LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Lithuanian Post fined EUR 184,500 for poor EU mail delivery
2. Twenty irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
3. OECD to present report on strengthening secondary education in Lithuania
4. Lithuania reports 608 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death
5. Lithuanian SocDems to name their presidential candidate in December – leader
6. New Danish defense attaché accredited to Lithuania
7. Expat Lithuanian reps believe in citizenship referendum success
8. Lithuania registers this year's 1st measles cases, all unvaccinated children 
9. Lithuania sends power generators, field beds, dry rations to Ukraine
10. Radioactive waste from Maisiagala to be moved to Lithuanian N-plant by year-end 

Lithuanian Post fined EUR 184,500 for poor EU mail delivery

VILNIUS, Nov 17, BNS – Lithuania's Communications Regulatory Authority has fined Lietuvos Pastas (Lithuanian Post), the country's state-owned post company, 184,500 euros for failing to meet quality indicators.

The authority states that the quality of international priority mail sent by Lietuvos Pastas between EU member states has been deteriorating over the last few years.

"The company has failed to ensure the delivery of international priority mail between EU countries within the set deadlines. As a result, this year we have imposed a fine for non-compliance with quality obligations in the international section," Jurate Soviene, chair of the CRA Council, said in a statement.

The CRA says that the average time it takes for mail to reach EU countries from Lithuania is 16 percent longer than from Poland, 43 percent longer than from Estonia and 49.5 percent longer than from Latvia.

Mail sent from Lithuanian to some EU countries, e.g. Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Romania, Spain, and around half a month to Cyprus, takes more than 10 days to reach addressees.

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

VILNIUS, Nov 17, BNS –  Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away 20 migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Friday morning.

Latvia reported 17 attempts at illegal border crossings on Thursday, and 71 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Wednesday, according to the latest available information.

A total of 2,428 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 21,700 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.

 

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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OECD to present report on strengthening secondary education in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Nov 17, BNS – The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) will present a report on strengthening secondary education in Lithuania at the parliament on Friday.

The report contains OECD experts' analysis of upper secondary education and the ongoing changes within it, the Education, Science and Sport Ministry has said.

The OECD experts looked at four main areas of change in secondary education: the implementation of the updated general curriculum framework, the reform of the Matura examinations, the effectiveness of career guidance, and the use of academic information.

Their recommendations focus on improving the flexibility of the Lithuanian education system, activating processes among different educational levels, improving the quality of education, and enhancing accessibility in both general education and vocational schools. 

The OECD report for Lithuania will be reviewed by Andreas Schleicher, the organization's director for education and skills.

 

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Lithuania reports 608 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 608 new coronavirus infections and one death from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Friday morning.

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals stands at 124, including seven ICU cases. 

The 14-day primary infection rate has risen further to 286.9 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 32.2 percent.

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

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

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

 

 

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Lithuanian SocDems to name their presidential candidate in December – leader

VILNIUS, Nov 17, BNS – The Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) will announce its presidential candidate in December, according to MEP Vilija Blinkeviciute, the party's leader, who has not yet said if she will run in next May's election.

"We, the Social Democrats, will nominate a candidate. Proposals from the branches are in, and our plan is to announce our decision on the presidential candidate in December. Everything is going according to plan," she told the Ziniu Radijas radio station on Friday. 

Blinkeviciute, who is proposed by most party branches as the LSDP presidential candidate, said that her decision on whether to run will be well thought out.

"I never make spontaneous decisions, because I have lived a long life and have been in politics for many years, and my decision will be very well measured and weighed," she said. 

Several LSDP braches have also proposes as candidates Nerijus Cesiulis, Juozas Olekas, Vytenis Andriukaitis, Julius Sabatauskas, Gintautas Paluckas, Liutauras Gudzinskas, Sarunas Birutis and Algirdas Sysas.

Opinion polls indicate that Gitanas Nauseda, the incumbent, is currently the clear favorite to win the presidential election scheduled for May 12. The other two top contenders are Ignas Vegele, a lawyer, and Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte.

The ruling conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (HU-LCD) has named Simonyte as the party's presidential candidate.  

Nauseda and Vegele have said they will announce their decisions on whether or not to run in the 2024 race later this year.

The Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union is fielding Aurelija Veryga, a former health minister and now an MP, in the presidential election. The Democratic Union "For Lithuania" has named Giedrimas Jeglinskas, a former deputy defense minister and NATO assistant secretary general, as its candidate, and the Freedom Party is nominating Dainius Zalimas, a former president of the Constitutional Court.

