LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN, April 7, 2022

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, April 7, 2022
Security situation won't change, even if war stops – Lithuania's Landsbergis
Lithuania's Klaipeda, Siauliai to hold contact fairs for Ukrainians to meet employers
Lithuania turns 12 irregular migrants away on border with Belarus
Lithuania to recall four ambassadors this summer
Lithuanian court to rule on Belaruskali, govt dispute
Lithuania reports 1,924 new COVID-19 cases, six deaths
Lithuania records lowest daily number of Ukrainian refugees
Lithuanian committee condemns Russian army's crimes in Ukraine, calls them genocide
Buying gas, oil from Russia amid war in Ukraine "immoral" – Lithuanian adviser
Russian Embassy to keep its current name after diplomatic downgrade – Lithuanian FM
Lithuania calls on UNESCO to move heritage committee's session from Russia
Belaruskali's contract with Lithuanian Railways threatened national security – court (updates)
Belaruskali's contract with Lithuanian Railways threatened national security – court (expands)
Lithuanian museum raising funds to help save Ukraine's museum treasures
Lithuanian ambassador returns to Kyiv
Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, April 8, 2022

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, April 7, 2022

VILNIUS, Apr 07, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, April 7, 2022:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to meet with Auditor General Mindaugas Macijauskas at 11 a.m.

JUSTICE MINISTER Evelina Dobrovolska to leave for Latvia at 3 p.m.

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Security situation won't change, even if war stops – Lithuania's Landsbergis

VILNIUS, Apr 07, BNS - The security situation would not change even if the war in Ukraine was stopped, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis says.

"The security situation would not change even if the war was actually stopped. There should be no doubt that this Russia, today's Russia, Putin's Russia, is a completely different country," Landsbergis told reporters ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels.

Therefore, he said, the Alliance must reflect the current situation, take action to defend its eastern flank and be ready to give military response to threats.

"NATO needs to reflect this reality, both politically and security-wise. We hope that this will be the case in our talks and discussions this evening. We want our allies and the NATO organization as a whole to step up their plans to really defend the eastern flank, to defend the Baltic states, to defend Lithuania. Not just to deter, not just to send a political message that something will happen in the event of an attack. Every one of us has to be there and we have to be ready to actually send a military response if something is attempted on NATO's borders", Landsbergis said.

He expressed hope that the changed approach to the defense of the Alliance's eastern flank would be reflected in the meeting documents.

"I'm coming with the hope that the talks and discussions tonight and tomorrow will show a change in our strategic approach to the defense of the eastern flank. Unfortunately, so far we have not seen a significant change in preparations for this. I think now is the right time for this to be reflected in the conclusions and documents that we can produce," Landsbergis said.

On Wednesday in Brussels, the Lithuanian foreign minister and his NATO counterparts will discuss Russia's war in Ukraine and the Alliance's defense.

Both NATO and EU members are also expected to discuss additional sanctions for Russia.

By Giedrius Gaidamavičius

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Lithuania's Klaipeda, Siauliai to hold contact fairs for Ukrainians to meet employers

VILNIUS, Apr 07, BNS - Contact fairs for Ukrainian citizens who have fled the war will be held in the Lithuanian cities of Klaipeda and Siauliai on Thursday, aimed at Ukrainians seeking employment to meet potential employers.

During the meetings, employers will present their activities and later meet with person interested in a particular field or activity for one-to-one interviews.

Next week, a contact fair with representatives of companies in the service sector is planned in Klaipeda.

Over 5,700 war refugees from Ukraine have been registered with the Klaipeda Refugee Registration Center and the Migration Department, and over 3,200 have done so in Siauliai, according to Lithuania's statistics service, Statistics Lithuania.

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Lithuania turns 12 irregular migrants away on border with Belarus

VILNIUS, Apr 07, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away 12 migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Thursday morning

Latvian border guards have recorded no attempts to enter the country from Belarus over the past 24 hours, and Poland pushed 28 irregular migrants back, according to the SBGS.

Tuesday morning, a Tajik family of six was found in Lithuania's southern district of Lazdijai close to the border with Belarus, and several of the family members were later taken to hospital.

The adult woman and two girls, aged 12 and 17, complained of poor health, and the border guards took them and their mother to a hospital in Alytus. The man and the two boys who had no health issues are currently staying within one of the SBGS units.

Later in the day, medics concluded that the underage foreigners' health was in no danger and they did not need any treatment. Medics decided to leave the woman for overnight observation, and the two girls stayed with her.

A total of 1,281 people have been prevented from crossing from Belarus into Lithuania at non-designated places so far this year.

Lithuanian border guards over 8,100 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.

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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Lithuania to recall four ambassadors this summer

VILNIUS, Apr 07, BNS - Four Lithuanian ambassadors will be recalled this summer, based on bills drafted by the country's Foreign Affairs Ministry this week.

In July, Ambassadors to the Netherlands and Estonia Vidmantas Purlys and Giedrius Apuokas will be recalled.

In August, Ambassadors to the Holy See and the Order of Malta and the United Kingdom Petras Zapolskas and Renatas Norkus will be recalled.

The ambassador to the Netherlands also represents Lithuania at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, while the UK ambassador is also accredited to Ethiopia, Portugal and Oman.

In Lithuania, ambassadors are appointed by the president upon nomination by the government and approval the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs.

By Ramūnas Jakubauskas

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Lithuanian court to rule on Belaruskali, govt dispute

VILNIUS, Apr 07, BNS - Vilnius Regional Administrative Court is set on Thursday to rule on the ongoing dispute between Belarusian potash fertilizer producer Belaruskali and the Lithuanian government.

