LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, November 22, 2023
2. Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
3. Lithuania's top court to rule on Irish citizens' terrorism cases
4. Lithuanian govt OKs adjusted, allocates extra EUR157 mln for roads
5. Lithuania reports 980 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
6. Kurlianskis, Masiulis given prison sentences in political corruption case in Lithuania
7. Lithuanian finmin says no room left for spending increases in 2024 budget 
8. Kurlianskis, Masiulis given prison sentences in political corruption case in Lithuania (updates)
9. Lithuania identifies 2,000 threats in 1st year of questionnaire for Russians, Belarusians
10. Lithuania's top court sentences all defendants in high-profile political corruption case (expands)
11. Kurlianskis on guilty verdict: it's not the end
12. Verdict bars Lithuanian Labor Party from elections – leader
13. Lithuania's top court sentences all defendants in high-profile political corruption case (further expands)
14. Lithuanian parlt speaker proposes abolishing employment quotas for foreigners
15. Lithuania: Masiulis vows to appeal after being sentenced for corruption
16. Lithuania will have drone capabilities within its defense system in 2024 – chair
17. Lithuania sends 3 mln rounds of ammo, remote detonation systems to Ukraine
18. Lithuanian MP Gapsys to appeal prison sentence in political corruption case
19. Lithuanian, South Korean PMs discuss bilateral ties, cooperation
20. Lithuanian Supreme Court rejects prosecutor's appeals in Real IRA suspects' cases
21. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, November 23, 2023

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, November 22, 2023

VILNIUS, Nov 22, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, November 22, 2023:

PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to have a phone conversation with her South Korean counterpart Han Duck-soo at 1ą.30 a.m.

INTERIOR MINISTER Agne Bilotaite to meet with Czech Ambassador to Lithuanian Ales Opata at 2 p.m. to meet with Indian Ambassador to Lithuania Devesh Uttam at 4 p.m.

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Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus

VILNIUS, Nov 22, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service said on Wednesday morning.

Latvia reported 37 attempts at illegal border crossings on Tuesday, and 42 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Monday, according to the latest available information.

A total of 2,473 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 over 21,800 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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Lithuania's top court to rule on Irish citizens' terrorism cases

VILNIUS, Nov 22, BNS - The Supreme Court of Lithuania will rule on Wednesday 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 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.

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Lithuanian govt OKs adjusted, allocates extra EUR157 mln for roads

VILNIUS, Nov 22, BNS – The Lithuanian government on Wednesday approved the adjusted 2024 state budget bill, with the largest amount of additional funds –157 million euros – earmarked for roads. The bill will now be submitted to the Seimas.

Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste says the budget was adjusted after proposals from parliamentary committees, commissions, MPs, state and other institutions were taken into account.

"The main priorities remain unchanged as we want to increase people's income, strengthen national security and promote investments that contribute to higher added value. (...) An adjusted 2024 state budget bill is being submitted, with additional funds earmarked for investments in roads, cultural and educational needs, and increasing people's income," she said during the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. 

The additional spending will increase the 2024 state budget deficit to 3 percent of GDP, from the initially planned 2.9 percent. Government debt will reach 39.9 percent of GDP, up from 39.8 percent initially.

Speaker of the Seimas Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen said on Monday that no more spending increases were possible, adding that her Liberal Movement party intends to approve the draft budget.

For its part, the opposition Social Democrats vow to vote against it, Rasa Budbergyte, a deputy elder of the party's political group in the parliament, said on Tuesday. Other opposition representatives called the draft budget a "sheet-pulling", "Frankenstein" or election budget.

The state budget bill's second reading is scheduled for Thursday and it is expected to be adopted on December 5.

By Erika Alonderytė-Kazlauskė

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuania reports 980 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths

VILNIUS, Nov 22, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 980 new coronavirus infections and no deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Wednesday morning.

The 14-day primary infection rate has risen to 303.8  cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 34.5 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. 

Two-thirds of the country's population have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab so far, according to the statistics.

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Kurlianskis, Masiulis given prison sentences in political corruption case in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Nov 22, BNS - The Lithuanian Court of Appeal on Wednesday changed the ruling of the court of first instance and sentenced Raimondas Kurlianskis, a former vice-president of MG Baltic (now MG Grupe), and Eligijus Masiulis, the former leader of the Liberal Movement, to prison in a political corruption case.

Kurlianskis was sentenced to six years in prison and was fined 25,000 euros, and Masulis was isued a prison sentence of five years and six months.

Another defendant in this case, Vytautas Gapsys of the Labor Party, was also found guilty and sentenced to four years and six months.

By Saulius Jakučionis

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Lithuanian finmin says no room left for spending increases in 2024 budget 

VILNIUS, Nov 22, BNS – The Lithuanian government exhausted all possibilities to increase spending when adjusting next year's draft state budget, Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste said on Wednesday.

Skaiste also said that there had been no additional indications from the coalition partners that there might be problems in budget debates.

"As the coalition council's meeting took place, I did not hear any additional indications of any problematic issues," the minister told a news conference.   

"It seems to me that the government assessed all the needs expressed by the Seimas, considered additional possibilities and looked at how many of these possibilities the budget actually has," Skaiste said. 

"We have reached the limit, a 3 percent budget deficit. The Maastricht criterion has been reached, so all the possibilities that were available have been used," she added.

According to the minister, if there are additional savings or revenue, these will only be visible at the end of 2024.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Cabinet approved next year's adjusted draft budget, with the largest amount of additional funds, 157 million euros, earmarked for roads.

The bill will now be submitted to the parliament.

 

By Erika Alonderytė-Kazlauskė, Giedrius Gaidamavičius

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Kurlianskis, Masiulis given prison sentences in political corruption case in Lithuania (updates)

VILNIUS, Nov 22, BNS - The Lithuanian Court of Appeal on Wednesday changed the ruling of the court of first instance and sentenced Raimondas Kurlianskis, a former vice-president of MG Baltic (now MG Grupe), and Eligijus Masiulis, the former leader of the Liberal Movement, to prison in a political corruption case.

Kurlianskis was sentenced to six years in prison and was fined 25,000 euros, and Masulis was issued a prison sentence of five years and six months.

Another defendant in this case, Vytautas Gapsys of the Labor Party, was also found guilty and sentenced to four years and six months.

MG Grupe, the Liberal Movement and the Labor Party were fined 1 million, 500,000 and 400,000 euros respectively.