The Liberal Movement's branches propose to nominate Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, the party's leader and speaker of the parliament. She has said she will announce her decision later.

Valdas Tutkus, a former chief of defense, Mantas Varaska, the mayor of Kazlu Ruda, a town in southern Lithuania, and Antanas Kandrotas have also announced their intention to run for president. 

Kandrotas, known by the nickname Celofanas (Cellophane), is on trial in a criminal case concerning the August 2021 riot outside the Lithuanian parliament building. 

 

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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New Danish defense attaché accredited to Lithuania

VILNIUS, Nov 17, BNS - Denmark's new Defence Attaché to Lithuania, Captain (Naval) Visti Salomonsen, was accredited at the Lithuanian Defense Ministry on Friday. 

"Denmark and Lithuania share the same values, interests and approach to European security and defense. I would like to underline Denmark's continuous and significant contribution to the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission as Danish troops have been deployed as part of the emission eight occasions," Lithuanian Defense Vice Minister Greta Monika Tuckute said at the ceremony.

Outgoing attaché Colonel Niels Henrik Johansen was also awarded the Lithuanian National Defense System's Medal of Merit in recognition of his service, the ministry said.

Salomonsen joined the Danish army in 1993. Having been deployed Iraq, the Danish captain has been awarded numerous decorations.

According to the Defense Ministry, Denmark and Lithuania are members of several multilateral cooperation formats, such as the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), the North-Baltic-8 (NB8) and the Northern Group, the North-Baltic-US (NBUS).

The Danish officer is the head of the NATO Force Integration Unit, established in Lithuania in 2015, which is responsible for hosting the NATO response forces in Lithuania.

Denmark has also expressed its intention to join the Lithuanian-led demining coalition and it joined the Lithuanian-coordinated Cyber Rapid Response Teams project in August. There is also close cooperation between the two countries in providing assistance to Ukraine.

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Expat Lithuanian reps believe in citizenship referendum success

VILNIUS, Nov 17, BNS – Representatives of the Commission of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania and the Lithuanian World Community believe in the success of the upcoming referendum on multiple citizenship and see changes in its preparation, such as greater institutional involvement and support from the country's leaders.

"The difference we see from 2019 is the early preparation, i.e., the amended Law on Referendum, it has been announced earlier, which gives more time to inform the public. We see working groups both in the Seimas and in the government, action plans are being drawn up and implemented," Jonas Bruzas, chair of the parliamentary commission, told a press conference at the Seimas on Friday. "I think that the advance work is a major difference, compared to the last referendum, and I very much hope that it will successful."

The referendum on the legalization of multiple citizenship will take place on May 12, alongside the first round of the presidential election. Preparations for the referendum were discussed earlier this week by the Commission of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania and the Lithuanian World Community.

The commission adopted a resolution proposing that the Seimas and the government ensure that information about the referendum is disseminated as widely as possible, that the necessary funds are allocated for this purpose, and that the number of voters in Lithuania and abroad who have the right to vote in the referendum is specified. More than half of the citizens with the right to vote must vote in favor of multiple citizenship in the upcoming referendum for it to be legalized.

Dalia Henke, chair of the World Lithuanian Community, says the big difference from the 2019 referendum, when there were not enough votes to change the Constitution, and the upcoming referendum is the knowledge that a large part of the public supports the legalization of multiple citizenship, and state leaders back it too.

On 12 May, people will be invited to vote on the following provision of the Constitution: "Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania shall be acquired by birth and on other grounds and in the manner prescribed by the constitutional law. The constitutional law shall also lay down the grounds and procedure for loss of citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania."

This would remove the prohibition of dual citizenship from the country's basic law. 

The detailed conditions, procedures and other matters relating to the acquisition and loss of dual citizenship would be laid down by a constitutional law. A draft law has already been prepared and registered in the draft legislation database.

Lithuania held a referendum on dual citizen back in 2019 in conjunction with the presidential election and it sought to provide for more possibilities to have dual citizenship, but there were not enough votes for such a change. At that time, over 956,000 voters in total voted in favor of the proposed amendment.

Lithuanians who emigrated after the restoration of independence on March 11, 1990 are currently not eligible for dual citizenship, with some exceptions.

The Constitutional Court has clarified that only a referendum amending the Constitution can open the possibility of dual citizenship to Lithuanian citizens who have acquired citizenship of other countries since the restoration of Lithuania's independence.