Sanctioned by the US and the EU, Belaruskali in January appealed against the Lithuanian government's decision to order Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, LTG), the country's state-owned railway company, to terminate its long-term contract with Belaruskali on the transit of its fertilizers via Lithuania as of February 1.

The Belarusian company asked the court to annul the government's decision of January 12, as well as the December 21 decision by the government's special commission vetting transactions of strategic companies.

Belaruskali transit from the Belarusian border to the Lithuanian port of Klaipeda took place for more than a decade and was terminated on February 1 after the government confirmed that the contract between LTG and Belaruskali, which was due to expire in later 2023, was not in line with the country's security interests.

LTG Cargo, a rail freight transport company, used to transport about 11 million tons of Belaruskali's fertilizers a year.

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Lithuania reports 1,924 new COVID-19 cases, six deaths

VILNIUS, Apr 07, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 1,924 new coronavirus infections and six deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Thursday morning.

Some 1,625 of the new cases were primary, 295 were secondary and four were tertiary.

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals has dropped by several dozen to 978, including 53 ICU cases.

The 14-day primary infection rate has gone down to 1,107.1 per 100,000 people, and the seven-day percentage of positive tests has also inched down to 28.4 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 69.7 percent of the Lithuanian population have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab so far.

The latest fatalities were aged 70-79 and 80-89, and five of them was fully vaccinated.

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Lithuania records lowest daily number of Ukrainian refugees

VILNIUS, Apr 07, BNS – The total number of Ukrainian war refugees so far registered in Lithuania has risen to almost 41,400, including 17,300 minors, the latest official statistics showed on Thursday.

Some 469 people have registered with the registration centers or branches of the Migration Department in Lithuania over the past 24 hours, and the number included 153 minors, including 28 children under the age of 6.

The official daily number of incoming Ukrainian refugees was the smallest since the peak on March 17 when 2,234 people registered.

The 7-day average of those coming from Ukraine now stands at 484 and is also the smallest since the peak reached two weeks ago.

Around a third of all refugees have been registered by the capital's registration center.

Of the total number of war refugees registered so far, 4,700 are children under the age of six, and over 12,700 are minors aged between six and 18 years. Almost 1,800 people are aged over 65.

Some 796 refugees, including 275 minors, have been registered in Lithuania in the past 24 hours alone. The number of minors includes 84 children under the age of six.

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, some 4.2 million people have left Ukraine since Russia invaded its neighbor in late February, and over 7.1 million euros are internally displaced.

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Lithuanian committee condemns Russian army's crimes in Ukraine, calls them genocide

VILNIUS, Apr 07, BNS – The Lithuanian Seimas' Committee on Foreign Affairs has strongly condemned the Russian army's crimes in Ukraine's in Bucha, Irpin and elsewhere in Ukraine, describing them as genocide, the Lithuanian parliament's press service said on Thursday.

"The International Criminal Court has already opened an investigation into the war crimes committed in Ukraine and we demand that everyone, not only Putin and Lukashenko, the Russian military commanders who ordered the killing or failed to stop the slaughter of civilians, but also the ordinary soldiers, be held accountable for the bloodshed and destruction of innocent lives in Ukraine," Laima Andrikiene, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said.

"Russia's actions are incompatible with its membership of the United Nations and the United Nations Human Rights Council, and we call for Russia's expulsion from these and other international organizations," she added.

In its statement, the committee calls on the international community to unanimously condemn Russia's aggression and war crimes, describing them as genocide against the Ukrainian people.

The committee's statement stresses that the sanctions imposed on the Kremlin regime are insufficient and that the Euro-Atlantic community, together with its partners, must now introduce "comprehensive sanctions that would significantly weaken the Kremlin regime and stop Russian aggression".

The committee calls on EU member states to immediately halt imports of Russian oil and gas, to impose a ban on Russian ships entering all EU ports, and to suspend land transport to and from Russia in all EU member states.

Lithuanian MPs also call on international organizations and parliaments of democratic countries to increase their governments' military, financial, humanitarian and diplomatic support to Ukraine.

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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Buying gas, oil from Russia amid war in Ukraine "immoral" – Lithuanian adviser

VILNIUS, Apr 07, BNS – Buying Russian gas and oil amid the ongoing war in Ukraine is immoral, says Asta Skaisgiryte, chief adviser on foreign policy issues to the Lithuanian president.

Her comment came as the EU is getting ready to impose new sanctions for the Kremlin, but has failed to include these energy resources in its fifth package of sanctions.

"It seems to us that it’s immoral to buy oil and gas from Russia as this war is taking place. It is a tool to fund the war because these are huge sums of money that go into the budget," the adviser told the public broadcaster LRT on Thursday.

In her words, Lithuania is constantly calling for sanctions on gas, oil and coal. However, the latest package is likely to include only coal, as EU countries heavily dependent on Russian gas and oil are not yet willing to give up these resources.

Meanwhile, Hungary has announced its readiness to pay for Russian gas in roubles, becoming the first EU member state to do so.

"The sanctions should also include a ban on entry into the EU: over 200 army commanders, oligarchs, their wives, by the way, the list also includes Putin's daughters, propagandists, politicians of the two so-called people's republics," Skaisgiryte said.

"Also, there are new financial bans. (...) Four Russian banks have been disconnected from SWIFT, and now talks are underway to freeze their assets, as well as sanction cryptocurrency operations," she added.

Although gas and oil are not included in the sanction package, the advisor says this should be done in the future.

The presidential adviser also said the suspension of transit to Kaliningrad is also under discussion, adding, however, that Lithuania cannot do this unilaterally.