Former Liberals Sarunas Gustainis and Gintaras Steponavicius were fined 25,000 and 20,000 euros respectively.

The Court of Appeal's ruling enters into force immediately on the day of its publication.

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Lithuania identifies 2,000 threats in 1st year of questionnaire for Russians, Belarusians

VILNIUS, Nov 22, BNS – Lithuania's authorities have identified more than 2,000 instances of threats in the first year since the introduction of a special questionnaire for Russian and Belarusian citizens, the Migration Department said on Wednesday.

From the end of November 2022, all Russian and Belarusian citizens applying for migration services, such as issuing or replacing permits for temporary or permanent residence in Lithuania, are required to complete a questionnaire to provide certain information and express their attitudes towards the war in Ukraine.

After the Migration Department examined the gathered information and additional data from various national institutions, 1,644 Belarusian citizens were found to be a threat to national security.

Belarusian citizens were refused a temporary residence permit in Lithuania on 562 occasions and refused a replacement of their residence permit on 343 occasions.

Belarusians had their previously valid temporary residence permits revoked on 450 occasions. Two Belarusian citizens were refused permanent residence permits in Lithuania, and eight had such documents revoked.

Belarusians were refused national Lithuanian visas on 279 occasions.

A total of 397 Russian citizens were found to be a threat to national security, 76 of whom were refused a temporary residence permit in Lithuania, 84 were refused a replacement of their residence permit, 90 had their previously valid temporary residence permits revoked, and another 90 had their permanent residence permits revoked.

Two Russian citizens were denied permanent residence permits in Lithuania when applying for the first time. Russians were refused national Lithuanian visas on 55 occasions. 

All the Belarusian and Russian nationals were also banned from entering Lithuania.

 

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Lithuania's top court sentences all defendants in high-profile political corruption case (expands)

(Updated version: uodates throughout)

VILNIUS, Nov 22, BNS - The Lithuanian Court of Appeal on Wednesday changed the ruling of the court of first instance and sentenced all the defendants in a high profile political corruption case, with some of them getting prison terms.

They were all sentenced for giving and accepting bribes and influence peddling.

Raimondas Kurlianskis, a former vice-president of MG Baltic (now MG Grupe), was sentenced to six years in prison and was fined 25,000 euros, and Eligijus Masiulis, the former leader of the Liberal Movement, was issued a prison sentence of five years and six months.

Another defendant in this case, Vytautas Gapsys of the Labor Party, was also found guilty and sentenced to four years and six months.

MG Grupe, the Liberal Movement and the Labor Party were fined 1 million, 500,000 and 400,000 euros respectively.

Former Liberals Sarunas Gustainis and Gintaras Steponavicius were fined 25,000 and 20,000 euros respectively.

The Court of Appeal's ruling enters into force immediately on the day of its publication. It can still be appealed with the Supreme Court of Lithuania.

Commenting on the ruling, Judge Albinas Bielskis said that Kurlianskis and the politicians in question had a long-standing and fairly close relationship.

"During the periods when the offences in this case were committed, systematic meetings between Kurlianskis and the above-mentioned members of the Seimas were recorded, which were usually initiated by Kurlianskis. And he did so intentionally as the meeting would take place at the time when political issues important for the MG Baltic group were being discussed by the Seimas or other state or municipal institutions," the judge said.

According to the case materials, bribes were given to politicians both in the form of cash or donations to public establishments, and even an invitation to appear on a TV program was deemed bribery. The Court of Appeal also found that a bottle of vodka and a bottle box containing money were also bribes given to Masulis.

Steponavicius was convicted of abuse of power without any evidence of bribery.

Lithuania's law enforcement authorities informed about the searches and arrests in the case on May 12, 2016.

On that day, Masiulis announced his resignation as leader of the Liberal Movement, and he also stepped down as an MP.

Gapsys also announced his resignation from the parliament after he was notified about suspicions brought against him by law enforcement authorities at a later stage of the pre-trial investigation, but was later re-elected.

Gustainis was expelled from the party while he was still a special witness, and he also resigned from the Vilnius City Council.

Steponavicius, who was also questioned as a special witness, also suspended his party membership and did not stand for election during the 2020 Seimas election.

MG Grupe is one of the largest manufacturing, trading, real estate and media groups in Lithuania.

Opened more than seven years ago, the political corruption case destroyed the politicians' careers and the Liberal Movement's chances to win the Seimas election in 2016.

Gapsys has received his second conviction after he was previously convicted in the so-called Labor Party's fraudulent bookkeeping case.

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Kurlianskis on guilty verdict: it's not the end

VILNIUS, Nov 22, BNS - Raimondas Kurlianskis, a former vice-president of MG Baltic (now MG Grupe), who has been convicted in a high-profile political corruption case in Lithuania, says it is not the final court ruling in this case.

"There are probably two important things. The first is that the court ruling must be enforced, and the second is that it is not the final court ruling. That's what I wanted to say," Kurlianskis told reporters on Wednesday after he was sentenced to six years in prison and fined 25,000 for bribing and influencing a number of politicians.

Kurlianskis says he will have to serve his prison sentence. 

"I will have nowhere to go, I will have to serve my prison sentence. I am not ready right now. (...) I will report myself (to the place of incarceration - BNS)," Kurlianskis said. 

He still maintains his innocence and plans to appeal with the Supreme Court of Lithuania.

"Either one side or the other appeals to the Supreme Court (...). We will appeal. On what grounds, I cannot say. (...) I have not pleaded guilty, and I do not plead guilty, so the verdict will be appealed," Kurlianskis said.

Earlier in the day, the Lithuanian Court of Appeal and sentenced all the defendants in this case, including Eligijus Masiulis, the former leader of the Liberal Movement party, and Vytautas Gapsys, a member of the Labor Party.

Last year, the Vilnius Regional Court acquitted all the defendants in this case.

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Verdict bars Lithuanian Labor Party from elections – leader

VILNIUS, Nov 22, BNS – Andrius Mazuronis, chairman of the Lithuanian Labor Party, said on Wednesday that he does not understand the Court of Appeal's verdict against the party and its member Vytautas Gapsys, adding that the sentence effectively bars his party from running in next year's elections. 

"While court decisions should be respected, I don't understand this one and don't accept it as fair," Mazuronis told BNS.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Court of Appeal overturned the ruling of the first instance court and convicted all defendants in a high-profile political corruption case involving MG Grupe, one of Lithuania's biggest business groups formerly known as MG Baltic.

