LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, October 26, 2023
2. Thirty-one irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
3. Lithuanian president, other EU leaders to discuss Ukraine aid package, Russia sanctions
4. Lithuania's top prosecutor to ask parliament to strip MP Grazulis of immunity
5. Lithuania reports 509 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
6. EU commission could be more flexible on RRF funds – Lithuanian economy minister
7. Lithuania failed to make strong case for tax reform deadline revision – EC reps
8. Lithuanian govt likely to propose extension of restrictions on Russians, Belarusians
9. Lithuanian formin urges EU to speed up ammo deliveries to Ukraine
10. Thousands protest outside Lithuanian parliament against new property tax model  
11. Hungary's flirt with Russia sends wrong signal – Lithuanian president
12. Lithuanian parlt sets up panel on lifting MP Grazulis' immunity
13. Lithuanian parlt approves three candidates for ECHR judges
14. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, October 27, 2023

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, October 26, 2023

VILNIUS, Oct 26, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, October 26, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to attend a European Council meting in Brussels.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to pay a visit to Japan.

EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND SPORT MINISTER Gintaras Jakstas to meet with Japanese Ambassador to Lithuania Ozaki Tetsu at 4 p.m.

FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to attend a OECD regional meeting.

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

VILNIUS, Oct 26, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away 31 migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Thursday morning.

Latvia reported 77 attempts at illegal border crossings on Wednesday, and 120 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Tuesday, according to the latest available information.

A total of 2,166 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 almost 21,400 people from crossing in from Belarus since August 3, 2021, when they were given the right to turn away irregular migrants. The number includes repeated attempts by the same people to cross the border.

The influx of irregular migrants to the EU's eastern member states from Belarus began in 2021 and is blamed by the West on the Minsk regime.

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

 

 

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Lithuanian president, other EU leaders to discuss Ukraine aid package, Russia sanctions

VILNIUS, Oct 26, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda is heading to Brussels on Thursday to discuss with other EU leaders continued support for Ukraine and new sanctions against Russia.

The European Commission last summer proposed a revision of the bloc's budget, including the creation of a new financial instrument to support Kyiv. These funds, consisting of grants and loans, are expected to amount to around 50 billion euros.

EU officials have said that the Commission's proposal aims to help finance the Ukrainian government's running costs and pay for immediate reconstruction priorities.

However, the money will be disbursed if Ukraine implements reforms to improve the rule of law and combat corruption.

Lithuania also emphasizes that as Russia continues its war in Ukraine, the bloc should adopt a new package of sanctions against the Kremlin, including restrictions on the nuclear energy giant Rosatom.

EU leaders are meeting in Brussels as Kiyv waits for the Commission's assessment in November on whether to open formal accession talks with Ukraine. Then it will be up to the block's leaders to take a final decision.

At the European Council meeting, EU leaders will also discuss migration, the bloc's economy and competitiveness, and the situation in the Middle East, the South Caucasus and the Western Balkans.

 

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Lithuania's top prosecutor to ask parliament to strip MP Grazulis of immunity

VILNIUS, Oct 26, BNS – Lithuanian Prosecutor General Nida Grunskiene on Thursday will formally ask the parliament to strip MP Petras Grazulis of his legal immunity from prosecution.

She seeks the lifting of the MP's immunity so that he can be prosecuted on suspicions of publicly ridiculing and expressing contempt for a group of persons on grounds of their sexual orientation.

Later on Thursday, the parliament is expected to set up an investigation commission to look into whether there are grounds for stripping Grazulis of his immunity.  

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 building 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 prosecutors have questioned Grazulis as a special witness in their pre-trial investigation, but they cannot bring formal suspicions against the MP, because he enjoys legal immunity that can only be lifted by the parliament.

This is the second time in this parliamentary term that the prosecutor general has asked the parliament to strip Grazulis, a member of the non-attached political group in the Seimas, 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 is expected to deliver its final verdict in this case on November 7.

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

 

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Lithuania reports 509 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths

VILNIUS, Oct 26, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 509 new coronavirus infections and no deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Thursday morning.

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals stands at 87, including two ICU cases. 

The 14-day primary infection rate has risen to 159.2 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 27.7 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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EU commission could be more flexible on RRF funds – Lithuanian economy minister

VILNIUS, Oct 26, BNS – The European Commission could be more flexible on Recovery and Resilience Facility funds, Economy and Innovation Minister Ausrine Armonaite said on Thursday after the EU's executive arm rejected Lithuania's request to postpone until 2025 its RRF plan deadlines related to the tax reform.

Armonaite, leader of the Freedom Party, a member of the ruling coalition, noted that the situation in Europe and Lithuania has changed significantly over the past two years.   

"The European Commission should understand that Europe didn't have a 4 percent Euribor rate when the indicators were agreed in 2021 and that the economic situation has changed dramatically," the minister told the Ziniu Radijas radio station. 

"That mechanism could be more flexible," she said. "I think that everybody will learn from the whole process, because it is not only Lithuania that has made all sorts of commitments." 

"There are other countries committed to ambitious goals, perhaps not in the tax system (...), but in other areas, and they are struggling," the minister said. 

"The European Commission has to look not only at what is on paper, but also at the real situation in the economy," she added.  

Armonaite opposes draft amendments to the Law on Real Estate that call for taxing all property owned by private individuals and she also criticized the government's now postponed proposal, which is part of the tax reform package, on taxation of self-employed people. 

Both of these taxes are related to Lithuania's commitments to the Commission in order to receive RRF funds.