Russia invaded Ukraine more than a month ago and started a war that has sparked outrage and anger around the world. Thousands of Ukrainians have been killed this month and several million have been forced to flee the war-torn country.

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Russian Embassy to keep its current name after diplomatic downgrade – Lithuanian FM

VILNIUS, Apr 07, BNS - The Russian Embassy to Lithuania will keep its current name even after diplomatic representation between the countries is downgraded, Lithuania's Foreign Ministry told BNS.

On Monday, the Lithuanian government decided to downgrade diplomatic representation between Lithuania and Russia and ordered the country's ambassador to leave Lithuania in response to the massacre in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha. The government decided to close the Russian consulate in the western port city of Klaipeda.

Approached by BNS, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed that following this decision, the name of the Russian Embassy in Lithuania would remain as it was and Russian Ambassador, Alexey Isakov would have to leave the country within seven days of the delivery of the note.

The ministry states that the Consulate General in Klaipeda must be closed within 15 days of the delivery of the note, and that the staff must leave the territory of Lithuania within the same period.

Lithuania has also recalled its Ambassador Eitvydas Bajarunas from Moscow. In its response, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that the recalled Lithuanian ambassador is on a business trip during which procedures will be carried out for his recall from his post.

Following Lithuania's decision to downgrade its diplomatic representation, relations will be maintained at the level of lower-level diplomats, i.e. at the level of chargés d'affaires.

The discovery of mass graves and hundreds of brutally murdered civilians in the small town of Bucha, north-west of Kyiv, angered the international community. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky accused Moscow of civilian massacre.

Russia rejects the accusations and claims that Kyiv faked the video footage of corpses in Bucha.

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Lithuania calls on UNESCO to move heritage committee's session from Russia

VILNIUS, Apr 07, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has called on UNESCO to move the next session of its World Heritage Committee from Kazan, saying that allowing Russia to host the event would show "a cynical disrespect" to the victims of the war in Ukraine.

During UNESCO's Executive Board session in Paris, Landsbergis urged Audrey Azoulay, the organization's director-general, in a letter to relocate the committee's session, scheduled for June 2022, from Kazan and to stop Russia from chairing the event.

The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said in a press release on Thursday that the letter had also been forwarded to members of the UNESCO Executive Board and of the World Heritage Committee.

In his letter, Landsbergis called Russia's aggression against Ukraine "a flagrant desecration of the order based on international rules".

"By wantonly destroying Ukraine's cultural and historical heritage, religious sites, museums, schools and monuments, including those marked with the emblem of the 1954 Hague Convention, Russia is breaking its obligations under the Convention and is in flagrant violation of international law," the minister was quoted as saying.

"It would be absurdly cynical to hold the UNESCO World Heritage Committee's session in Russia while the Russian war machine is on the rampage in Ukraine," he said, adding that " "the civilized world must realize this and take the appropriate decisions".

Vilnius also calls on UNESCO to review its legal system to prevent representatives of countries that violate the UN Charter from holding leadership positions in the organization in the future.

Lithuanian Culture Minister Simonas Kairys has said that he sees "no point" in attending the World Heritage Committee's session if it is hosted by Russia as planned.

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Belaruskali's contract with Lithuanian Railways threatened national security – court (updates)

VILNIUS, Apr 07, BNS – Belaruskali's contract with Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, LTG) on the transport of millions of tons of fertilizers through Lithuania posed a threat to national security, a court ruled on Thursday.

Vilnius Regional Administrative Court dismissed the Belarusian potash giant's appeal against the Lithuanian government and a special governmental commission vetting deals by strategic enterprises.

Belaruskali, which is on the US and EU sanctions lists, in January appealed against the government's decision to order LTG to terminate its long-term contract with Belaruskali on the transit of its fertilizers via Lithuania as of February 1.

The court stated that as a result of a review of Belaruskali's compatibility with national security interests, the Belarusian company was found to have links with foreign government bodies or natural or legal persons that posed a threat to national security.

"The applicant did not contest in principle the finding that it had links with Belarus' non-democratic regime," the court said in a statement. "These findings were also corroborated by information provided by the authorities concerned, as well as by other documentary evidence in the case."

"This ground alone [...] would be sufficient to declare the transaction incompatible with national security interests," it added.

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Belaruskali's contract with Lithuanian Railways threatened national security – court (expands)

Vilnius Regional Administrative Court dismissed the Belarusian potash giant's appeal against the Lithuanian government and a special governmental commission vetting deals by strategic enterprises.

"The applicant did not contest in principle the finding that it had links with Belarus' non-democratic regime," the court said in a statement. "These findings were also supported by information provided by the authorities concerned, as well as by other documentary evidence in the case."

"This ground alone [...] would be sufficient to declare the transaction incompatible with national security interests," it added.

Based on the commission's conclusion that LTG's contract with Belaruskali was not in line with national security interests, the Cabinet decided on January 12 that the deal had to be terminated as of February 1.

After the EU imposed sanctions on Belaruskali on March 2, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said that the government's decision to stop the transit was no longer relevant.

Belaruskali product shipments via Lithuania were halted on February 1, almost three months after the US sanctions against the Belarussian company came into force on December 8.

The transit from the border with Belarus to the seaport of Klaipeda had been going on for more than a decade and was to continue until the end of 2023 under the contract.

The contract provided for the transport of about 11 million tons of Belarusian fertilizers via Lithuania to the seaport of Klaipeda annually. In the port, the fertilizers were handled by Biriu Kroviniu Terminalas (Bulk Cargo Terminal, or BKT), a company controlled by Igor Udovickij, a local businessman, and Belaruskali.