The court imposed a fine of 400,000 euros on the Labor Party as a legal entity.  

According to Mazuronis, for a party that receives small grants from the state budget, this means a halt to its political activities.

"I believe that both our party and the Liberal Movement (...) are prevented from taking part in the upcoming elections," he said.

The Labor Party and Gapsys were convicted of bribery and influence peddling. The discounts granted by MG Grupe's TV stations for the Labor Party's political advertising and support for Meno ir Sporto Projektai (Art and Sport Projects), a limited liability public legal entity, were deemed as bribes.

According to law-enforcement, Gapsys acted in the interests of MG Grupe in exchange for a 27,100-euro bribe.

"I find such a court decision completely incomprehensible, when people are sent to prison for negotiating what they are appointed for as heads of the electoral staff," said Mazuronis.

The court sentenced Gapsys to four and a half years of actual imprisonment.

Mazuronis described the verdict as "dictated by society."

"It is incomprehensible to me how a court of first instance, given the same factual circumstances, (...) passes a radically different verdict than a court of second instance," the politician said, referring to last year's ruling by Vilnius Regional Court to acquit the defendants in the political corruption case.

The chairman said they will appeal the Court of Appeal's judgment to the Supreme Court of Lithuania.

"Politicians have become scapegoats for pressure from the judiciary and society," he said. "It's unfortunate that the judicial system in Lithuania is unable to resist pressure from high-level politicians or society." 

The Labor Party's council plans to discuss the situation on Wednesday evening. 

 

By Saulius Jakučionis

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Lithuania's top court sentences all defendants in high-profile political corruption case (further expands)

(updates throughout; updated amounts of fines)

VILNIUS, Nov 22, BNS - The Lithuanian Court of Appeal on Wednesday changed the ruling of the court of first instance and sentenced all the defendants in a high profile political corruption case, with some of them getting prison terms.

They were all sentenced for giving and accepting bribes, and influence peddling.

Raimondas Kurlianskis, a former vice-president of MG Baltic (now MG Grupe), was sentenced to six years in prison and was fined almost 19,000 euros, and Eligijus Masiulis, a former leader of the Liberal Movement, was issued a prison sentence of five years and six months.

Another defendant in this case, Vytautas Gapsys of the Labor Party, was also found guilty and sentenced to four years and six months in jail.

MG Grupe, the Liberal Movement and the Labor Party were fined over 1.1 million euros, almost 377,00 euros and more than 301,000 euros respectively.

Former Liberals Sarunas Gustainis and Gintaras Steponavicius were fined almost 19,000 and over 15,000 euros respectively. The latter was convicted of abuse of power as there was no evidence of bribery.

Commenting on the imposed fines, Judge Albinas Bielskis said that the court took into account the nature, quantity and gravity of the offenses. 

'Fragmented' approach to evidence 

The Court of Appeal's judgement becomes final on the day it is issued, but it can still be appealed to the Lithuanian Supreme Court.

Commenting on the ruling, Bielskis said that Kurlianskis and the politicians had a long-standing and fairly close relationship.

"During the periods when the offences in this case were committed, systematic meetings between Kurlianskis and the above-mentioned members of the Seimas were recorded, which were usually initiated by Kurlianskis. And he did so intentionally as the meeting would take place at the time when political issues important for the MG Baltic group were being discussed by the Seimas or other state or municipal institutions," the judge said.

The MPs "willingly accepted" these invitations to meet, he added.

According to the case materials, bribes were given to politicians both in the form of cash or donations to public establishments, and even an invitation to appear on a TV program was deemed bribery. The Court of Appeal also found that a bottle of vodka and a bottle box containing money were also bribes given to Masiulis.

In Bielskis' words, contrary to the lower court, the Court of Appeal established a causal link between the "requests of a corrupt nature made by Kurlianskis to Masiulis during the meetings" and the bribe paid in return.

The judge said that the Court of Appeal re-examined the entirety of the evidence,

According to Bielskis, the court of first instance "assessed the evidence in the case in a fragmented and selective manner, without placing it in the overall context of the events, and failing take into account the close relationship between Kurlianskis and Masiulis".

"This (...) led to unfounded and incorrect conclusions by the regional court," he said. 

Vilnius Regional Court last year acquitted the defendants in the political corruption case.

A seven-year process

Lithuania's law enforcement authorities informed the public about the searches and arrests in the case on May 12, 2016.

On that day, Masiulis announced his resignation as leader of the Liberal Movement, and he also stepped down as an MP.

According to the case-file, 242,400 euros, 130 pounds and 1,600 US dollars were found during the searches of Masiulis' home in May 2016. 

The Court of Appeal found that the legitimate income of Masiulis and his former wife was insufficient to justify the money found.

Gapsys also announced his resignation from the parliament after he was notified about suspicions brought against him by law enforcement authorities at a later stage of the pre-trial investigation, but he was later re-elected.

Gustainis was expelled from the party while he was still had the status of a special witness in the case, and he also resigned from the Vilnius City Council.

Steponavicius, who was also questioned as a special witness in the case, suspended his party membership. He did not run for parliament in 2020.

MG Grupe is one of the largest manufacturing, trading, real estate and media groups in Lithuania.

Opened more than seven years ago, the political corruption case destroyed the politicians' careers and the Liberal Movement's chances to win the Seimas election in 2016.

Gapsys has received his second conviction after he was previously convicted in the so-called Labor Party fraudulent bookkeeping case.

 

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Lithuanian parlt speaker proposes abolishing employment quotas for foreigners

VILNIUS, Nov 22, BNS - Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen and members of her Liberal Movement party's political group in the parliament have proposed abolishing the existing employment quotas for foreigners.

The amendments to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens propose abolishing the annual quotas for the employment of foreigners and to exempt foreigners whose profession is included in the list of professions that are in short supply in Lithuania from the obligation to obtain a work permit.

The lawmakers propose removing the article on the establishment and use of quotas, according to which an annual quota is established for foreigners coming to work in Lithuania in line with the list of professions in short supply, approved by the social security and labor minister in agreement with the interior minister.

"This was a decision made by the previous ruling block and opposed by both employers and migration experts. It was allegedly aimed at protecting Lithuania's labor market. However, in practice, such a system has only created unnecessary bureaucratic burden and additional costs for employers and the state," Cmilyte-Nielsen was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Seimas press service.

Under the existing rules, foreigners who plan to work in Lithuania are required to obtain a work permit once the annual quota is exhausted, even if there is a shortage of workers of that specific profession.