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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Lithuania registers this year's 1st measles cases, all unvaccinated children 

VILNIUS, Nov 17, BNS – Lithuania's first three measles cases this year have been registered in the port city of Klaipeda, the National Public Health Center (NPHC) said on Friday. 

All the cases were children aged between 4 and 12 years who had not been vaccinated with the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine, it said.

According to the center, the highest incidence of measles in the country in the last decade was recorded in 2019, with 834 registered cases of the infectious disease.

Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, measles was diagnosed in two individuals. No cases were reported in 2021 and 2022.

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 1,331 measles cases were reported in 19 countries in Europe between January and September this year.

The NPHC notes that the drop in measles vaccination coverage to 90 percent during the pandemic, not only in Lithuania but also in other European countries, allowed measles to spread to unvaccinated children and adults.

Experts emphasize that achieving a 95 percent vaccination rate among the population is crucial to control measles. Otherwise, there is a real threat of measles outbreaks not only among children but also among adults.

 

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Lithuania sends power generators, field beds, dry rations to Ukraine

VILNIUS, Nov 17, BNS – Lithuania has sent a new shipment of power generators, field beds and dry rations to Ukraine, the Defense Ministry said on Friday.  

Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas says Lithuania purchased these items in response to Ukraine's urgent needs.

The 160 kW stationary diesel-powered electric generators are intended for generating electrical energy and ensuring its supply to installations in locations where there are no electrical supply lines or where the supply has been disrupted.

The generators have equipment that automatically switches on the generator engine when the electricity supply from the fixed electricity grid fails and turns it off when the electricity supply is restored.

The generators can run continuously for at least eight hours at full load and can be operated in temperatures ranging from -30 to +40 degrees Celsius.

Lithuania handed over a shipment of anti-drones and generators to Ukraine last Friday, and NASAMS launchers at the start of the month. 

According to the Defense Ministry, Lithuania's military aid sent to Ukraine earlier includes Mi-8 helicopters, L-70 anti-aircraft guns with ammunition, M113 armored personnel carriers, millions of rounds of ammunition, ammunition for grenade-launchers, and radar kits.

In addition, Lithuania is also training Ukrainian soldiers, providing medical treatment and rehabilitation to wounded Ukrainians, and expert advice, and contributing to international funds for assistance to the country which is fighting back against Russia's military aggression.

Lithuania has also drawn up a long-term support plan for Ukraine, providing for a new military aid package worth 200 million euros for the years 2024-2026.

According to the Defense Ministry, Lithuania's assistance package already provided to Ukraine totals more than 1 billion euros, or more than 1.2 percent of its GDP, with military aid making up a half of the amount.

 

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Radioactive waste from Maisiagala to be moved to Lithuanian N-plant by year-end 

VILNIUS, Nov 17, BNS – Radioactive waste from the decommissioned Maisiagala storage facility in the eastern Lithuanian district of Sirvintos is planned to be transported to the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) storage facilities by the end of the year, INPP CEO Linas Bauzys said on Friday.

"As soon as we receive the permits from the authorities, we immediately start (waste collection and removal). The aim is to complete all the removal work by the end of this year," he told BNS. 

According to him, 300 cubic meters of radioactive waste will be transported from the Maisiagala facility to the INPP. 

The so-called cold testing of the Maisiagala storage facility's waste management equipment and systems has already been carried out, the INPP, which is responsible for the safety of the facility, said on Friday. 

Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys says Lithuania will be the first in the world to dismantle such a facility in accordance with the highest international safety standards.

"Once all the waste has been removed from the storage facility and it has been confirmed that there are no contaminated structures and soil left on its grounds, the area will be returned to the public," he said in a press release. 

The government decided back in 2018 to decommission the Maisiagala facility, with an estimated 16 million euros in EU funds needed for the purpose.

The facility, a monolithic reinforced concrete basement, is located at a depth of three meters in a forest in Sirvintos District, some 7 kilometers northwest of the town of Maisiagala and about 30 kilometers from Vilnius. 

The facility was used to store unsorted radioactive waste collected from industrial enterprises, medical and scientific institutions, and military units between 1963 and 1989. 

It was closed and mothballed in 1989. 