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Lithuanian museum raising funds to help save Ukraine's museum treasures

VILNIUS, Apr 07, BNS – The Lithuanian National Museum of Art has launched an initiative to raise funds to buy packaging materials and other items needed to preserve Ukraine's museum treasures during the war.

Arunas Gelunas, the national museum's director, told BNS on Thursday that the fundraising has already begun in cooperation with the Jonas Karolis Chodkevicius Charity and Support Foundation, adding that the money will be initially sent to the National Art Museum of Ukraine in Kyiv.

Next week, the Lithuanian museum will run special tours, including of the Old Arsenal's rarely-opened cellars that will host an exhibition, named "Icons on Ammunition Boxes", by Ukraine's artists Sofia Atlantova and Oleksandr Klymenko.

"No doubt, saving people is the top priority," Gelunas, who will lead the first tour, told BNS. "But our fellow museum workers have stayed in their institutions; apparently, some of them, because all the staff cannot stay during the war."

"It is a huge challenge for them to preserve cultural assets in different Ukrainian cities," he added.

The director said that the Ukrainian National Art Museum of Ukraine had considered temporarily relocating some of the most valuable collections in Lithuania or Poland

However, the Ukrainians decided to move some of the exhibitions and the most valuable works to basements and bunkers, fearing that that might be destroyed in an attack by the Russian army during transportation.

But these basements and bunkers "do not have the usual climatic conditions of conventional exhibitions or drier premises on the ground", Gelunas said.

Therefore, storing museum treasures there requires "special packing materials, special polythene, special non-combustible fabrics, plywood for boxes, and finally fire extinguishers in case of fire, as well as folders for works on paper, prints, drawings and photographs", according to him.

By Ignas Jačauskas

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Lithuanian ambassador returns to Kyiv

VILNIUS, Apr 07, BNS – Valdemaras Sarapinas, Lithuania's ambassador to Ukraine, returned to Kyiv on Thursday, following Russian forces' retreat from the Ukrainian capital.

"I have just walked through the embassy's door," the diplomat told BNS.

The Lithuanian embassy until recently was based in the western city of Lviv, following a temporary relocation to Ukraine's border with Poland.

The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry earlier this week announced its decision to return the ambassador to Kyiv.

According to Sarapinas, six Lithuanian diplomats and several other staff members will be based in Kyiv. Before the evacuation of the staff prior to the Russian invasion in February, the diplomatic mission employed 32 people.

The ambassador confirmed that Lithuanian was the first country to move its embassy back to Kyiv.

Despite the war, the diplomatic missions of Poland and the Holy See did not leave the Ukrainian capital.

"Of those who left, I was the first to come back," said the Lithuanian diplomat.

Back in Kyiv, Sarapinas said he would continue to maintain regular contacts with Ukrainian officials, in particular from the ministries of foreign affairs and defense, and parliamentarians.

The ambassador also expects further visits by high-level Lithuanian officials.

Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, the speaker of the Seimas, and other parliamentarians, as well as foreign, defense and health ministers, have visited Ukraine since the start of the war.

"Not only military, material and humanitarian aid, which we are trying to coordinate, but also political and moral support is very important for the Ukrainians, especially those in-person visits. They are very much awaited by the Ukrainians and they will continue," the ambassador said.

Sarapinas said Kyiv was returning to normal life after the Russian army's retreat from the capital.

"It was a dead city a couple of weeks ago," he said. "Now there are people and cars on the streets, and cafes are opening. There is life."

Following Russia's withdrawal from Ukraine's north, Kyiv and Western countries fear an intensification of attacks in the southern and eastern parts of the country.

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, April 8, 2022

VILNIUS, Apr 07, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Friday, April 8, 2022:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to have a video call with candidates for heads of Lithuanian diplomatic representations at 1:30 p.m.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to meet with Iceland's Foreign Minister Thordis Kolbrun Reykfjord Gylfadottir at 9:30 a.m.

JUSTICE MINISTER Evelina Dobrovolska, on a visit to Latvia, to meet with her Latvian and Estonian counterparts at 11 a.m.

FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to meet with his Icelandic counterpart at 10:30 a.m., to be followed by comments to the media at 11:30 a.m.

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Apr 09 2022

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

Upcoming events for Friday, March 25, 2022 in Lithuania
China's issue in Ukraine war remains relevant – Lithuania's Nauseda
Not all countries are ready to stop imports of Russian resources – Lithuanian president
Lithuanian intermin to meet with Interpol chief in Vilnius
Lithuania's Food Bank to collect products for the needy, war refugees
Lithuania turns 58 irregular migrants away on border with Belarus
Lithuania reports 3,938 new COVID-19 cases, 13 deaths
Lithuania registers 32,000 war refugees from Ukraine
Vilnius railway station opens photo exhibition to attract Russian attention to war
Vilnius railway station opens photo exhibition to attract Russian attention to war (expands)
School-leavers from Ukraine to be able to take graduation exams in Lithuania
Lithuanian PM congratulates people of Belarus on Freedom Day
Orlen Lithuania plans to refine Saudi oil only – minister
Lithuanian minister calls for Russia, Belarus to be expelled from Interpol
Vilnius court closes MG Group reputation cases as parties reach amicable settlements - BNS SPECIAL
Lithuanian leaders congratulate people of Belarus on Freedom Day (updates)
Lithuanian president calls for immediate diversification of EU energy import sources
Upcoming events for Monday, March 28, 2022 in Lithuania

Upcoming events for Friday, March 25, 2022 in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – The following events are scheduled for Friday, March 25, 2022 in Lithuania:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to attend a European Council's meeting in Brussels.

PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to meet with leaders of the parliamentary political groups at 10 a.m.; to meet with representatives of regional media outlets at 11.30 a.m.; to attend a meeting of the special commission supervising the construction of a physical barrier at the EU's external border with Belarus in Lithuania's territory at 1 p.m.

INTERIOR MINISTER Agne Bilotaite to meet with Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock at 10 a.m.

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China's issue in Ukraine war remains relevant – Lithuania's Nauseda

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS - European leaders have agreed to do everything possible to give China a chance to make up its mind on the war in Ukraine - to support Russia or to stand in solidarity with the West, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said in a video comment on Friday night after the European Council meeting in Brussels.

"The issue of China remains relevant and we agreed that we will certainly do our utmost to give China a chance to think carefully about its behavior, to assess all possible consequences and then to decide whether it is really ready to support Russia in this very unjust fight against Ukraine," Nauseda said. "Or will it join the rest of the world in solidarity with it."

The European Union's approach to Russia's war in Ukraine will be presented at the upcoming EU-China summit which will also be an opportunity to actively encourage China to contribute to stopping this war, the Lithuanian president said.

Nauseda also hopes this EU-China summit will be an opportunity to urge China to stop applying economic pressure against EU member states and to return to economic cooperation based on international agreements.

The global community's reaction Russia's war in Ukraine was also discussed with US President Joe Biden at the European Council meeting.

Nauseda pointed out it was a "rare case" that a US leader attended a meeting of European leaders, but it was also a "great opportunity" to underline the West's unity and attitude towards Russia's war in Ukraine.

"Much of the conversation revolved around Russia's responsibility for this bloody war and the international community's reaction," the Lithuanian president.

US officials have accused China of showing "willingness" to provide military and economic aid to Russia and say they will "watch very closely" whether Beijing will supply arms to Moscow.

China is yet to condemn Russia's actions in Ukraine.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg on Thursday accused China of providing political support to Russia by spreading "blatant lies and misinformation" and warned against providing material support to Russia.

Beijing denies these accusations and calls it disinformation.

UN data shows that more than 3.6 million refugees have fled Ukraine in the space of one month since the war started, with more than 970 civilian casualties reported.

At the same time, Russia has been hit by a raft of international sanctions that have crippled its economy.

By Ramūnas Jakubauskas

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Not all countries are ready to stop imports of Russian resources – Lithuanian president

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS - European leaders have agreed to tighten the existing sanctions against Russia after it started the war in Ukraine, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says, adding, however, that some EU member states are not yet ready to stop imports of Russian resources.

"The aggressor must be treated as an aggressor. And such a brutal aggressor must be treated accordingly. So, sanctions must be tightened and we have agreed on that", the Lithuanian president said in a video comment on Friday night after a European Council meeting in Brussels.

"Yes, we have to admit that some countries are not yet ready to disconnect from the Russian energy taps in the very near future," he added.

In his words, European leaders discussed what can be done about both coal and oil imports.

"We can only be glad that Lithuania has done a lot here and could be a role model for other countries," the president said.

He suggests including into the EU's 5th package extensive sanctions on Russia's energy and transport sectors, blocking Russian and Belarusian banks not yet on the sanctions list, and banning Russian ships from EU ports.

The importance of sanctions was also stressed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky when he addressed EU leaders on Thursday, Nauseda said.

"President Zelensky appealed for our unity, he appealed from the Ukrainian side. The fact that we support and back him wholeheartedly, his wish is that this should be reflected in our decisions, that those decisions should be decisive and help Ukraine not tomorrow, not the day after tomorrow, but today," Nauseda said.

"First of all, it's military aid (...) He also talked about sanctions, about the fact that sanctions against Russia are necessary simply because the resources we are acquiring are becoming a resource to finance the war, which is unacceptable, and people are dying as a result of it", he added.

UN data shows that more than 3.6 million refugees have fled Ukraine in the space of one month since the war started, with more than 970 civilian casualties reported.

At the same time, Russia has been hit by a raft of international sanctions that have crippled its economy.

By Ramūnas Jakubauskas

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Lithuanian intermin to meet with Interpol chief in Vilnius

VILNIUs, Mar 25, BNS – Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite is meeting with Interpol Secretary General Jurgen Stock in Vilnius on Friday.

"Three main topics will be discussed during the meeting, including the risk of abuse of Interpol channels, the situation in Ukraine and security challenges," Mindaugas Bajarunas, spokesman for the Interior Ministry, told BNS.

The minister will present Lithuania's proposals that could contribute to achieving the main objective of Interpol cooperation, which is maintaining law and order, he said.

The meeting participants will also visit one of the six registration centers for Ukrainian war refugees in Lithuania, located in Vilnius.

Several weeks ago, Interpol announced its decision restrict Russia's ability to enter information directly into the global police organization's vast network as it was decided that reports must first be verified by the general secretariat based in Lyon, France.

Amid the ongoing war between its two members, Interpol issued a statement underlying the organization's commitment to neutrality.

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Lithuania's Food Bank to collect products for the needy, war refugees

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS - On Friday and Saturday, volunteers from Lithuania's NGO Food Bank will collect food products for Ukrainian war refugees and the needy in Lithuania in major supermarkets.

"Food donations during this campaign are desperately needed. We are asking people to do what they can to help, as NGOs have run out of long shelf-life food and the number of those in need is still growing and it could even double", Simonas Gurevicius, head of the Food Bank, said.