The Seimas speaker points out that such professions are included in the list because there is a shortage of these workers in the local market, but they do not automatically enter the labor market after the foreigners' quota is exhausted.

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Lithuania: Masiulis vows to appeal after being sentenced for corruption

VILNIUS, Nov 22, BNS – Eligijus Masiulis, the former leader of Lithuania's Liberal Movement, vows to appeal his conviction after the Lithuanian Court of Appeal sentenced him to prison in a high-profile political corruption case on Wednesday.

"That's what the verdict is and it will be appealed to the Supreme Court," Masiulis told BNS on Wednesday after the Court of Appeal reversed the ruling of the court of first instance and convicted all the defendants in the political corruption case against MG Grupe (formerly known as MG Baltic). Masulis was sentenced to five years and six months in prison.

"We certainly see grounds for appealing to the Supreme Court, and those grounds are very serious. They stem, first of all, from the ruling of the court of first instance after it assessed in great detail every single fact in the case," Masiulis said. "We see both procedural violations and violations of the Law on Intelligence. There will certainly be more than one argument."

The former politician says no new relevant facts emerged during the Court of Appeal proceedings.

"In other words, the court looked into the same facts that were assessed by the regional court." Masiulis said. "I feel a bit puzzled that courts in the same country are able to assess the same facts so radically differently."

The verdict of the Court of Appeal enters into force immediately on the day of its publication, but can still be appealed to the Supreme Court of Lithuania.

Speaking with BNS, Ramunas Matonis, spokesman for the Police Department, said that although the court's verdict was final, it would be enforced upon receipt of the order, which could take up to several days.

Raimondas Kurlianskis, a former vice-president of MG Baltic (now MG Grupe), was sentenced to six years in prison. Another defendant in this case, Vytautas Gapsys of the Labor Party, was also found guilty and sentenced to four years and six months. The two were also issued fines.

MG Grupe, the Liberal Movement and the Labor Party were fined 1.1 million, 377,000 and 301,000 euros respectively.

Former Liberals Sarunas Gustainis and Gintaras Steponavicius also received substantial fines.

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Lithuania will have drone capabilities within its defense system in 2024 – chair

VILNIUS, Nov 22, BNS - The lessons of the war in Ukraine have been learnt, and next year the Lithuanian defense system will already have drone capabilities, Laurynas Kasciunas, chair of the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense, says.

"I feel that lessons have been learnt from the Ukrainian war, and drone capabilities are being planned and purchased. Next year, we will already have clear drone capabilities within our defense system," he told reporters at the Seimas on Wednesday after the CNSD's closed-door meeting, held to review military acquisitions.

In his words, anti-drone systems will be acquired "over the upcoming years" and they will allow neutralizing higher-level drones, like the ones now being used by Russia in its war against Ukraine.

The systems purchased by Lithuania will be able to perform both intelligence and offensive functions, Kasciunas pointed out.

In December, the Lithuanian Defense Materiel Agency signed a contract to buy Switchblade 600 combat drones from the US administration.

At the time, the Defense Ministry said drone launch and control equipment will be bought together with drones, as well as a simulator for personnel training and a maintenance package. The total value of the contract is around 45 million euros.

Almost 13 million euros are allocated in next year's budget bill for the acquisition of drones and anti-drone systems. In total, the Defense Ministry plans 954 million euros worth of acquisitions next year, and the sum includes the temporary bank solidarity levy.

The Defense Ministry said on Wednesday Lithuania is buying weaponry for the army under a clear long-term vision.

"Today, Lithuania prioritizes the development of five highest-priority capabilities: the Lithuanian army's land maneuver, air defense, indirect fire support and intelligence capabilities, as well as the improvement of individual soldiers' equipment and the conditions for soldiers, and the development of infrastructure," the ministry said, adding that light weapons, armored vehicles, drones and artillery systems are being procured in line with these priorities.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Lithuania sends 3 mln rounds of ammo, remote detonation systems to Ukraine

VILNIUS, Nov 22, BNS – Lithuania has handed over 3 million rounds of ammunition, remote detonation systems and winter equipment to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

"Our commitment to Ukraine remains steadfast. When forming our aid packages, we are responding to Ukraine's key needs and priorities," Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said in a press release. 

"By providing ammunition, remote detonation systems and equipment for harsh winter conditions, we are tangibly strengthening Ukraine's resilience against Russian aggression," he added.

The Lithuanian Armed Forces delivered the new military aid package to the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Wednesday, according to the press release.

This follows the delivery of power generators last week, and NASAMS launchers at the start of the month. 

According to the ministry, Lithuania "also provides active training assistance to the Ukrainian military, takes in injured service members for medical care, arranges expert consultations and contributes financially to international funds of assistance to Ukraine". 

In total, Lithuania has provided military assistance worth around half a billion euros to Ukraine so far, it said.

 

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Lithuanian MP Gapsys to appeal prison sentence in political corruption case

VILNIUS, Nov 22, BNS – Lithuanian MP Vytautas Gapsys said on Wednesday that he is already preparing a cassation appeal against the prison sentence handed down to him in the so-called MG Grupe political corruption case. 

"I am already working on my cassation appeal, so I am focusing on this activity," Gapsys told BNS.

"I will make my comments and answer the questions tomorrow before the plenary session," he added. 

Earlier on Wednesday, the Court of Appeal reversed the ruling of the first instance court and convicted all defendants in the high-profile political corruption case centering around MG Grupe (former MG Baltic), one of Lithuania's biggest business groups.

Gapsys was sentenced to four years and six months in prison. The MP, along with his Labor Party, was convicted of accepting a bribe from Raimondas Kurlianskis, a former MG Baltic vice-president.

The discounts granted by the group's TV stations for the Labor Party's political advertising and support for Meno ir Sporto Projektai (Art and Sport Projects), a limited liability public legal entity, were deemed as bribes.

According to law-enforcement, Gapsys acted in the interests of MG Grupe in exchange for a 27,100-euro bribe.

Other defendants in the case were sentenced to imprisonment and fines of thousands of euros.

 

 

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Lithuanian, South Korean PMs discuss bilateral ties, cooperation

VILNIUS, Nov 22, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte and her South Korean counterpart Han Duck-soo discussed bilateral relations and the potential for developing economic cooperation over the phone on Wednesday.

The two leaders also discussed the importance of supporting Ukraine, the Lithuanian government's office said in a press release.

