which helicopters will be flown, will take place between October 30 and November 19.

According to the army, the flights will take place all over Lithuania, but in most cases it will be the residents of Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipeda, the country’s largest cities, who will be able to hear and see the helicopters flying at low altitude.

NATO Air Police fighter jets conducted training over Siauliai last week.

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Russia adds advisor to Lithuanian defmin to its wanted list

VILNIUS, Oct 31, BNS – The Kremlin has added Kamile Seraite-Gogeliene, an advisor to Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusausauskas and chairwoman of the Historical Memory Commission of the City Council of Vilnius, to the list of wanted persons, the Russian news portal Mediazona has reported.

The Russian Interior Ministry states that she is "wanted under an article of the Criminal Code", but it is not clear in which case.

As the chair of the capital's Historical Memory Commission, Seraite-Gogeliene regularly speaks out for the removal of Soviet symbols in Vilnius.

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Lithuanian president calls for political will for breakthrough as Moldova seeks to join EU

VILNIUS, Oct 31, BNS - Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda had a phone conversation with Moldovan President Maia Sandu on Tuesday and called on Chisinau to pool political will for a breakthrough in Moldova's bid to become an EU member state.

Chisinau has made progress in implementing European reforms and EC recommendations, but it needs to make additional efforts and pool the political will for a decisive breakthrough, the Lithuanian leader said.

"Lithuania strongly supports Moldova's ambition to become an EU member state. The country demonstrates respect for European values, supports the EU's common foreign policy and is effectively implementing reforms. EU enlargement would help to ensure peace and stability in Europe," Nauseda was quoted as saying in a statement released by his press service.

He says the next few months will be important for Moldova's Euro-integration as the EC will publish a report on the progress made in implementing the recommendations on November 8, and the European Council will make decisions on the opening of EU membership negotiations in December.

Moldova applied for EU candidate status alongside Georgia in March 2022. Ukraine also applied fr it earlier. In June 2022, EU member states granted this status to Ukraine and Moldova, but not to Georgia, arguing that the country still needed more work.

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LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Lithuanian govt to discuss modification of RRF plan
2. President remains most popular politician in Lithuania, followed by SocDems’ leader - LIETUVOS RYTAS/VILMORUS POLL
3. SocDems continue to top Lithuania's party rankings, followed by Conservatives - LIETUVOS RYTAS/VILMORUS POLL
4. Lithuania reports 47 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
5. Firefighters continue to enjoy highest public trust in Lithuania - LIETUVOS RYTAS/VILMORUS POLL
6. Lithuanian army, allies to conduct helicopter training over several districts
7. 2,000 people could settle in Vilnius when German brigade is deployed – mayor
8. More people in Lithuania support screening minors to tackle drug problem - BNS/VILMORUS POLL
9. Lithuania has expanded its commitments in Ukraine peace talks – presidential aide
10. Lithuania's CNSD chair proposes defense tax to come into force in 2025
11. Lithuania, US sign SOSA agreement
12. Lithuania: criminal case against Svencioniene, Juraitis about to go to court
13. Talks about interest rate cuts 'premature' – Lithuanian c.banker
14. Lithuanian businesses discovering Indonesia’s market – formin
15. Lithuanian govt backs proposal on clearer definition of terrorist group, penalties
16. Lithuania to allocate EUE 10 mln in 2024 for flights European cities
17. Lithuania’s Ignalina N-plant acquires anti-drone system
18. Lithuanian airports seeing record passenger flows in October – LTOU CEO
19. Lithuanian govt allocates extra EUR 16 mln for education of Ukrainian refugee children
20. Lithuanian formin compares Russia to Nazis after anti-Jewish unrest in Dagestan
21. Presidential election in Lithuania proposed for May 12
22. NATO jets in Baltics scrambled 5 times last week to escort Russian planes
23. Lithuanian govt okays updated RRF plan agreed with Brussels
24. Digital divide must not lead to social exclusion – Lithuanian president
25. Lithuanian ForMin sends note to Belarus over threatening statement
26. Lithuanian ForMin sends note to Belarus over threatening statement (expands)
27. Lithuania's Igalina NPP to look for repository concept designers

Lithuanian govt to discuss modification of RRF plan

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS – The government will on Monday discuss modification of the national economic recovery plan, New Generation Lithuania, and the addition of new investments to the roadmap.

The Cabinet intends to modify the plan in line with its version finalized with the European Commission (EC) last week. The disbursement of funds from the EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) is linked to the implementation of these commitments.

The new plan will include 2.3 billion euros in European grants and 1.55 billion euros in loans.

The document reflects Lithuania's new objectives to finance the green energy transformation and to stimulate the transition of business to green and high value-added technologies.

Compared to the previous RRF plan, Lithuania will receive more than 1.8 billion euros in additional European support.

According to the Finance Ministry, the most significant new investment is planned to be concentrated in two areas: 1 billion euros in loans to business and industry and additional nearly 700 million euros in renewable electricity generation.

The plan will also include funds from the RePowerEU program.

The updated Next Generation Lithuania plan will be given final confirmation by the EU’s finance and economy ministers in November.