 

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LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, November 16, 2023
2. Thirty-four irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
3. Lithuania would welcome Germany's decision to speed up brigade deployment – president
4. Lithuanian president to announce by mid-December if he'll run for re-election 
5. Northway Group set to launch construction of Bio City in Vilnius
6. Lithuanian transpmin calls Belaruskali arbitration claim 'normal procedure' 
7. Lithuania sees Germany as a priority destination for flight expansion – minister
8. Resumption of military ties between US, China aimed to reduce tensions – Lithuanian formin
9. Lithuanian president welcomes Russia's removal from UNESCO Executive Board
10. Lithuania will consider economic rationale to close border crossings – president
11. Lithuanian MPs back conclusion there are grounds for MP Zemaitaitis' impeachment
12. Lithuanian parlt strips MP Grazulis of immunity in LGBTIQ contempt case
13. Investing in life sciences is good for Lithuania – businessman
14. Lithuanian govt not considering closing more border crossings with Belarus – PM
15. Inlt community puts aggressor in its place as it ousts Russia from UNESCO board
16. EC calls on Lithuania to cut emissions of several pollutants
17. EC calls on Lithuania to ensure fairness, transparency of online platforms

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, November 16, 2023

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, November 16, 2023: 

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to attend the BIO CITY construction launch event in Vilnius at 10 a.m. 

THE SEIMAS' plenary sittings to start at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. 

A joint commission of the Seimas and the Lithuanian World Community to hold meetings at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to participate in the so-called "government hour" at the Seimas at noon; to meet with Chey Tae-won, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and SK Group, at 4 p.m. 

HEALTH MINISTER Arunas Dulkys to pay a working visit to the US. 

 

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Thirty-four irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away 34 migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Thursday morning.

Latvia reported 5 attempts at illegal border crossings on Wednesday, and 59 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Tuesday, according to the latest available information.

A total of 2,408 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 around 21,600 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 would welcome Germany's decision to speed up brigade deployment – president

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – Vilnius would welcome Germany's decision to expedite the deployment of its combat brigade in Lithuania to complete the process by the end of 2026, President Gitanas Nauseda has said.

"Yes, I did speak with the German president during my visit a couple of days ago about speeding up this process as much as possible, shortening it. Time is not the factor that works in our favor," Nauseda said in an interview with LNK TV aired on Wednesday. 

"We talked about 2027, but I said that Lithuania is committed to having the military infrastructure in place by the end of 2026, and if the German side sees possibilities to accelerate the process even further, we would of course welcome that," he said.

Nauseda discussed this issue with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier during his visit to Berlin on Monday.

Vilnius and Berlin started discussing the brigade's deployment in Lithuania to beef up regional security after Russia invaded Ukraine. The brigade's Forward Command Element is currently stationed in Lithuania.

The German Defense Ministry said last week that the core of the German brigade in Lithuania would consist of two tank battalions, with the third maneuver battalion to be initially formed by the German-led NATO Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group already present in the country.

Vilnius plans that the bulk of the troops will be deployed in 2026 and that the brigade's deployment HQ will be relocated to Lithuania in the last quarter of 2024. Germany intends to deploy a total of around 4,000 troops in the brigade.

Germany has been leading NATO's multinational battle group in Lithuania since 2017. 

 

By Ignas Jačauskas

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Lithuanian president to announce by mid-December if he'll run for re-election 

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda plans to announce by mid-December whether or not he will run for a second term in next year's elections.

"I will do this before I leave for the European Council (meeting) scheduled for December 14-15," Nauseda said in an interview with LNK TV aired on Wednesday. "I will announce my final answer regarding May 2024 (elections) before this important European Council meeting. 

"Basically, I have made up my mind; there is only one unknown for which I will soon receive an answer," he added. 

Opinion polls show Nauseda, who began his first presidential in the summer of 2019, as the clear favorite in next May's elections.

 

 

By Ignas Jačauskas

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Northway Group set to launch construction of Bio City in Vilnius

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – Northway, a group of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies owned by scientist and entrepreneur Vladas Algirdas Bumelis, is launching the construction of Bio City, the largest biotechnology complex in Europe, in Vilnius on Thursday. 

"This city will create huge economic, intellectual and social benefits and will make Lithuania's name known around the world," the group has said. 

Bio City is planned to house six different complexes, including gene therapy, research and experimental development and virology centers, and stem cell research and 3D bioprinting laboratories.

Bumelis says Bio City will be about the size of 50 football fields. 

Plans call for investing around 7 billion euros in four factories and two research centers and creating more than 2,000 new jobs over ten years. 

"The complex we are starting to build is unique," Bumelis told LRT Radio on Thursday. "There is no other complex like it in the Baltics or, of course, in Lithuania, and it will be one of the leaders in Europe."

"We want to show that Lithuania is truly a high-tech country," he added. 