"Without the privilege of a safe neighborhood, our countries are well aware of the importance of strengthening cooperation between democracies," it quoted Simonyte as saying. 

"We are pleased with the intensified contacts and the dialogue between like-minded people, and we hope that this is just the beginning of even closer ties between Lithuania and South Korea," she said.

The Lithuanian prime minister emphasized that as the partnership between the countries strengthens, it is important to fill it with specific business, investment and other projects, according to the press release.

South Korea's bid to host the EXPO 2030 world exhibition in the city of Busan was also presented during the conversation, it said.

 

 

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Lithuanian Supreme Court rejects prosecutor's appeals in Real IRA suspects' cases

VILNIUS, Nov 22, BNS – The statute of limitations for the prosecution of two Irish citizens accused of terrorism offences had expired before their cases were referred to court for trial, the Lithuanian Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday. 

Its judgement is final and not subject to appeal.  

The three-judge panel ruled that the lower courts applied the law correctly when they terminated the cases due to the statute of limitations.

The prosecutor's cassation appeals in both cases were dismissed.

The Vilnius Regional Court in September 2022 decided to close the criminal proceedings brought against Liam Campbell, one of the Irishmen, on charges of attempting to provide support to the Real IRA terrorist group.

The same court also dropped the case against Brendan McGuigan, the other Irishman charged with terrorist offences. 

The Lithuanian Court of Appeal last January dismissed the prosecutor's appeals against the Vilnius court's rulings and stated that the applicable statute of limitations had elapsed on January 22, 2018, before the criminal cases were sent to court. 

The prosecutor challenged the lower courts' conclusion that the statute of limitations for the passing of a judgement of conviction was 10 years.

According to the prosecutor, the 15-year statute of limitations should have been applied, but since this period expired during the hearing of the cases before the Court of Appeal, the criminal proceedings should be discontinued.

Judge Arturas Ridikas of the Supreme Court said that the statute of limitations should be calculated according to the version of the Criminal Code that was in force at the time the offense was committed.

Therefore, the Supreme Court held that the ten-year statute of limitations was applicable to the cases. 

The offences the Irishmen were charged with dated between 2006 and 2008.

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

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

Lithuanian and foreign law enforcement officials suspected that a group of Irish citizens, including the Campbell brothers, between November 2006 and January 2007 sought to acquire arms in Lithuania for the terrorist group. 

At least three firearms, a large quantity of ammunition of high explosive power, explosives, explosive materials, submachine guns, sniper rifles, pistols, grenade launchers, cartridges, detonators, grenades and other items could have been illegally purchased in Lithuania, according to the case-file.

The acquired weapons were to be smuggled to Ireland and the terrorist group's members were to be trained in Lithuania to use them, with 100,000 euros provided for the purpose.

 

By Ingrida Steniulienė

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, November 23, 2023

VILNIUS, Nov 22, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, November 23, 2023: 

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to open the Transport Innovation Forum at the Litexpo Exhibition Centre at 9 a.m.; to attend an event marking the Lithuanian Armed Forces Day at 10 a.m.; to meet with Vilnius District Mayor Robert Duchnevic at 11:45, to be followed by comments to the media at 1:15 p.m. 

The SEIMAS to hold plenary sittings starting at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

The Seimas to host at 9:30 an international conference on "The situation of young researchers in the Baltic States: Development or waste of future scientific potential?", preceded by a news conference at 9 a.m. 

The Labor Party's political group to meet with FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis at 1 p.m.  

PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to participate in the so-called "government hour" at the Seimas at noon.

CULTURE MINISTER Simonas Kairys to attend a meeting of EU culture ministers in Brussels.

OTHER EVENTS

Vilnius officials to hold a news conference at 10 a.m. to present the program for the festive period in the capital.

 

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LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Twelve irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
2. Germany's Rheinmetall considers building plant in Lithuania (media)
3. Lithuania reports 58 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
4. Full division in Lithuania unachievable until 2035 with current funding – defense chief 
5. No explosives found at Kaunas, Vilnius Airports
6. Universal draft may become irrelevant for Lithuania in future – defense chief 
7. Lithuania picks Jarukaitis as candidate for CJEU judges, Norkus for advocate general
8. Two men damage Belarusian border barrier while trying to let 10 migrants into Lithuania
9. Lithuanian formin endorses conclusion on Matulonis' misconduct, no penalty
10. Fines recovered in Lithuania for sanction non-compliance to be used to rebuild Ukraine
11. Hoax bomb threat targets Lithuania's Kaunas hydro power plant 
12. New bomb threats in Lithuania not linked to earlier cyber attack – center 
13. NATO jets in Baltics scrambled 4 times over Russian aircraft last week
14. 25 pct of Lithuanians feel anxiety, stress caused by wars in Ukraine, Israel
15. Agreement on Lithuania's EUR 1 mln contribution to EBRD trust fund signed 
16. Lithuanian govt proposes allocating extra EUR 157 mln for roads next year
17. Lithuania allocates EUR 1 mln to Ukraine via to EBRD trust fund
18. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, November 21, 2023

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

VILNIUS, Nov 20, 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 Monday morning.

Latvia reported 36 attempts at illegal border crossings on Sunday, and 29 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Saturday, according to the latest available information.

A total of 2,473 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 over 21,800 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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Germany's Rheinmetall considers building plant in Lithuania (media)

VILNIUS, Nov 20, BNS – Germany's arms manufacturer Rheinmetall AG is considering building a factory in Lithuania, LNK News reported on Friday.

Rheinmetall AG top executives visited Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte on Friday. 

Neither the company nor Simonyte commented on the meeting, which had been announced on her official agenda.

Laurynas Kasciunas, chairman of the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense, says that Rheinmetall AG is considering building a production facility in Lithuania.

"As far as I know, Germany's Rheinmetall company is interested in the possibility of developing a certain capacity in Lithuania, a production capacity," he told LNK.

Kasciunas believes that the establishment of the company's factory in Lithuania would be in line with Lithuania's national defense interests, reducing its dependency on supply chains.

Rheinmetall AG is a key supplier of tanks, armored vehicles and other equipment to European armies and is among the world's leading ammunition manufacturers.

There is no doubt that the Germans' interest in investing in Lithuania is driven by the planned deployment of a German military brigade in the country.

Economy and Innovation Minister Ausrine Armonaite says that a number of foreign arms manufacturers have recently shown interest in investing in Lithuania.