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President remains most popular politician in Lithuania, followed by SocDems’ leader - LIETUVOS RYTAS/VILMORUS POLL

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS – President Gitanas Nauseda remains the most popular politician in Lithuania, followed by MEP Vilija Blinkeviciute, leader of the opposition Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, according to the latest opinion poll carried out by Vilmorus for the Lietuvos Rytas daily and published on Saturday.

Some 64.2 percent of respondents had a favorable opinion of Nauseda in October, while 16.5 percent had an unfavorable one. In September, the figures stood at 61.9 and 17.2 percent respectively.

Blinkeviciute came in second with 50.8 percent of favorable opinions (48 percent in September) and 22.9 percent (23.9 percent in September) of unfavorable ones.

“Blinkeviciute is seen favorably by 50.8 percent [of respondents], for the first time she has crossed the psychologically important threshold of 50 percent, which is her highest rating," Vladas Gaidys, who leads Vilmorus, told BNS.

Blinkeviciute is followed by National Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas, who was positively evaluated by 43.9 percent (44 percent in September), while 23.3 percent (25.1 percent in September) had a negative opinion of him.

Speaker of the Seimas Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, who leads the Liberal Movement, which is part of the ruling coalition, came in fourth with 35.5 percent of favorable opinions (36.1 percent in September) and 35.7 percent of negative ones (36.6 percent in September).

Ex-Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis, who leads the opposition Democrats "For Lithuania", completed the TOP-5 with 34.7 percent of favorable opinions (32.5 percent in September) and 36 percent of unfavorable opinions (38 percent in September).

Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte closed the top ten, with 24.9 percent of favorable opinions (23.6 percent in September) and 54.9 percent of unfavorable opinions (55.9 percent).

Meanwhile, Gabrielius Landsbergis, the leader of the ruling conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats and the country's foreign minister, ranked as the most unpopular politician in the country, disfavored by 61 percent of the polled (62.9 percent in September).

Economy and Innovation Minister Ausrine Armonaite, leader of the Freedom Party, and MEP Waldemar Tomaszewski, leader of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance, had negative opinions’ scores of 59.8 percent (60 percent in September) and 56 percent (56.1 percent in September), respectively.

Vilmorus polled 1,001 Lithuanian residents between October 12 and 21. The results of the poll have an error margin of up to 3.1 percent.

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SocDems continue to top Lithuania's party rankings, followed by Conservatives - LIETUVOS RYTAS/VILMORUS POLL

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS – The opposition Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) remains at the top of the country's political party rankings, followed by the ruling Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (HU-LCD) in second place, according to a Vilmorus poll published by the Lietuvos Rytas daily on Saturday.

Some 18 percent of respondents said in mid-October that they would vote for the LSDP if general elections were held next Sunday, down from 18.8 percent who said so in the previous poll in September.

The HU-LCD ranked second but support for the ruling party fell to 9.3 percent in the latest poll, from 11.3 percent in September. 

"The Social Democrats rank first, as they have been all year, with 18 percent, the Homeland Union has support of 9.3 percent, [which] may be a decrease [compared to the previous poll], but it is not a trend, they are quite stable," Vladas Gaidys, the head of Vilmorus, commented on the results of the poll to BNS.

The opposition Democratic Union "For Lithuania" moved to the third position with 7.5 percent (5.5 percent in September), swapping places with the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union, another opposition party, which came in fourth with 7.3 percent (unchanged from September).

The Liberal Movement, a member of the ruling coalition, closed the top five with 4.7 percent support (4.4 percent in September).  

Some 10.8 percent of the polled said in October they would not vote at all (14.7 percent in September) while 27.4 percent did not know who they would vote for in a general election (25 percent in September).

Gaidys pointed out that the respondents who chose ‘other party’ from the list, often mentioned the National Alliance when asked to name that other party they would vote for.

“It should be noted that the ‘other party’ is the National Alliance, and obviously if it were listed, there would probably be several times more people [ready to vote for it], so this is probably a symptom," he said.

Vilmorus polled 1,001 Lithuanian residents between October 12 and 21. The results of the poll have an error margin of up to 3.1 percent.

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Lithuania reports 47 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 47 new coronavirus infections and no deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Monday morning.

The 14-day primary infection rate has reached 183.3 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 30.2 percent.

The number of new coronavirus cases hit the peak in Lithuania in early February 2022 when more than 14,000 new infections were recorded daily. Around 1.19 million people in Lithuania have tested positive for COVID-19 at least once.

COVID-19 incidence in Lithuania took an upward turn in mid-September after having stayed at a low level since May. 

Some 68.5 percent of people in the country have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab so far, according to the statistics.

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Firefighters continue to enjoy highest public trust in Lithuania - LIETUVOS RYTAS/VILMORUS POLL

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS – The Lithuanians continue to have the highest level of trust in firefighters, according to the latest Vilmorus survey for the Lietuvos Rytas daily, published on Saturday.

It shows that firefighters lead in terms of public trust with a rating of 91.9 percent, up from 89.3 percent in September.

"Only 0.6 percent of respondents have negative opinions, which is the lowest share, six people out of a thousand, it's hard to even imagine that this could be the case," Vladas Gaidys, head of Vilmorus, told BNS.

Firefighters are followed by the police in the second place with 64.2 percent (up from 61.7 percent in September) and the army with 63.8 percent (up from 63.4 percent).