As food prices are rising rapidly, the number of people asking for food aid is increasing, he said.

"It is also likely that the 143,000 Lithuanian residents who get regular food aid might soon be joined by Ukrainian war refugees who, for various reasons, will not be able to work, including disabled people, seniors, and families with large families. Therefore, food donated by the public during the Food Bank campaign on March 25 and 26 will be vital for tens of thousands of people," Gurevicius said, adding that people will be able to donate food in 69 cities and towns across Lithuania.

This year, 330 organizations are helping the Food Bank by collecting donations for people in their care, such as low-income families, the unemployed, the disabled or the elderly.

The Food Bank has already distributed more than 26,000 food packages to Ukrainians in Lithuania, and sent 17 vans with water, flour, canned food, porridge, sweets, baby food and animal feed to Ukraine.

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Lithuania turns 58 irregular migrants away on border with Belarus

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned 58 migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Friday morning, pointing out it was the highest number of push-backs this year.

SBGS officers have prevented a total of 860 irregular migrants from entering Lithuania so far this year. This number is much higher in Latvia and Poland.

Lithuanian border guards sent more than 8,100 people back to Belarus between last August, when they were given the right to deny entry to irregular migrants, and December.

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Lithuania reports 3,938 new COVID-19 cases, 13 deaths

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 3,938 new coronavirus infections and 13 deaths, including one child under 9, from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Friday morning.

Some 3,314 of the new cases were primary, 619 were secondary and five were tertiary.

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals remains fairly unchanged at 1,282, including 66 ICU cases.

The 14-day primary infection rate now stands at 1,901 per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 42.1 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 69.7 percent of the Lithuanian population have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab so far.

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Lithuania registers 32,000 war refugees from Ukraine

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – Lithuania has so far registered 32,000 war refugees from Ukraine, including 13,800 minors, official statistics showed on Friday.

The largest number of refugees, 10,551, has been registered by the registration center in Vilnius, followed by Alytus with 3,158, Kaunas with 3,158, Klaipeda with 3,021, Siauliai with 1,629, and Marijampole with 1,535 people.

Out of the Migration Department's ten territorial units, the largest number of refugees has been registered by the Vilnius unit, 1,837, followed by the Klaipeda unit with 1,403, and the Siauliai and Kaunas units have registered 1,098 and 1,096 with people respectively.

Some 1,700 refugees, including 787 minors, have been registered in the past 24 hours alone.

Of the total number of war refugees registered so far, 3,733 are children under the age of six.

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Vilnius railway station opens photo exhibition to attract Russian attention to war

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – A photo exhibition was opened on a platform at Vilnius railway station on Friday, aimed to attract Russian citizens' attention to their country's ongoing war in Ukraine.

The exhibition of war photographs was set up on the platform where transit trains from Moscow to the Kaliningrad region stop, Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, LTG), the country's state-owned railway company, said.

The Lithuanian Press Photographers' Club helped to select photos for the exhibition.

The photos, which show people injured during the war, mourning people, as well as buildings destroyed, also bear inscriptions in Russian: "Today, Putin is killing the peaceful population of Ukraine. Do you approve of this?"

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Vilnius railway station opens photo exhibition to attract Russian attention to war (expands)

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – A photo exhibition was opened on a platform at Vilnius railway station on Friday, aimed to attract Russian citizens' attention to their country's ongoing war in Ukraine.

The exhibition of 24 war photographs was set up on the platform where transit trains from Moscow to the Kaliningrad region stop, Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, LTG), the country's state-owned railway company, said.

The photographs are displayed at a height where they can be seen by the passengers of transit trains from Moscow to Kaliningrad and back.

"We see a great sense in using the LTG space to host an exhibition that reflects the images of the Russian government's war against Ukraine. We would like to thank our partners, the press photographers who willingly and gratuitously contributed to this initiative. Ukraine's ongoing struggle for freedom at a heavy price needs the support of all of us, and this exhibition is a symbolic part of that support," Egidijus Lazauskas, CEO of LTG, said.

The Lithuanian Press Photographers' Club helped to select the photos for the exhibition.

"With this exhibition, we aim to spread the message about the war waged by the Russian government. We have selected images that emotionally convey the harsh reality that the people of Ukraine are currently facing," Jonas Staselis, president of the Lithuanian Press Photographers' Club, was quoted as saying in the LTG statement. "With this exhibition, we want to spread the message as widely as possible that it is impossible to escape from reality in a free country."

He thanked photographers Maxim Dondyuk and Evgeniy Maloletka who sent photos from Kyiv and Mariupol.

Transit trains from Moscow to Kaliningrad and back run every day. There are also transit trains from Adler and Saint Petersburg to Kaliningrad and back.

Vilnius railway station plans to slow these trains every now and then to allow passengers to see the photo exhibition.

The average number of transit trains to and from Kaliningrad stands at 100 on average.

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School-leavers from Ukraine to be able to take graduation exams in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – School-leavers from Ukraine who have been granted asylum in Lithuania will be able to take their graduation exams and acquire secondary education in Lithuania, Lithuania's National Education Agency said on Friday.

The latest date for students from Ukraine to lodge in their requests to take graduation exams is May 24.

"We wish that the Lithuanian secondary education certificate will not only become an important personal document or a biographical fact, but will also send them off to an independent life in Lithuania or, hopefully, in Ukraine after it becomes peaceful and free again," said Asta Ranonyte, deputy director of the National Education Agency.

If the application is submitted by April 1, school-leavers will then be able to take part in the main graduation exam session. If the application is submitted after April 1, students will take part in the re-sit of the graduation exams.