 

By Ingrida Steniulienė

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Lithuania reports 58 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths

VILNIUS, Nov 20, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 58 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 edged down to 282.2 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 32.9 percent.

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals stands at 122, including 11 ICU cases. 

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. 

Two-thirds of the country's population have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab so far, according to the statistics.

 

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Full division in Lithuania unachievable until 2035 with current funding – defense chief 

VILNIUS, Nov 20, BNS – If Lithuania maintains its current defense funding, it could have a full army division by 2035, five years later than planned now, according to Chief of Defense General Valdemaras Rupsys. 

"I'll be realistic – with the current funding, it is the year 2035," Rupsys told BNS in an interview. 

"By 2035, it is possible that we could reach full combat capability, but I am optimistic that politicians really understand the importance of having that (division), so the funding will increase," he said. 

The general said that without an increase in funding, the creation of the division "will take time and time is not our ally".

According to the chief of defense, Lithuania should earmark higher defense spending in its budgets for the next few years in order to have the military unit fully ready by 2030.

"In 2030, we could declare it as a combat division on NATO's capabilities list. Now we will declare it earlier, too, but we will seek assistance from Western countries, our allies, to support us with certain capabilities," Rupsys said. 

"Of course, to be absolutely fair, after 2030 we will not have attack helicopters which normally support a division, (...) but the fact is that the division as a unit will be operational," he added.

The allied capabilities mentioned by the chief of defense could include long-range artillery, missile artillery and reconnaissance units.

Some experts say Lithuania should spend at least 3 percent of its GDP on defense. The government currently suggests allocating 2.71 percent of GDP to defense in 2024, with 2.52 percent coming from the state budget, and the rest from the so-called "solidarity contributions" by banks, intended solely for financing infrastructure for hosting allied troops. 

The president-chaired State Defense Council in early May approved the proposal to create a division in the Lithuanian Armed Forces. 

The military confirmed in April that they already had about three-quarters of the capabilities needed for the division and planned to acquire more military equipment in the near future. 

It was thought earlier that the division's maneuver units would be formed on the basis of the Iron Wolf and Zemaitija infantry brigades and the Aukstaitija reserve light infantry brigade.

Rupsys says, however, that the structure of the division is being reviewed because the weapons and ammunition previously earmarked for the Aukstaitija brigade have been sent to Ukraine to support the country that is fighting back against Russia's military aggression.

According to the general, the current plan is that "an allied brigade would at some point" serve as the third brigade of the division.

"Looking at the medium-term acquisition plans, we don't see the prospect that by 2030, we will have the necessary weapons for our Aukstaitija brigade," he said. 

A division is a military unit made up of several brigades. The military say Lithuania's division would consist of some 17,000-18,000 troops.

 

 

By Saulius Jakučionis, Augustas Stankevičius

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No explosives found at Kaunas, Vilnius Airports

VILNIUS, Nov 20, BNS – No explosives have been found in the common areas of Kaunas and Vilnius Airports following a report earlier on Monday about explosives allegedly planted at the two airports.

An anonymous bomb threat was received by telephone after 8 a.m., according to Lietuvos Oro Uostai (Lithuanian Airports, LTOU), the airport operator in Lithuania, on Monday.

The company reported at around 9.30 a.m. that check-in continued, passengers were allowed back into the terminal after the situation was assessed, a detailed check of the common areas of Kaunas Airport was carried out and no explosives were found.

Approximately 100 passengers were temporarily evacuated from the airport. According to the company, no flights were delayed or cancelled.

Around 10 a.m. LTOU also informed that no explosives had been found in Vilnius as well, check-in also continues here and passengers are being allowed into the terminals.

LTOU says the situation will likely affect the departure of two flights – to Helsinki and Warsaw – in Vilnius, but is unlikely to affect Kaunas Airport.

An anonymous person also warned about an allegedly planted bomb at Vilnius Airport on November 15 but no explosives were later found.

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Universal draft may become irrelevant for Lithuania in future – defense chief 

VILNIUS, Nov 20, BNS – Chief of Defense General Valdemaras Rupsys believes that Lithuania may have to focus on training officers rather than a reserve of privates in the future, which could make universal conscription irrelevant.

According to Rupsys, the experience of Ukraine, which is fighting back against Russia's military aggression, shows that it is possible to train privates for combat quite quickly even during a conflict.

"Generally speaking, I think that the training of commanders and having an adequate number in the active reserve is essential," the chief of defense told BNS in an interview. "As Ukraine shows, it is easier to train privates quickly." 

"When it comes to reserve training, (...) I'd say that we are now putting a lot of emphasis on the private. However, wars, especially the war in Ukraine, reveal a shortage of non-commissioned officers and officers. In war, there is a huge need for them, both in terms of numbers and qualifications," he said.

Lithuania reintroduced partial military conscription in the spring of 2015 amid security concerns following Russia's annexation of Crimea. Up to 4,000 conscripts are called up for mandatory military service annually. 

Last summer, the Defense Ministry proposed to reform conscription to make it more flexible and increase the annual number of draftees to around 5,000.

President Gitanas Nauseda, the ruling conservatives and some other politicians are calling for universal conscription, but the idea does not enjoy broad support.

Supporters of universal conscription say it would increase the number of citizens ready to take up arms to defend the country and would reduce inequality, but critics argue that it makes more sense to invest in modernizing the professional army.

According to Rupsys, with universal military service, if only adult men were conscripted, their number could reach up to 7,000 per year.

In his words, this would be possible, but training conscripts would be a bigger challenge than the underdeveloped infrastructure, as the Lithuanian Armed Forces would not have enough non-commissioned officers and officers to train them.

"Let me put it this way: if it were decided now to immediately implement a universal conscription model, (...) it would be at the expense of quality," the general said.

Lithuania faced a similar challenge in 2015, when it reintroduced conscript service after a seven-year hiatus, he said.

 

By Saulius Jakučionis

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Lithuania picks Jarukaitis as candidate for CJEU judges, Norkus for advocate general

VILNIUS, Nov 20, BNS – A working group set up by the Lithuanian prime minister has picked Irmantas Jarukaitis as the country's candidate for judges of the Court of Justice of the European Union, and Rimvydas Norkus has been chosen as the candidate for advocate generals, the Justice Ministry said on Monday.

A total of two persons were contenders for CJEU candidates, and four sought to become an advocate general.