The social insurance fund SoDra comes next with 53.2 percent (54.9 percent in September), followed by border guards with 46.7 percent (50.1 percent), the presidential office with 45.2 percent (41.1 percent), and the education system with 40.7 percent (41.7 percent).

On the other end of the spectrum, people traditionally have the lowest level of trust in political parties (6.1 percent), and 53.3 percent do not trust them.

Only 10.7 percent have trust in the Seimas, compared to 53.4 percent having no trust in it. Also, 17.5 percent trust the government, and 41.6 percent do not.

Vilmorus polled 1,001 Lithuanian residents between October 12 and 21. The results of the poll have an error margin of up to 3.1 percent.

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Lithuanian army, allies to conduct helicopter training over several districts

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS – The Lithuanian Armed Forces and allies will conduct helicopter training over the districts of Vilnius, Kaunas and Alytus, the army said on Monday.

The joint exercise between the Lithuanian Armed Forces and the German Bundeswehr, during which helicopters will be flown, will take place between October 30 and November 19.

During the flights, residents of Vilnius, Kaunas and Alytus cities and counties will be able to hear and see the helicopters flying at low altitude.

NATO Air Police fighter jets conducted training over Siauliai last week.

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2,000 people could settle in Vilnius when German brigade is deployed – mayor

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS – Some 2,000 people could settle in Vilnius when the German brigade is deployed in Lithuania, Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas says.

"We have had only an initial meeting with the minister and the vice minister in charge of this issue about the possibility of a part of the German brigade settling in Vilnius. We are talking about two thousand people," Benkunskas told BNS last week after Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said last Tuesday that the plan was to accommodate German troops in three places – Vilnius, Rudninkai and Rukla.

The minister could not yet say where in Vilnius the infrastructure for the German troops could be built, but he said that this should be known in December.

Benkunskas, for his part, says Germany wants all infrastructure and services to be concentrated in one place.

"What we have agreed is that the project is the responsibility of the ministry and the army, and the city will contribute with all the information on where such a facility could be located, and we will help with all the planning," the mayor said, adding that there's no possibility to develop such infrastructure in the central part of the city, but it could be developed on the outskirts.

"This is a matter of discussion from the urban side, from the city planning side, how much it will cost, who will build the communications and so on, we don't know such things and details," Benkunskas added.

Lithuania plans that the bulk of the German brigade will be deployed in Lithuania in 2026. The joint Lithuanian-German working group has agreed to sign the deployment plan by December 22.

Lithuania and Germany started discussing the deployment of a German brigade in Lithuania after Russia invaded Ukraine. The brigade's Forward Command Element is already deployed in Lithuania.

Germany has also led an international NATO battalion deployed in Lithuania since 2017.

By Greta Zulonaitė

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More people in Lithuania support screening minors to tackle drug problem - BNS/VILMORUS POLL

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS - A larger part of the population in Lithuania believes that the problem of underage drug use should be tackled by the authorities by screening children and teenagers, according to a new survey by Vilmorus for BNS.

It was carried out following an increase in the number of reports of schoolchildren with drug poisoning and after the Lithuanian parliament started discussing amendments to allow schools to check children's belongings for cigarettes and drugs.

According to the survey, 37.8 percent believe that the drug problem would be most effectively tackled if the police, schools and other authorities were given more control rights and opportunities to screen minors.

31 percent consider the fight against drug dealers to be the most effective measure.

28.2 percent believe that the best way to tackle the problem of drug use would be to promote child and teenager employment and improve the education situation.

The remaining respondents said that nothing needed to change or had no opinion on the matter.

The survey also showed that education was the most effective measure for Vilnius residents, while all other areas were more likely in favor of screening.

The Vilmorus survey asked:

In your opinion, which measure would be the most effective in tackling the problem of underage drug use?

The answers:

1. Giving the police, schools and other authorities more control rights and opportunities to screen minors – 37.8 percent.

2. Promoting employment and education for children and teenagers – 28.2 percent.

3. Fighting against drug dealers – 31 percent.

4. Nothing needs to change – 0.9 percent.

5. No opinion – 2.2 percent.

The survey of 1,001 residents of 24 cities and over 40 villages was carried out on October 12-21. The maximum margin of error is 3.1 percent.

By Greta Zulonaitė

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Lithuania has expanded its commitments in Ukraine peace talks – presidential aide

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS – Lithuania has expanded its commitments in the Ukraine peace talks, Asta Skaisgiryte, an advisor to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, has confirmed.

“The peace formula is divided into ten steps and a presentation was given on how to implement each step. Lithuania is involved in two steps, energy security and restoration of justice, and today I had the honor to announce that Lithuania is joining the third step, the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory and the cessation of hostilities," Skaisgiryte told BNS by phone from Malta on Saturday as she took part in the third round of Ukraine peace talks.

According to her, following Lithuania's announcement that it is committed to helping Ukraine achieve the withdrawal of Russian troops, the country's institutions, mainly the defense ministry, will have to mobilize even more to end the war.

"This includes the provision of weapons, training for the Ukrainian military and other things. The practical support that we are already providing will be part of this step," Skaisgiryte said.

According to the adviser, Lithuania was invited to join the peace talks in this aspect by the Ukrainians during President Nauseda's recent visit to Kyiv.