Ukrainian students may be exempted from the Lithuanian language and literature exam by school authorities. They will not have to take the Lithuanian language and literature exam, just as it's not required from all school-leavers who have lived in Lithuania for less than two years.

Based on official statistics, some, 32,000 war refugees from Ukraine, including 13,800 minors, have already registered in Lithuania.

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Lithuanian PM congratulates people of Belarus on Freedom Day

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte has congratulated the people of Belarus s they celebrate the Freedom Day on March 25.

In her message of congratulation, the prime minister wished freedom, harmony and peace in Belarus.

Simonyte conveyed her greetings to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the leader of the democratic society in Belarus, and expressed her hope that this day is celebrated in the future not only in the hearts and minds of free Belarusians but also in the towns and on the streets of a free and democratic Belarus.

"Unfortunately, today we witness an ultimate betrayal of the Belarusian nation by Lukashenko, who provides the territory of your beautiful and peaceful country as a bridgehead for Russia’s brutal assault on Ukraine. I commend the free people and the leaders of the free Belarus who did not hesitate to stand clearly and publicly in support of Ukraine and chose the side of good over evil. I am glad that today the hearts of our nations—Ukrainians, Lithuanians, and free Belarusians—are beating together, that we share Ukrainians’ grief, and celebrate their victories as our own," the Lithuanian prime minister's letter reads.

Simonyte urged Belarusians not to lose patience and faith in the victory of a free Belarus, and reassures them that Lithuania sees and supports the continuous fight of Belarusians for freedom, adding that the rightful demands to stop repressions, release and rehabilitate all political prisoners and arbitrarily detained persons in Belarus, and to organize free and fair elections in Belarus as soon as possible are voiced by Lithuanian officials at every opportunity and within all international forums.

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Orlen Lithuania plans to refine Saudi oil only – minister

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS - Polish oil group Orlen, which owns Lithuania's Mazeikiai-based oil refinery Orlen Lietuva (Orlen Lithuania), plans to use only oil supplied by Saudi Arabian oil company Saudi Aramco, Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys says.

"Orlen is renouncing Russian oil and plans to produce products only from Aramco's (Saudi Aramco - BNS) Saudi Arabian oil," Kreivys told reporters on Friday.

Up until now, most of Orlen Lietuva's refined oil has been Russian.

Earlier this week, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte also said Orlen planned to completely renounce Russian crude in the near future.

Audrius Daugnora, deputy CEO at Orlen Lietuva, said earlier the company has been diversifying its crude sources since 2014 and refining not only Russian oil, adding that it would not be difficult for the company to give up Russian oil.

In his words, the refinery has normally processed about two-thirds of Russian oil in recent years, but now "the numbers are turning the other way".

In early March, Orlen said it was taking steps to increase oil supplies from alternative sources, and also announced it had agreed with Saudi Aramco to buy five additional North Sea oil tankers, some of which will be used by the Mazeikiai refinery.

Poland's Orlen announced last year it was buying 57 percent of crude for its refineries from Russia under long-term supply contracts, and also acquiring around 8 percent from Saudi Arabia, and the rest coming from the spot market.

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Lithuanian minister calls for Russia, Belarus to be expelled from Interpol

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite on Friday called for Russia and Belarus to be expelled from the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).

"We respect Interpol's neutrality and appreciate its efforts to introduce stricter control over the National Central Bureau in Moscow," Bilotaite said after meeting with Juergen Stock, the organization's secretary general, in Vilnius.

"It is understood that Interpol's constitution does not contain any provision for suspension or expulsion of a member country. But I am sure that a legal solution can be found if the international community agrees," the minister said.

"There is no sense in Russia, which has no respect for any rules of international law and order, being a member of Interpol. The same applies to Belarus," she added.

A couple of weeks ago, Interpol said it was restricting Russia's ability to enter information directly into the organization's vast network, deciding that communications must first be checked by the general secretariat in Lyon, France.

Interpol stressed in a statement that it was maintaining its pledge of neutrality amid the war between two of its members, triggered by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

However, the organization said that "heightened supervision and monitoring measures" of Moscow's National Central Bureau were needed “to prevent any potential misuse of Interpol's channels", such as targeting individuals in or outside Ukraine.

Stock said Interpol must remain neutral, otherwise it could become a political tool.

It is in the international police organization's interests to keep certain channels with Russia and Belarus open so as to be able to prevent or detect serious international crimes, according to the secretary general.

Stock said further action would be taken if new violations were found on the part of Russia or Belarus.

He noted that individual member states may take political decisions not to cooperate with Russia or Belarus and not to exchange data with them.

At the meeting in Vilnius, the Lithuanian minister expressed concern that Interpol channels could be used by Russia and Belarus to persecute opponents of the political regimes.

In response, Stock called on Interpol's member countries to step up their efforts to provide information directly to the organization, especially in such sensitive cases.

Interpol, the world's largest international police organization with 195 member countries, will celebrate its 100th anniversary next year.

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Vilnius court closes MG Group reputation cases as parties reach amicable settlements - BNS SPECIAL

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – Vilnius City District Court has this week closed two business reputation disputes involving MG Group, one of Lithuania's biggest business groups, after the parties reached amicable settlements.

The group's litigation against the state and MP Vytautas Bakas had been going on for several years, dating back to a 2018 parliamentary investigation into suspected unlawful influence by businesses on political processes.

In the dispute against the state, MG Group and others tried to prove, among other things, that the State Security Department had provided false information to the parliamentary inquiry and violated the presumption of innocence, and that the Seimas had unlawfully made public the intelligence agency's reports.