Besides Jarukaitis, who is already working at the CJEU, Mazvydas Michalauskas, a member of the Paris Bar Association, was the second contender.

And the contenders for advocate generals also included Gintautas Bartkus, a former justice minister and now a lawyer, partner and head of Bartkus & Partners, a specialized law firm, as well as Laurynas Didziulis, Michalauskas and Rimvydas Norkus, the former president of the Supreme Court of Lithuania and now a judge at the General Court of the European Union.

Following interviews with the contender, the working group drew up lists of candidates who meet the requirements for judges and advocates general of the CJEU. The short-listed candidates were those who scored at least eight out of ten.

"Irmantas Jarukaitis has been included in the list of candidates for CJEU judges. Rimvydas Norkus has been included in the list of candidates for advocats general of the CJEU," the statement says.

The lists have been submitted to Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte. After assessing the nominations, she will submit a reasoned proposal to the government on these candidates.

With the president's approval, the government will further consult the Seimas on the nomination of the selected candidates.

Under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the judges and advocates general of the CJEU are appointed by common accord of the governments of member states for a term of office of six years, after consultation of a statutory committee.

The CJEU is made up of 27 judges and 11 advocates general, appointed by common accord of member states for a term of six years.

The court monitors the legality of acts of EU institutions, ensures that member states comply with their obligations under the treaties and interprets EU law at the request of national courts.

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Two men damage Belarusian border barrier while trying to let 10 migrants into Lithuania

VILNIUS, Nov 20, BNS - Two men damaged the physical barrier on the Lithuanian border with Belarus at the Puskai frontier station on Saturday and tried to let 10 illegal migrants into Lithuania, the State Border Guard Service said on Monday.

The men were spotted through the surveillance system. They were wearing camouflage clothing and masks, and cut the concertina and fence and then called ten migrants who were nearby and fled back to Belarus themselves.

One migrant who had managed to enter Lithuania escaped back when Lithuanian border guards arrived, while the other nine had not entered Lithuanian through the damaged barrier. All ten irregular migrants fled to Belarus.

In total, 85 attempts to deliberately damage the physical barrier have been recorded by the SBGS this year, compared to 467 such cases last year.

This year, Lithuanian border guards have prevented a total of 2,473 irregular migrants from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated locations.

More than 21,800 migrants have been refused entry from Belarus since August 3, 2021 when Lithuanian border guards were given the right to turn irregular migrants away. Some of them have tried to enter Lithuania more than once. 

The influx of migrants from Belarus to the EU's eastern member states started in 2021 and the West blames the Minsk regime for it. Almost 4,200 migrants entered Lithuania illegally from Belarus at the time, but most of them have left the country since movement restrictions were lifted.

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Lithuanian formin endorses conclusion on Matulonis' misconduct, no penalty

VILNIUS, Nov 20, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has endorsed the conclusion issued by a commission set up by the Foreign Ministry on the misconduct of the country's ambassador to NATO, Deividas Matulionis, and the diplomat will not be disciplined.

"The minister has accepted the inquiry commission's conclusions on Deividas Matulionis' possible misconduct," Paulina Levickyte, spokeswoman for the foreign minister, told BNS on Monday.

Last week, the commission concluded that Matulionis had committed official misconduct when he failed to follow instructions during the NATO summit in Vilnius. The commission, however, decided not to recommend any disciplinary sanction as "in the context of the outcome of the NATO summit, it is difficult to assess the damage caused to the state".

Approached by BNS, the diplomat refrained to comment on the situation at the time.

The delfi.lt news website reported in August that the investigation had been launched due to concerns that the diplomat might have failed to adhere to the mandate given by the state authorities, potentially weakening Lithuania's negotiating position during the talks on the Vilnius summit's documents. The probe centered around Matulionis' actions during the negotiations on the NATO communiqué and the wording on the deployment of the German brigade in Lithuania. 

President Gitanas Nauseda has said that he has confidence in the ambassador, emphasizing the complexity of the talks during the NATO summit in Vilnius.

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Fines recovered in Lithuania for sanction non-compliance to be used to rebuild Ukraine

VILNIUS, Nov 20, BNS - Fines received for non-compliance with the existing international and national sanctions will be transferred to the Development Cooperation Fund and allocated for the reconstruction of Ukraine, Lithuanian lawmakers have decided.

According to their adopted amendment, the fund will receive fines and confiscated assets for non-compliance with the existing international or national sanctions. The amendment also states that these funds will be used for support exclusively related to the reconstruction and restoration of Ukraine following Russian aggression.

This amendment will remain in force for a decade, until January 2034.

"The goal is for Lithuania to make a united contribution to Ukraine's reconstruction and to demonstrate its firm commitment to support Ukraine in the face of Russia's aggression," Foreign Vice Minister Jovita Neliupsiene said when presenting the bill to the Seimas.

According to the Code of Administrative Offenses, violators of the existing international sanctions or restrictive measures imposed by Lithuanian law face fines ranging between 200 and 6,000 euros.

The damage caused by Russia in Ukraine is estimated at 700 billion euros, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Some 1,473 Russian and Belarusian citizens and 207 entities are now subject to the existing EU sanctions. They have already led to the freezing of 215 billion euros worth of assets in EU member states, as well as the immobilization of around 300 billion euros worth of assets of the Central Bank of Russia in the EU and G7 countries.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Hoax bomb threat targets Lithuania's Kaunas hydro power plant 

VILNIUS, Nov 20, BNS – An anonymous call that explosives have been planted at Kaunas Hydro Power Plant, one of Lithuania's strategically important facilities, proved to be a hoax on Monday. 

The caller told the police at just after 11 a.m. that the plant would explode at 1 p.m. 

"Officers and colleagues from the Public Security Service checked the accesses and internal premises, and found no suspicious items," Kaunas police spokeswoman Odeta Vaitkeviciene told BNS.

On Monday morning, the police received false calls about explosives at Kaunas and Vilnius airports. Last week, a bomb threat targeting the capital's airport also proved to be a hoax.   

 

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New bomb threats in Lithuania not linked to earlier cyber attack – center 

VILNIUS, Nov 20, BNS – Lithuania's National Crisis Management Center (NCMC) said on Monday that new hoax bomb threats do not appear to be linked to last month's cyber attack where false threats were emailed to various institutions across the country.

"The pattern of false bomb threats is slightly different this time, as is the form. They are received through voice calls or automated voice calls, rather than emails," the NCMC told reporters.

"There are currently no clear indications that this is a continued attack," it said.   