"It was proposed by the Ukrainians themselves, when the president was last in Kyiv, that Lithuania should join this step. We discussed with the authorities whether we could take this step, but on the other hand, who else but us could help the Ukrainians here as well,” she said.

The adviser noted that Lithuania is also helping Ukraine to achieve energy security and justice in order to prosecute those responsible for Russia's war crimes against Ukraine.

"Each step requires both knowledge and the will to participate, ... you have to be willing and have something to contribute to the implementation of a specific step, which is Lithuania's strong point – energy, energy security; the next step is the restoration of justice, which is the idea supported by Lithuania on the special tribunal and the accountability of Russia for the war, and this work can be continued," she added.

Talks on Ukraine’s plan for peace kicked off in Malta on Saturday, with the two-day meeting of national security delegates being the third round of such talks in recent months, following the initial round of talks in Copenhagen in June and the second round in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in August.

Ukraine sees them as an opportunity to win support for President Volodymyr Zelensky’s 10-point peace plan outlined in the fall of 2022.

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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Lithuania's CNSD chair proposes defense tax to come into force in 2025

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS - Laurynas Kasciunas, chairman of the Lithuanian parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense, says he will start pooling support for the introduction of a so-called defense tax next year, with a view to it coming into force in 2025.

Both partners and opposition representatives agree on the need to find a sustainable solution for national defense funding, but they see different ways of doing so.

"The idea of finding the best solution for a defense tax is on the table. Obviously, we will not be able to do it this year, so we are talking about next year. If we adopt it next year, a sustainable solution would come into force in 2025," Kasciunas told BNS.

He came up with the defense tax idea after the presidential office criticized next year's defense budget bill for not including funds for the plan approved by the State Defense Council to create a land division within the Lithuanian army. Kasciunas says he will invite all political parties that are signatories to the existing national defense agreement to discuss a possible formula for the defense tax in early January.

He cited Estonia's two percentage point VAT increase as one possible example of a defense tax.

Eugenijus Gentvilas, the elder of the Liberal Movement, which is part of the ruling coalition, has proposed borrowing money from the Lithuanian population to finance national defense projects, rather than borrowing from foreign markets, as President Gitanas Nauseda is proposing. Gentvilas also does not rule out a defense tax either, but he believes that it should not be introduced by taxing one sector of the economy, as was done with banks when the so-called solidarity levy was introduced for them.

Dovile Sakaliene, a member of the opposition Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, says her party's board has also discussed the idea of temporarily increasing the corporate income tax by 2-3 percentage points.

For his part, Saulius Skvernelis, Lithuania's ex-prime minister and the incumbent leader of the opposition Democrats "For Lithuania", is skeptical about the possibility of a new defense tax, telling BNS that idea is not very promising. In his words, tax collection, including VAT, should be improved, which would generate additional funds for national defense.

"Let's collect what we have and administer it efficiently, let's set priorities and we won't have to talk about an additional tax," he said.

Earlier this year, the State Defense Council approved plans to create a land division within the Lithuanian Armed Forces by 2030. Also, additional funds are also needed to put the infrastructure for the planned German brigade in place.

The government proposes allocating 2.71 percent of GDP for defense next year, and it would include 2.52 percent of budget money and the rest would come from the temporary bank solidarity levy. The total planned defense spending is expected to reach 2.06 billion euros euros. 

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Lithuania, US sign SOSA agreement

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS - Lithuania and the United States have signed a bilateral agreement to support each other in providing critical defense needs, Lithuania's Defense Ministry said on Monday.

The Security of Supply Arrangement (SOSA) was signed Lithuanian Defense Vice Minister Greta Monika Tuckute during her visit to Washington. 

According to her, the agreement with one of Lithuania's main defense acquisition partners will help Lithuania to remain at the top of the US "government's priorities for arms and equipment sales".

"This is especially important now when the war in Ukraine, China's aggressive behavior and the recent events in Israel have led to a growing demand for arms and equipment worldwide, while supply has not yet adapted adequately," she said.

According to the ministry, during her meeting with Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment William A. LaPlante and James Hursch, director of the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Tuckute "received strong assurances that the US is fully aware of Lithuania's security situation, and is working hard to ensure that the acquisition projects are executed quickly and that the required weapons and equipment reach Lithuania on time".

Lithuania is currently implementing more than 60 acquisition projects with the US alone, the Defense Ministry points out. Each year, US assistance funds allocated to Lithuania and the other Baltic states contribute to the accelerated development of Lithuania's defense capabilities. 

Lithuania and the US will sign an agreement on the acquisition of AMRAAM missiles by the end of this year. Earlier, agreements on the purchase of HIMARS artillery systems, JLTV armored all-terrain vehicles, Black Hawk helicopters and Switchblade drones were concluded with the Americans. In addition, Lithuania has been purchasing Javelin anti-tank missile systems and various communications equipment from the US for a number of years.

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Lithuania: criminal case against Svencioniene, Juraitis about to go to court

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS – Law enforcement officials are getting ready to refer to court a criminal case against the co-founders of the International Forum of Good Neighborhood, Erika Svencioniene and Kazimieras Juraitis, for allegedly assisting another state to act against Lithuania, as well as for publicly supporting, denying, or grossly disparaging international and Soviet crimes.