According to him, the Gene Therapy Center, Bio City's first complex, is expected to start its operations in the second quarter of 2024.

Lithuania aims for biotechnology to contribute at least 5 percent of its GDP by 2030.

 

By Giedrius Gaidamavičius, Jūratė Skėrytė

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Lithuanian transpmin calls Belaruskali arbitration claim 'normal procedure' 

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – Belaruskali's arbitration claim against Lithuania seeking damages for the half the transit of its fertilizers is "a normal procedure", Transport Minister Marius Skuodis said on Thursday.

"Investment arbitration proceedings are nothing new. Lithuania has had them before and I have no doubt there will be many more. It is a normal procedure when one party challenges a provision based on intergovernmental agreements," Skuodis told the Ziniu Radijas radio station. 

The minister did not comment on Belaruskali's claim in detail, citing the confidentiality of the arbitration proceedings as the reason.  

"From the experience of various other arbitration processes, we can see that even unclear emails from politicians are sometimes used in such procedures, so it is better to refrain from comments and generally accept it as a normal procedure," he said. 

Belaruskali's fertilizer exports via Lithuania stopped on February 1, 2022 after the government ordered state-owned Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, LTG) to terminate its long-term contract with the Belarusian manufacturer.

The TV3.lt online news site has reported that Belarus' potash fertilizer giant is claiming around a billion euros in damages from Lithuania.

The Cabinet in January 2022 endorsed the conclusion by a special governmental commission vetting deals by strategic enterprises that LTG's contract with Belaruskali was not in line with national security interests and therefore had to be terminated as of February 1.  

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

Belaruskali's fertilizers were handled at the port by Biriu Kroviniu Terminalas (BKT), a bulk cargo terminal controlled by Igor Udovickij, a local businessman, and the Belarusian manufacturer. 

 

By Giedrius Gaidamavičius

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Lithuania sees Germany as a priority destination for flight expansion – minister

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – Germany is a priority destination when expanding flights from Lithuania, Transport Minister Marius Skuodis said on Thursday, adding that Lietuvos Oro Uostai (Lithuanian Airports, LTOU) is holding talks on this with airlines.  

"Germany is currently the focus in negotiations between airports and airlines. Since the airports have all the necessary tools today, I do have high expectations for the outcome," he told the Ziniu Radijas radio station. 

The aim is to attract flights to Germany's strategic transport hubs, including Hamburg and Dusseldorf, and more frequent flights to Berlin, according to Skuodis.

"Our focus is definitely on some of Germany's strategic hubs," the minister said. 

"We have a connection to Munich and its frequency will only increase in the future," he said. "We would like to have flights to Hamburg (...) and Dusseldorf, and of course, we also need a higher frequency to Berlin."

Germany is leading NATO's multinational battalion stationed in Lithuania and is planning to deploy a combat brigade in the country in the coming years.  

In late October, the Transport Ministry, the Economy and Innovation Ministry, and Vilnius City Municipality signed a tripartite agreement on a list of routes important for business and inbound tourism and on measures to promote flights to and from the capital. 

The agreement calls for allocating around 10 million euros for the purpose in 2024.

It lists 27 priority destinations, 23 of which are from Vilnius. These include New York, Brussels, Dublin, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow and others. 

 

By Valdas Pryšmantas

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Resumption of military ties between US, China aimed to reduce tensions – Lithuanian formin

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – Washington and Beijing's agreement to resume military ties is a means of reducing tensions, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis says.

"I welcome it as a means of reducing tensions," he told reporters at the Seimas on Thursday. "I have recently been to Asia and this particular trip was around the South China Sea and the tension, even of a potential conflict, is very palpable, much more palpable than what we believe here."

US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met in San Francisco on Wednesday and agreed to re-establish military ties that were severed by China after the then Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan last year.

Landsbergis says the resumption of military ties between the two countries is a signal to China's neighbors that there are ways to reduce tensions.

According to the minister, the decision also shows that "a military threat is not an inevitability that everyone is afraid of".

By Greta Zulonaitė

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Lithuanian president welcomes Russia's removal from UNESCO Executive Board

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Thursday welcomed the decision not to elect Russia to the Executive Board of UNESCO and called for Moscow's removal from the UN Security Council. 

"Great news – Russia has been ousted from the UNESCO Executive Board," Nauseda posted on the X social media platform. "The aggressor that destroys cultural heritage in Ukraine does not deserve to have a say in building a culture of peace&prosperity."

"Next step – removing Russia from the UN Security Council," he added. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced via X on Wednesday that Russia has not been elected to the UNESCO Executive Board for the first time in history. 