According to the center, services are responding to the threats and managing the situation. 

"Currently, recipients of such threats are recommended to call 112 and follow the instructions of the officers," it said in the comment. 

The police are conducting a pre-trial investigation and trying to identify the callers making the threats.

On Monday, the police received false calls about explosives at Kaunas Hydro Power Plant and at Kaunas and Vilnius airports. Last week, a bomb threat targeting the capital's airport also proved to be a hoax.   

A month ago, thousands of hoax bomb threats were emailed to schools, kindergartens and municipal buildings across Lithuania. Latvia and Estonia were also flooded with similar emails. None of the bomb threats turned out to be real.

 

By Augustas Stankevičius

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NATO jets in Baltics scrambled 4 times over Russian aircraft last week

VILNIUS, Nov 20, BNS – NATO's fighter jets policing Baltic airspace were last week scrambled four times to identify and escort Russian aircraft flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea in violation of flight rules, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

NATO's jets intercepted an IL-20 attack aircraft on November 9, an IL-20 on two occasions on November 15, and an IL-20 again on November 17. An AN-26 transport plane was also identified during the November 17 scramble.    

Most of the Russian aircraft had not filed flight plans and some were not using their onboard transponders. All of them were in radio contact with the Regional Traffic Control Center. 

The NATO Baltic air policing mission is carried out from air bases in Lithuania and Estonia.

 

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25 pct of Lithuanians feel anxiety, stress caused by wars in Ukraine, Israel

VILNIUS, Nov 20, BNS – The percentage of people in Lithuania who feel anxiety and stress has increased from 20 percent last spring to 25 percent, mainly because of the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Israel, according to the latest general index of emotional health, published in Lithuania for a second time this year.

Carried out by Spinter Tyrimai for the visipsichologai.lt platform, the survey showed that the share of people experiencing a slight increase in negative emotions decreased from 44 to 40 percent, bringing the overall rate of those experiencing emotional challenges almost unchanged at 65 percent.

According to the report, the overall rate of people feeling bad has been at 87 percent since the twice-yearly index of the public's emotional well-being was launched in the spring of 2022. A slight improvement was recorded last spring when index dropped to 64 percent. However, the curve started going up again this fall.

"This fall, the most common reasons for increased tension, anxiety or stress are the Russian war in Ukraine, the new war in Israel, the Gaza Strip and other unrest in the world. As many as 39 percent of respondents cited this reason, while the war was a source of negative emotions for 17 percent of the population last spring," Paulius Tamulionis, the head of Visipsichologai.lt, said.

Work and work-related problems is second reason for stress and anxiety as 19 percent currently feel tension, stress and anxiety at work, a slight change from last spring (22 percent).

The rise in inflation is the third reason as 14 percent cited it as the cause of their anxiety, up from 13 percent six months ago, followed by financial worries and poverty (10 percent, unchanged from last spring).

The survey shows that younger respondents (25-35 years old) are more likely to worry and feel more stressed, while people without a secondary education are the least likely to worry and feel stressed.

The survey involved 1,016 respondents aged between 18 and 75.

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Agreement on Lithuania's EUR 1 mln contribution to EBRD trust fund signed 

VILNIUS, Nov 20, BNS – Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste and Mark Bowman, Vice-President for Policy and Partnerships at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), signed in Vilnius on Monday an agreement on Lithuania's 1-million-euro contribution to the bank's trust fund.     

The EBRD Action for Equality and Gender Fund's Ukraine Program aims to create a business environment and develop human capital to enable employment opportunities for war veterans, people with disabilities and others affected by Russia's war in Ukraine.

Skaiste and Bowman also discussed the EBRD's investments in Lithuania and the bank's role in providing assistance to Ukraine.

 

 

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Lithuanian govt proposes allocating extra EUR 157 mln for roads next year

VILNIUS, Nov 20, BNS – The Lithuanian government has tentatively agreed to allocate an extra 157 million euros for roads next year as some politicians, road workers and the presidential office propose suggest allocating more money for roads in the 2024 state budget.

The extra funding would be allocated to two projects – the reconstruction of the Vilnius-Utena road and the Via Baltica section from Marijampole to the Polish border, ministers agreed at an informal meeting on Monday, the Transport and Communications Ministry told to BNS.

The final decision will be made by the government on Wednesday, and it will then be submitted to the Seimas.

The reconstruction of the Vilnius-Utena road would cost an additional 40 million euros, and the money is expected to come from an increase in the heavy vehicle toll (vignettes). 

In addition, ministers agreed to step up EU investment in strategic road projects, in particular the Via Baltica section from Marijampole to the Polish border, which would receive an additional 117 million euros next year, Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste told BNS on Monday.

So far, EU funding for roads has been set at 41.8 million euros euros.

Last week, the parliamentary Committee on Budget and Finance Committee proposed to the government to consider allocating additional funding for the Road Maintenance and Development Program in the 2024 state budget.

Initially, next year's draft state budget earmarked 715.5 million euros for roads from three sources, and the amount will now go up to 872 million euros.

By Valdas Pryšmantas, Giedrius Gaidamavičius

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuania allocates EUR 1 mln to Ukraine via to EBRD trust fund

VILNIUS, Nov 20, BNS – Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste and Mark Bowman, Vice-President for Policy and Partnerships at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, signed in Vilnius on Monday an agreement on Lithuania's 1-million-euro contribution to the bank's trust fund.

"This 1 million euros is part of Lithuania's broader strategy to support Ukraine to victory," Skaiste told reporters after the agreement was signed.

For his part, Bowman said Lithuania's contribution would allow the bank to continue helping Ukraine cope with the challenges posed by the Russian invasion.

"This fund is done by the critical will to support our investments in Ukraine as it is facing very significant challenges in terms of war force management, dealing with large numbers of refugees who have left the country and internally displaced people, and also with those mobilized for its all war efforts, in addition to the challenges of reintegrating veterans and disabled people," Bowman said.

According to the Finance Ministry, Lithuania is a third country to contribute to the fund, following earlier contributions from Japan and Taiwan. Lithuania is expected to transfer its 1 million euro contribution to the fund by the end of the year.

The EBRD has invested 208 million euros in Lithuania in 2022, Skaiste pointed out.

By Giedrius Gaidamavičius

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, November 21, 2023

VILNIUS, Nov 21, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Tuesday, November 21, 2023:

FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to attend a virtual G7+ format meeting on assistance to Ukraine.

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