The law enforcement authorities have assessed the public statements and trips to Russia and Belarus made by these individuals.

The third suspect is Valery Ivanov, former leader of the pro-Soviet organization Yedinstvo. He was also recently charged with publicly supporting international, Soviet crimes against Lithuania.

The Prosecutor General's Office would not comment on the suspicions against the said persons, telling BNS that more details about this pre-trial investigation would be provided after taking the final procedural steps.

Meanwhile, Svencioniene says that she does not see any "damage caused to Lithuania" and describes her actions as a democratic right.

"Is it democracy that you can state your opinion, express your thoughts? We, the people's diplomacy, went to say that we want peace, we want good mutual relations and we will strive for that, and we will definitely strive for that with our closest neighbors, because that is the guarantee of Lithuania's prosperity, of its success. And I understand that time will come soon and we will have good relations with Russia. This is inevitable in order to have stability in the country," she told BNS.

Back in 2022, Svencioniene and her associates visited Moscow where they met with representatives of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation and held a press conference questioning the legitimacy of the election of the current Lithuanian government, and accusing it of causing economic damage and scaring its citizens about a possible Russian invasion.

The forum’s members also visited Belarus and met with Alexander Lukashenko, the neighboring country's authoritarian leader not recognized as the legitimate president of Belarus by Lithuania and Western countries.

Another suspect, Juraitis, also said that he disagreed with the suspicions brought against him by law enforcement. He claimed that he had fallen foul of law enforcement after publicly stating that Lithuanians were involved in the deportation of Lithuanians.  

The Prosecutor General's Office informed BNS that the pre-trial investigation was being carried out on the grounds of assisting another state to act against Lithuania and on the grounds of publicly supporting, denying, or grossly disparaging international crimes, the USSR crimes.

The Criminal Code provides for imprisonment from two to seven years for aiding and abetting another state or organization to act against Lithuania. This offence is classified as an offence against Lithuania's independence, territorial integrity and constitutional order. Denial of Soviet crimes is punishable by a fine, restriction of liberty, arrest or imprisonment for up to two years.

Meanwhile, Ivanov, 76, told about the suspicions against him on Facebook in late September.

In May, the former Yedinstvo leader, a Russian citizen residing in Lithuania, attended a commemoration of the Soviet Union's so-called victory of over Germany in World War II at the Antakalnis cemetery in Vilnius. Asked whether it was appropriate to celebrate the Soviet Union's victory at the time when Russia's waging a war against Ukraine, he told reporters that he believed the narrative of the Kremlin and Russian President Vladimir Putin that a "special military operation" was taking place in Ukraine and that the war was sparked by Kyiv and NATO threatening Russia.

Ivanov was also questioned as part of the case of Algirdas Paleckis, a controversial Lithuanian figure convicted of spying for Russia.

Ivanov was sentenced to one year in prison in July 1997 for defaming those who died on January 13, 1991. He claimed that the fact of their death was falsified by Lithuania and that the Soviet army in fact did not kill a single freedom defender in Vilnius.

Co-founders of the International Forum of Good Neighborhood also include Paleckis.

The Forum's members said last year they were planning to travel to Ukraine's eastern part occupied by Russia to observe the Moscow-organized sham referendums over the annexation of these territories but Svencioniene later said she had not been able to go there.

By Ingrida Steniulienė

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Talks about interest rate cuts 'premature' – Lithuanian c.banker

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS – It’s too early to talk about any interest rate cuts, Gediminas Simkus, board chairman of the central Bank of Lithuania, says after the European Central Bank decided to keep its key interest rate unchanged last Thursday.

Market assessments, including ECB projections, made over the course of the year reflect continuous high economic uncertainty, and inflation rates remain high, the central banker said.

"Therefore, I think it is definitely premature to talk about interest rate cuts at the moment. We are at a sufficiently restrictive level, but we need that strategic patience to keep interest rates on hold so that inflation not only falls and rises again but reliably returns to the level where it should be," Simkus told reporters on Monday.

"I would be very much surprised if we had to cut interest rates, for example, in the first half of next year," he added.

If economic forecasts remain unchanged, interest rates should not be changed at the next ECB meeting in December either, Simkus said. However, he does not rule out that the ECB could raise interest rates again, if economic indicators and forecasts deteriorate again.

By Giedrius Gaidamavičius

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuanian businesses discovering Indonesia’s market – formin

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS – Lithuania’s businesses are discovering Indonesia’s market and bilateral trade is growing, Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has said while visiting Indonesia together with the Lithuanian business delegation.

“I am delighted that our bilateral trade is growing rapidly. From high-tech to the energy sector and food industry, our companies are discovering Indonesia and are ready to establish themselves in the market,” a press release from the Foreign Ministry quoted him as saying after a meeting with Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto on Monday.

According to the data provided by the ministry, bilateral trade between Lithuania and Indonesia soared by 106 percent to 58 million euros in 2022 whereas exports surged by 206 percent to 37 million euros.

A Memorandum of Understanding between the Lithuanian Confederation of Industrialists and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry will also be signed in Jakarta on Monday.

During a meeting with Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, the head of Lithuania’s diplomacy underlined that the country was ready to establish mutually beneficial partnerships in Southeast Asia while contributing to global initiatives strengthening rules-based cooperation.