"The era of Russian influence is over," he posted.

UNESCO is a specialized agency of the United Nations.

The UN Security Council consists of 15 members tasked with tackling global crises by imposing sanctions, authorizing military action, and approving changes to the UN charter.

As one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, Russia can veto any resolution. 

Countries have long called for reform of the Security Council, whose five permanent members reflect the international power structure at the end of World War II, and since the start of the war in Ukraine, Kyiv and its allies have sought to remove the aggressor from it. 

 

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Lithuania will consider economic rationale to close border crossings – president

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS - Lithuania will look into whether it would be economically rational for it to close its border crossings with Russia and Belarus, President Gitanas Nauseda says as Finland mulls closing its border crossings with Russia.

"The issue is topical as we live next to unfriendly countries, and we have borders with both unfriendly countries, and those borders are really very long," Nauseda told reporters on Thursday.

"I think Finland's decision is based on very objective information and data that they might face challenges of this kind. We will certainly continue to consider to what extent it is economically rational to reduce the number of border crossing points so that, on the one hand, our economy is not affected and, on the other hand, the security of our country and our people is ensured."

On Tuesday, Finland said it was considering closing border crossings with Russia, accusing Moscow of deliberately turning a blind eye to illegal migrants.

Speaking on Thursday, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said the overall security situation must be assessed when deciding on the closure of border crossings with Belarus, adding that decisions must be based on the rule of law. It is not right to have a "political button to shut down border crossings", he said, but a legal basis is needed.

The parliamentary Committee on Budget and Finance has proposed to the government to consider closing border crossings with Belarus or Russia through which most of smuggled goods enter Lithuania. 

In August, Lithuania closed two of its six border checkpoints with Belarus – Sumskas and Tverecius. Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite said at the time the ministry would propose to close two more – Lavoriskes and Raigardas, but Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte later said no further closures were planned in the near future.

By Erika Alonderytė-Kazlauskė

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuanian MPs back conclusion there are grounds for MP Zemaitaitis' impeachment

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – Lithuanian lawmakers on Thursday endorsed the conclusion of a special parliamentary commission that there are grounds for the impeachment of Remigijus Zemaitaitis, a member of the non-attached political group in the Seimas, for of his anti-Semitic statements and social media posts after 82 lawmakers voted in favor, there were no votes against and no abstentions.

"In a country where thousands of Lithuanians collaborated with the Nazis and became tools of their ideological killing machine, in a country where almost all Lithuanians of Jewish origin were murdered, a member of the Seimas is spreading blatantly anti-Semitic propaganda. If you find this tolerable, it is a matter of your conscience," Rasa Petrauskiene, a member of the ruling conservative 

For her part, Agne Sirinskiene, the elder of the non-attached group, said she lacked specific information on which Zemaitaitis' statements were anti-Semitic.

She wondered why linguists had not been consulted why decisions of the prosecution service and the parliamentary Commission on Ethics and Procedures Committee on Zemaitaitis' statements had not been awaited.

Sirinskiene believes the ruling block s trying to cover up something by initiating impeachments and has thus devalued the very impeachment procedure.

For his part, Zemaitaitis said: "I will make good use of your arguments at the Constitutional Court because you have just admitted that this impeachment is more of a political crackdown and a political effort to (crack down on) me".

He quoted the leaders of Turkey, Spain, Italy, the USA, Canada in their assessments of Israel's ongoing actions in Gaza.

"All nations and state politicians are saying what I have been saying, that the actions of one politician or another are arousing anti-Semitic feelings against the whole country," Zemaitaitis said.

After today's vote, a draft resolution will be submitted to the Seimas on initiating impeachment proceedings and turning to the Constitutional Court for it to rule on whether the MP's conduct does not run counter to the Constitution. If the court rules that there was a violation, the Seimas will vote on whether to strip the MP of his mandate. At least 85 votes in the 141-member parliament are needed to pass the motion.

Members of the ruling political groups in the Seimas initiated impeachment proceedings against Zemaitaitis for his public anti-Semitic statements and social media posts that, they say, are anti-Semitic and incite hatred.

The impeachment text quotes Zemaitaitis' social media posts, such as "It turns out that, besides Putin, another animal has emerged in the world – ISRAEL" or "We, the Lithuanian nation, must never forget the Jews and the Russians who very actively contributed to the DESTRUCTION OF OUR PEOPLE!", and others. 