Following the investigation, the parliament concluded that the group, then named MG Baltic, posed a threat to Lithuania's national security. The business group called the probe "a political farce".

In the other dispute, MG Group contested statements by Bakas, who then headed the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense, that the company's activities bore signs of an organized criminal group and that it had caused around 500 million euros in damage to the state.

Vilnius City District Court approved the amicable settlement agreements on Thursday and Friday, thus closing both cases, Aurimas Zukauskas, the court's spokesman, told BNS.

The court's rulings can be appealed within seven days.

Earlier this year, Vilnius Regional Court finished hearings in MG Group's political corruption case, with the verdict to be handed down on April 4.

By Saulius Jakučionis

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Lithuanian leaders congratulate people of Belarus on Freedom Day (updates)

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – Lithuanian leaders on Friday congratulated Belarusian people on Freedom Day, March 25, wishing them strength to continue their struggle.

"Our neighbor Belarus today is facing an increasingly serious risk of losing its last vestiges of independence. Moreover, it is being dragged into a senseless and bloody war against Ukraine. For the peaceful nation with close historical and cultural ties with Ukraine and Ukrainians, this would be a real disaster," President Gitanas Nauseda wrote on Facebook.

In such a situation, the national consciousness of Belarusians becomes more important than ever, according to the president.

"No matter how hard hostile forces try to crush the dignity of the Belarusian people, they retain the will to fight for freedom," he wrote. "We saw this a year and a half ago, when Belarusian civil society stood united in defense of its rights, and it was only the brutal actions of the power structures that prevented the country's peaceful return to democracy."

Nauseda wished Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the leader of the Belarusian democratic movement, and "all the free people of Belarus" determination, patience and strength to continue "their difficult but extremely important struggle".

In her message of congratulation, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte expressed her hope that in the future, March 25 will be celebrated "not only in the hearts and minds of free Belarusians, but also in the towns and on the streets of a free and democratic Belarus".

"I commend the free people and the leaders of the free Belarus who did not hesitate to stand clearly and publicly in support of Ukraine and chose the side of good over evil. I am glad that today the hearts of our nations—Ukrainians, Lithuanians, and free Belarusians—are beating together, that we share Ukrainians’ grief, and celebrate their victories as our own."

Simonyte called on Belarusians "not to lose patience and faith in the victory of a free Belarus" and reassures them that "Lithuania sees and supports the continuous fight of Belarusians for freedom", her office said in a press release.

She added that "the rightful demands to stop repressions, release and rehabilitate all political prisoners and arbitrarily detained persons in Belarus, and to organize free and fair elections in Belarus as soon as possible are voiced by Lithuanian officials at every opportunity and in all international fora".

Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, the speaker of the parliament, used the occasion to express her support for Belarusians.

"I stand in solidarity with Belarusians who mark their Freedom Day today," she tweeted.

Freedom Day is an unofficial holiday celebrated on March 25 to commemorate the 1918 declaration of independence by the Belarusian Democratic Republic, which existed briefly until the Bolsheviks took power in early 1919.

The regime of Alexander Lukashenko forbids the celebration of Freedom Day in Belarus and does not recognize it. The country's official Independence Day is marked on July 3, the day in 1944 when Nazi German troops left Minsk and Soviet troops took the city.

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Lithuanian president calls for immediate diversification of EU energy import sources

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has called on EU leaders to immediately diversify energy import sources amid Russia's continued military invasion of Ukraine, his office said on Friday.

At the European Council's meeting, Nauseda said that "the EU's disconnection from Russia's energy supply should take place without delay by diversifying energy import sources, ensuring sufficient gas reserves in the EU and enabling mechanisms for price control and the security of energy sources", it said in a press release.

"We are financing the Kremlin's war against Ukraine by buying Russian gas and oil," the Lithuanian leader said. "Reducing our energy dependence on Russia is a step that the EU had to take a long time ago."

"Today we have a great opportunity to diversify energy sources, to ensure their reliability and security as well as to have more leverage to control energy prices," he added.

On Wednesday, the European Commission proposed that the EU jointly purchase natural gas and ensure that its storage facilities are filled.

It is believed that the EU, as a large buyer, could negotiate lower prices.

The bloc's leaders discussed the issue on Friday as well.

On Lithuania's initiative, they decided to create conditions for three associated Eastern Partnership countries to participate in the EU's joint oil and gas purchases, according to the press release,

In early March, the Commission outlined a plan to reduce the EU's dependence on Russian gas by two-thirds by the end of 2022 and to make the bloc fully independent from Russian gas, oil and coal by 2030.

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Upcoming events for Monday, March 28, 2022 in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Mar 25, BNS – The following events are scheduled for Monday, March 28, 2022 in Lithuania:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to meet with DEFENSE MINISTER Arvydas Anusauskas and CHIEF OF DEFENSE Valdemaras Rupsys at 1:30 p.m.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to arrive in Ljubljana Joze Pucnik Airport at 1 p.m., to attend the opening session of the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliaments at 2 p.m., to attend the first session of a conference on parliaments' role in emergency politics at 2:30 p.m., to meet with Irene Kalin, president of the Swiss National Council, at 3:30 p.m., and to attend an official dinner hosted by Igor Zorcic, speaker of Slovenia's National Assembly, and Alojz Kovsca, president of the National Council, at 8 p.m.

PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to visit NATO's enhanced forward presence battalion in Pabrade at 11 a.m. and to provide comments to the media at 12:40 p.m.

INTERIOR MINISTER Agne Bilotaite to take part in an extraordinary meeting of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council.

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