Landsbergis said both sides were interested in diversifying supply chains, strengthening cybersecurity and building resilience to hybrid threats. Lithuania supports the conclusion of a free trade agreement between the European Union and Indonesia as soon as possible.

The head of Lithuania’s diplomacy also noted that both countries believed in a democratic free market policy. Therefore, Lithuania strongly supports Indonesia’s aspiration to become a member of the OECD and is ready to share its latest accession experience.

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Lithuanian govt backs proposal on clearer definition of terrorist group, penalties

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS – The Lithuanian government on Monday approved amendments to the Criminal Code that would more clearly define a terrorist group and the penalties for participation in it.

The proposal was made by the Justice Ministry in response to the European Commission's comments on the current legal framework.

The current version of the Criminal Code defines a terrorist group as one of the forms of complicity and treats it the same as a criminal association, and people face three to fifteen years in prison for such complicity.

According to the proposals approved by the government, a terrorist group is defined as "a group of three or more persons, established in advance for a specific period of time with the aim of committing one or more terrorist offenses".

Participants in a terrorist group would face up to eight year in prison, while the founders or leaders of such a group would face up to fifteen years in prison.

The Justice Ministry also told BNS earlier that the definition of a terrorist group that amount to a criminal association would stay in the Criminal Code, but the bill suggests defining them as organized terrorist groups.

Persons partaking in or leading such groups would face prison terms of up to life imprisonment.

If approved by the Seimas, the Criminal Code would define two levels of terrorist groups: terrorist groups of with lower level of organization and dangerousness, non-existent before, and organized terrorist groups with the highest level of organization and dangerousness.

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Lithuania to allocate EUE 10 mln in 2024 for flights European cities

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS – Lithuania will allocate around 10 million euros in 2024 to promote flights between the country and European cities of interest to business and travelers. The list of destinations important for businesses and inbound tourism includes 27 destinations, with 23 flight from Vilnius.

Transport and Communications Minister Marius Skuodis says the priority destinations include major European hubs, like Dusseldorf and Hamburg in Germany, Madrid in Spain and others.

"Equally, we do not yet have good enough connections with countries like Spain, for example. Madrid is one of the hubs," Skuodis told reporters at Vilnius Airport on Monday.

According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the 27 priority destinations currently include New York, Brussels, Dublin, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow and others.

Skuodis says his ministry will allocate 5 million euros and the Economy and Innovation Ministry will allocate 3 million euros for flight incentive schemes next year. And the Vilnius Municipality will contribute up to 20 percent of the total amount.

On Monday, the municipality and the two ministries signed a tripartite agreement on a list of destinations of interest for businesses and inbound tourism and measures to promote flights to and from the Lithuanian capital. 

Economy and Innovation Minister Ausrine Armonaite says her ministry will seek to "help to fill the planes with people" and invest in raising Lithuania's profile.

"This is already being done, and Lithuania is being presented as an inbound market, Vilnius is being presented, and this is how people find out about us," Armonaite said.

By Greta Zulonaitė

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuania’s Ignalina N-plant acquires anti-drone system

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS – Lithuania’s state-owned Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) has purchased equipment to protect against unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from NT Service, a Kaunas-based telecommunication installation and maintenance company, for 53,000 euros, including VAT.

According to INPP CEO Linas Bauzys, such equipment is very important because the area around the plant is a no-fly zone.

"There is a no-fly zone around the plant, so the installation of such equipment is particularly important for us. As technology becomes more modern, we need to ensure comprehensive safety of the facility and its people, and to always be one step ahead of those who intend to use unmanned aerial vehicles for illegal purposes," a press release from the INPP quoted him as saying.

The new equipment is designed to detect, identify and neutralize commercial and military UAVs by suppressing navigation, video transmission and control signals. It has been handed over to the Visaginas unit of the Public Security Service, which is responsible for the protection of the power plant.

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Lithuanian airports seeing record passenger flows in October – LTOU CEO

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS – Three Lithuanian airports are seeing record passenger flows in October and the number of passengers is expected to exceed 600,000 this month, Simonas Bartkus, director general of Lietuvos Oro Uostai (Lithuanian Airports, or LTOU), the operator of Lithuania’s airports of Vilnius, Kaunas and Palanga, has said.

"In October this year, we expect to exceed the flow of 600,000 passengers passing through Lithuanian airports," he told reporters at Vilnius Airport on Monday.

According to him, October will be busier in terms of passengers than July or August.

"The record [annual] passenger flow so far was in 2019 and amounted to 6.5 million passengers per year."

By Greta Zulonaitė

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuanian govt allocates extra EUR 16 mln for education of Ukrainian refugee children

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS – The Lithuanian government has allocated additional 16.1 million euros to educate Ukrainian refugee children in kindergartens and schools.

The money will also be used to transport them to and from school. The money is available for the needs arising from September until the end of the year.

According to data from the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, there are currently 12,145 children from Ukraine registered in Lithuania, of whom 9,641 are enrolled in general education and 2,504 in pre-school and pre-primary education programs.

The average monthly allowance for kindergarteners is 160 euros and for schoolchildren – 338 euros.

The ministry forecasts that the number of Ukrainian refugee children who will have to go to school or kindergarten could increase by several thousand by the end of the year.