"After such events, it is no wonder why such sayings are born: 'A Jew climbed a ladder and fell down accidentally. Take a stick, children, and kill that little Jew'," the MP wrote earlier this year, referring to a folk counting-out rhyme.

Earlier this month, the Lithuanian parliament's temporary commission unanimously agreed that there were grounds for impeaching Zemaitaitis.

It concluded that Zemaitaitis deliberately, repeatedly, and purposely disseminated information about the Jewish people and persons of Jewish ethnicity that does not correspond to the truth, attributed serious and very serious crimes committed by other persons or groups of persons to the Jewish people, blamed the Jewish people as a whole for the actions of individuals of that nationality or of certain acts of the State of Israel or its institutions.

It is also pointed out that, when speaking about the State of Israel, Jewish persons and the Jewish people as a whole, Zemaitaitis "used derogatory, impersonal, stereotyping, dehumanizing rhetoric, and presented tendentious and biased evaluations of historical and contemporary events related to Jewish persons".

The commission stated that, as a high-ranking state politician, the MP had insulted and humiliated the Israeli ambassador to Lithuania, an accredited official representative of the State of Israel, had insulted the State of Israel, and had openly justified and endorsed statement encouraging violent crackdown on the Jews.

Zemaitaitis, who had been invited to cooperate with the impeachment commission in various ways, never showed up at its meetings as he called the commission set up by the Seimas unlawful.

For its part, the Prosecutor General's Office is conducting a pre-trial investigation into public contempt and incitement to hatred against any national, racial, ethnic, religious or other group of people. Zemaitaitis, who enjoys legal immunity, has been questioned as a special witness.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Lithuanian parlt strips MP Grazulis of immunity in LGBTIQ contempt case

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – The Lithuanian parliament on Thursday stripped Petras Grazulis of his legal immunity in a case where the non-attached MP is suspected of expressing contempt for members of the LGBTIQ community.

Eighty-three MPs voted in favor of the resolution allowing law-enforcement bodies to prosecute, arrest or otherwise restricting Grazulis' freedom. 

There were no votes against or abstentions, with the majority of the opposition absent from the vote, citing "political undertones" in the investigation.

Several weeks ago, Prosecutor General Nida Grunskiene asked the parliament to lift the MP's immunity, saying that prosecutors want to bring formal suspicions of publicly ridiculing and expressing contempt for a group of persons on grounds of their sexual orientation.

Prosecutors opened their pre-trial investigation in May 2022 following Grazulis' public remarks about members of the LGBTIQ community.

On May 26, 2022, Grazulis allegedly insulted several members of the LGBTIQ community, calling them "degenerates" spreading STDs and suggesting that they seek treatment. The incident took place in the Seimas corridor shortly after a civil union bill aimed at legally regulating relations between same-sex partners in Lithuania passed its first reading in the parliament.

The Criminal Code reads that "a person who publicly ridicules, expresses contempt for, urges hatred of or incites discrimination against a group of persons or a person belonging thereto on grounds of age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, race, skin color, nationality, language, descent, ethnic origin, social status, religion, convictions or views shall be punished by a fine or by restriction of liberty or by arrest or by a custodial sentence for a term of up to two years".

Under the Constitution, a MP "may not be held criminally liable or be detained, or have their liberty restricted otherwise, without the consent of the Seimas".

This is the second time in this parliamentary term that the prosecutor general has asked the parliament to strip Grazulis of his legal immunity.

Grazulis' legal immunity was waived in December 2022 to allow bringing formal suspicions of abuse against him in the Judex case.

According to law enforcement, Grazulis abused his official position as an MP when he helped Judex, a Kaunas-based frozen food company, to solve its problems after Russian officials found listeria in its products in 2015. 

In June 2022, the Lithuanian Court of Appeal fined the politician more than 15,000 euros for that and ordered the confiscation of over 3,300 euros.

The Lithuanian Supreme Court last week upheld the conviction.  

The parliament has also launched impeachment proceedings against Grazulis for deliberately voting for another MP.

 

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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Investing in life sciences is good for Lithuania – businessman

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS - As Northway, a Lithuanian biotechnology and pharmaceutical group, officially begins the construction of Europe's largest biotechnology city, Bio City, in Vilnius, the group's CEO Vladas Algirdas Bumelis says the creation of such facilities and investments in life sciences are good for the country. 

"I am confident that the creation of such bio-cities or further investment in the life sciences field is definitely beneficial for Lithuania," Bumelis said at the construction launch event on Thursday. "If the state and the government have decided that life sciences are a priority, it should not change."