Between the beginning of the year and September, 34.2 million euros has been allocated for the education of these children.

Ukrainians started arriving in Lithuania after Russia invaded the neighboring country in February 2022. Since then, some 82,000 people have arrived, including 26,500 children under 18. However, some Ukrainians have subsequently left Lithuania and returned to their home country or moved to other countries.

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Lithuanian formin compares Russia to Nazis after anti-Jewish unrest in Dagestan

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS - Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has compared Russia to Nazi Germany following unrest in predominantly Muslim Dagestan where an angry mob stormed the airport in search of Jews after news spread that a plane had arrived from Israel.

"Even after Bucha there were still people saying we can't compare Russia to Nazi Germany. Well... how about now? Are the pogroms convincing enough? Do you need Putin to actually grow a moustache and raise his right hand?" he posted on X on Monday.

Dozens of protesters stormed an airport in Russia's Caucasus republic of Dagestan on Sunday, after rumors spread that a flight was arriving from Israel.

Videos posted on social media and by the Russian media outlets RT and Izvestia show protesters breaking down the doors of the airport terminal, some running onto the runway and others breaking barriers to check cars leaving the airport.

Dagestan's governor has vowed that those responsible for the incident would be punished and 60 people were arrested after the incident, the Russian Interior Ministry said on Monday.

On Sunday, the RIA Novosti news agency reported that a Jewish center was set on fire in the town of Nalchik, another North Caucasus republic, Kabardino-Balkaria.

The unrest comes amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

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Presidential election in Lithuania proposed for May 12

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS - A presidential election in Lithuania is proposed to be held on May 12, according to a draft resolution registered by Speaker of the Seimas Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen.

According to the Constitution, the Seimas sets the date for a presidential election.

Last spring, the Seimas also announced that a compulsory referendum on the legalization of multiple citizenship would also be held on May 12.

If the first round of voting fails to elect a new president, the run-off will be held on May 26.

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NATO jets in Baltics scrambled 5 times last week to escort Russian planes

VILNIUS, Oct 30 BNS – NATO fighter jets were scrambled five times last week to identify and escort Russian planes violating flight rules in international airspace over the Baltic Sea, Lithuania's Defense Ministry said on Monday.

On Monday, NATO jets took off to intercept an IL-20 flying from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad. On the same day, they escorted an IL-78.

On Tuesday, NATO jets intercepted an IL-20 and two SU-27 , and intercepted an IL-18 on Wednesday.

On Friday, an IL-20 and an AN-72 were intercepted on Friday.

Most of those Russian planes were flying without flight plans, had their onboard transponders switched off and were not in radio communication with the regional air traffic control center.

The NATO Air Policing Mission is carried out from Lithuania and Estonia.

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Lithuanian govt okays updated RRF plan agreed with Brussels

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS – The government on Monday approved an updated economic recovery plan, New Generation Lithuania, which was finalized with the European Commission (EC) last week, despite differences of opinion with Brussels over the postponement of deadlines for a tax reform.

The new plan is complemented by new investments and will consist of 2.3 billion euros in European grants and 1.55 billion euros in loans.

The Cabinet adopted the decision even though Ausrine Armonaite, Minister of Economy and Innovation and leader of the Freedom Party, and Marius Skuodis, Transport Minister nominated by that party, voted against the updated roadmap as Armonaite proposed to continue negotiations with the Commission on the revision of tax-related indicators.

The disbursement of funds from the EU's Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) is linked to the implementation of the commitments outlined in the Next Generation Lithuania plan.

“The issue is closed”

The European Commission said last week that it had approved Lithuania's updated economic recovery plan, New Generation Lithuania, but rejected a request by Vilnius to postpone until 2025 its RRF plan deadlines related to the tax reform.

With the tax reform stalled, the government argued to the Commission that the objectives related to the reform had to be delayed due to economic uncertainty, the need to refocus resources on helping business, the lengthy consultation process and the timing of the entry into force of tax-related laws.

After the Commission rejected these arguments, Lithuania had one month to present its position before the Commission could take a final decision.

However, the government has decided not to do so, arguing that the updated plan needs to be finally approved by the EU Economic and Finance Ministers’ Council this year, otherwise Lithuania would not be able to use the EU support in the form of loans.

"We have put forward four objective circumstances which, in my view, imply that the discussion has taken too long. In the Commission’s view, these circumstances are not sufficient and I would not be able to name additional objective circumstances today", Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste told the government meeting.

"Today, it seems to me that the issue is closed because the circumstances have not changed," she added.

Disputes in the Cabinet

Economy Minister Armonaite and Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte got into a spat during the discussion of the updated plan.

Armonaite proposed to continue negotiations with the Commission not only on the postponement of deadlines for the implementation of certain indicators, but also on the content of the plan itself.

"We see the sense in continuing the negotiations and I invite you to support this position because, as I understand it, if we agree to this extent today, we say that's it, we are no longer negotiating either on the indicators or on the content, and there is no political consensus in the Seimas on the specific changes to the tax laws," the minister said at the meeting.

Meanwhile, Simonyte stressed the need to adopt the New Generation Lithuania plan by the end of this year.

"We can continue to negotiate long and tediously, but in that case the ECOFIN Council will not be able to take decisions on the updated plan before the end of this year. This means that we will not be able to use part of the loans either," the prime minister said.

At the same time, Skaiste asked Armonaite what exactly she proposed to negotiate with the European Commission.

Both Simonyte and Skaiste stressed that Lithuania's commitments on tax reform were abstract – the indicators provided for the fact of adoption of laws and the area of taxes, but did not name specific rates or tax models.

"Neither the specific rates nor the solutions to be adopted are written down, but we have to meet the objectives that are programmed in the government program and we can do that," Skaiste said.

By Erika Alonderytė-Kazlauskė

Editor: Saulius Jakučionis

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Digital divide must not lead to social exclusion – Lithuanian president

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS - It is important to ensure that the digital divide does not become a cause of social exclusion, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said on Monday as he met with Doreen Bogdan-Martin, secretary general of the International Telecommunication Union, in Vilnius.

"We are doing a lot in our country to reduce social exclusion. In these times of technological development, it is important to ensure that the digital divide does not become a cause of increasing social exclusion. I am pleased that today we are launching an initiative to improve the digital skills of the elderly," the president said at the meeting.

The president briefed the ITU secretary general on Lithuania's contribution to the preparation of a report on the losses caused to the telecommunications sector by the Russian aggression against Ukraine, as well as on the ongoing radio broadcasts via medium waves to Ukraine's temporarily territories temporarily.

The president also informed the secretary general about regional specifics that could have a negative impact on the development of 5G networks in the country, noting that Kaliningrad, located in the middle of the European Union and NATO, could hinder efforts to harmonize the use of radio frequencies for the provision of mobile communications not only Lithuania, but also in the whole of Europe, according to the statement released by the presidential press service.

The ITU has a key role to play as it sets the rules for neighboring countries to harmonize and use radio frequencies for both civil and defense purposes, Nauseda said.

In Vilnius, the ITU secretary general is also attending a conference on digitalization were a project aimed at reducing the digital divide among seniors will be presented.

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Lithuanian ForMin sends note to Belarus over threatening statement

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS – Lithuania's Foreign Ministry on Monday handed a note of protest to a representative of Belarus over a threatening statement by a Minsk official.

The note was handed to Belarus' charge d'affaires ad interim Yaroslav Khmyl over a statement by Pavel Muraveiko, the first deputy state secretary of the Security Council of Belarus, which was published in the Vechernyj Minsk newspaper on October 24. Muraveiko stated that Lithuania's restrictions on the cross-border movement of goods constituted to economic aggression that could be fought with arms. 

"The Foreign Affairs Ministry that such statements could be interpreted as an open threat to attack Lithuania and are completely unacceptable," the statement said.

The ministry demanded that Belarus immediately provided an official explanation for this statement and reminded that Lithuania would take all possible measures to ensure the country's security, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

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Lithuanian ForMin sends note to Belarus over threatening statement (expands)

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS – Lithuania's Foreign Ministry on Monday handed a note of protest to a representative of Belarus over a threatening statement by a Minsk official.

The note was handed to Belarus' charge d'affaires ad interim Yaroslav Khmyl over a statement by Pavel Muraveiko, the first deputy state secretary of the Security Council of Belarus, which was published in the Vechernyj Minsk newspaper on October 24. Muraveiko stated that Lithuania's restrictions on the cross-border movement of goods constituted to economic aggression that could be fought with arms. 

"Under all rules of international law, such a step constitutes economic aggression. According to banal logic, we have every reason to break a vital corridor using arms. And in other circumstances, no one in the world would judge us, I dare say. But not in the present circumstances where the country is under unprecedented pressure from the West," Muraveiko said.

In June, the Lithuanian government temporarily banned the movement of dual-use goods through and out of Lithuania as they could go to Russia and Belarus and be used in the war against Ukraine.

"The Foreign Affairs Ministry that such statements could be interpreted as an open threat to attack Lithuania and are completely unacceptable," the statement said.

In June, the government restricted the shipment of 57 groups of goods, mainly microelectronics and semiconductor components, on the approved national list of controlled dual-use items.

Since July 3, the Lithuanian Customs requires haulers to provide manufacturers' declarations confirming that they know the seller and buyer of the goods they are transporting in a third country, that the goods will be transiting through Belarus or Russia, that they will not be resold or transshipped in these countries, and they also know who the end-user in the third country is.

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Lithuania's Igalina NPP to look for repository concept designers

VILNIUS, Oct 30, BNS – The Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant is looking for a company that could prepare a general concept for a deep geological repository for 0.57 million euros, VAT included.

Applications are accepted until November 27.

"The concept will identify the main principles, solutions, technologies, methods, engineering components, measures, a general plan for implementation and a general budget for the final management of spent nuclear fuel and other long-lived radioactive waste," Natalija Survila-Glebova, head of communications, at the Ignalina NPP, told BNS.

Lithuania plans to install the deep repository in the second half of this century. It will contain spent nuclear fuel, metal reactor structures, some fuel assemblies, control rods, spent graphite and other waste. 

The construction of the repository has been estimated to cost 1 billion euros and its exploitation – another 900 million euros.

The Ignalina facility was shut down in late 2009 and its decommissioning process was launched the following year and is expected to last until 2038.

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