Speaking later with reporters, Bumelis said the centers that will be situated in the new biotech city will help pharmaceutical companies develop new drug technologies and carry out gene research. 

The entire bio city will be about the size of 10 football fields, Bumelis said, adding that a total of around 7 billion euros will be invested in four factories and two research centers over the next decade, creating more than 2,000 new jobs.

"The complex we are starting to build is unique as there is no other complex like it in the Baltic states or, of course, in Lithuania, and it will be one of the leaders in Europe. We want to show that Lithuania is truly a high-tech country," the Northway founder told the public radio LRT on Thursday. 

The project will be financed by the Northway group and funds borrowed from banks, as well as private investors, including pharmaceutical companies and investment funds. Bumelis said.

For her part, Economy and Innovation Minister Ausrine Armonaite says the construction of Bio City is "a huge achievement not only for Lithuanian businesses, but also for our country". 

Bio City is expected to include six different research and production complexes, including gene therapy, research and experimental development and virology center, stem cell research and 3D bioprinting laboratories.

Lithuania aims for biotechnology to account for at least 5 percent of the country's GDP by 2030.

By Giedrius Gaidamavičius

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuanian govt not considering closing more border crossings with Belarus – PM

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – The Lithuanian government currently is not considering closing more border crossings with Belarus, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said on Thursday.  

"If you have fewer checkpoints, then the question is whether you have less traffic or you have much longer queues," Simonyte told reporters. 

"Now we have four checkpoints through which passengers and freight move, and I am not saying that further border checkpoint regime issues cannot be considered, but for the time being the government is not considering such an issue," she told reporters. 

The parliamentary Committee on Budget and Finance has suggested that the government consider closing the border crossings through which most of the smuggled goods enter Lithuania from Belarus or Russia.

Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite confirmed that the committee proposes to close the Lavoriskes and Raigardas border checkpoints, and that this proposal will be considered.

According to the Minister, the closure of border checkpoints is an effective measure in the fight against smuggling. 

"This was evident when we closed two border checkpoints in the summer. One of the main reasons why they were closed was because (...) we saw that there was no adequate X-ray equipment to ensure checks on vehicles," she told BNS on Thursday. 

Lithuania closed two of its six border crossings with Belarus – at Sumskas and Tverecius – in August.

Bilotaite then said that her ministry would propose closing two more checkpoints, at Lavoriskes and Raigardas, but Simonyte said that no further closures were planned in the near future.

 

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Inlt community puts aggressor in its place as it ousts Russia from UNESCO board

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS - The international community has put the aggressor in its place by removing Russia from the UNESCO Executive Board, Lithuanian Culture Minister Simonas Kairys says.

"Firstly, the international community has put the aggressor in its place by sending a clear signal that the aggressor's brutal actions are unacceptable to the civilized world," the minister told BNS on Thursday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced via X on Wednesday that Russia had not been elected to the UNESCO Executive Board for the first time in history, adding that '"the era of Russian influence is over".

It was on Thursday confirmed to BNS by Mindaugas Gabrenas, an advisor at Lithuania's permanent representation to UNESCO.

According to Kairys, this decision is a clear signal that Russia no longer has such influence within the international community and that "the civilized world no longer makes compromises of the kind we used to see before the war in Ukraine".

UNESCO's Executive Board sets the strategic direction of the organization's activities, the minister added.

"Since it is such an international format and basically sets such a direction for the future, I would even view this as a signal we will have a future free of Russia's opinion," Kairys said.

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EC calls on Lithuania to cut emissions of several pollutants

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – The European Commission has called on Lithuania to comply with EU law in relation to air pollution and to reduce their emissions of several pollutants to cut air pollution.

"The Commission has analyzed the latest inventories, together with other information reported by the member states … and concluded that Bulgaria, Ireland, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Austria, Portugal and Sweden, continued failing to meet their reduction commitments," the Commission said.

Lithuania now has two months to respond and take the necessary measures. Otherwise, the Commission may decide to refer the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

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EC calls on Lithuania to ensure fairness, transparency of online platforms

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – The European Commission has called on Lithuania to respect EU platform-to-business rules ensuring fairness and transparency for business users.

Hungary has also urged to do that as well.

"Lithuania and Hungary have failed to provide national rules implementing the P2B Regulation with respect to its effective enforcement in due time," the EC said on Thursday.

Lithuania and Hungary now have two months to reply to the Commission and take the necessary measures. Otherwise, the Commission may decide to refer the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

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