The EU's executive arm has rejected as unjustified Lithuania's request to postpone the adoption of the tax reform legislation until the first quarter of 2025.

The tax reform envisaged in Lithuania's RRF plan aims to eliminate certain tax exemptions and special tax regimes, make the tax system more conducive to economic growth, and reduce income inequality and poverty.

The government tabled its proposed amendments to tax-related laws to the parliament in June, but after disputes, the ruling coalition decided not to push for their adoption.

The adoption of the bill on broadening the tax base also ran aground last week. 

If the Commission granted the government's request on tax targets, this would mean that the reform would have to be approved by the next parliament.

Lithuania still has a month to respond to the Commission's reluctance to postpone the implementation of the tax targets.

 

By Giedrius Gaidamavičius, Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuania failed to make strong case for tax reform deadline revision – EC reps

VILNIUS, Oct 26, BNS - Lithuania failed to provide serious reasons as to why the tax reform-related deadlines for the implementation of the country's recovery and resilience plan (RRF) should be delayed, representatives of the European Commission say.

"According to the RRF regulation, in order to modify the existing indicators, it must be impossible to achieve them and that impossibility must be due to objective reasons," Marius Vascega, head of the European Commission Representation in Lithuania, told reporters on Thursday, commenting on the EC decision to reject Lithuania's request for a delay until the start of 2025.

"We do not see any RRF conditions to have been met, which would allow somehow postponing the implementation of the RRF indicators," he added. 

Lithuania's European Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius also says that Vilnius failed to provide any substantiated arguments when requesting an adjustment of the RRF plan's tax reform-related deadlines 

"If we look at the RRF rules, an alternative needs to be presented or proposed to match the measure. The government has not done so. It aims for a fairer tax system and a more efficient public sector but failed to explain the objective reasons that prevent doing that. The government did not even really elaborate on those reasons," the EC commissioner for environment, oceans and fisheries told BNS on Thursday.

"The Commission refuses to postpone the tax reform for two years without any explanation as to why this should be done. (...) This would have required either proposing an alternative that would meet the objectives set out in the government's plan (...) or explaining what objective reasons prevent it from doing so," he added.

The commissioner noted that the Commission had so far granted all requests from member states to adjust their commitments under the RRF plan, making Lithuania the first EU country to have its request refused.

For his part, Mindaugas Linge, chair of the parliamentary Committee on Budget and Finance, told BNS earlier this week the government had not proposed to the Commission to adjust the reform objectives, and only asked for flexibility on the deadlines of their implementation.

According to Vascega, the Commission has not made any calculations on how much of the RRF funds Lithuania could lose if the targets set for receiving them are not met on time. 

"In the overall context, Lithuania's use of RRF funds looks quite good," he said.

On Tuesday, the Commission approved Lithuania's modified RRF plan worth 3.85 billion euros. However, it rejected the country's request to adjust the deadlines for the implementation of tax changes.

According to the Commission, Lithuania now has one month to provide additional comment on the matter, and then the EC will make the final decision.

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Lithuanian govt likely to propose extension of restrictions on Russians, Belarusians

VILNIUS, Oct 26, BNS – The Lithuanian government will most likely ask the parliament to extend the restrictions on Russian and Belarusian citizens, currently in force until next May. 

"Given the overall geopolitical context, it's hard to imagine that the government won't make such a proposal," Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte told reporters on Thursday. "I think there’ll be a need for an extension of the existing law."

"The government will have to make that proposal. At least I don't see why we should expect that the restrictions will no longer be needed next May," she added.

The parliament earlier this year passed a law on restrictive measures for Russian and Belarusian citizens, but the latter are subject to fewer restrictions.

The law imposed temporary restrictions for Russians and Belarusians to obtain Lithuanian visas and e-resident status, and bans them from bringing Ukrainian hryvnias into Lithuania. The measures are in place from May 2 this year to May 3, 2024. 

However, Russian citizens face additional restrictions on entry to Lithuania and acquisition of real estate in the country. Lithuania also temporarily refuses to accept their residence permit applications 

President Gitanas Nauseda and some parliamentarians take the position that Belarus' citizens should be subject to the same sanctions as Russians.

Simonyte said on Thursday that during the debate on the extension of the law in the parliament, MPs will be able to table their proposals to tighten the restrictions.

"If the government sees the need to submit not only an extension, but also some proposals, it will do so," she said.

A Baltijos Tyrimai survey published by the public broadcaster LRT this week found that six out of ten Lithuanians are in favor of tightening the entry of Belarusian citizens into the country. 

 

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Lithuanian formin urges EU to speed up ammo deliveries to Ukraine

VILNIUS, Oct 26, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis on Thursday called on EU member states to "stop being frozen in the headlights" and speed up the delivery of the promised ammunition to Ukraine. 

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

"The EU promised Ukraine 1,000,000 artillery rounds. So far, we have delivered only 300,000. Meanwhile, North Korea delivered 350,000 to Russia," Landsbergis posted on the X social media platform.

"We surely have the resources to outperform North Korea," the minister wrote. 

"We should stop being frozen in the headlights while brave Ukrainians die," he added.

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

 

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Thousands protest outside Lithuanian parliament against new property tax model  

VILNIUS, Oct 26, BNS – Around 2,500 people gathered in front of the Lithuanian parliament on Thursday to protest against the new proposed real estate tax model under consideration by lawmakers.

Protesters held placards reading "In the future, tax = homelessness", "Racketeering returns in the form of property taxes," or "The conservatives' gang brings ruin to the nation".  

The organizers of the rally say the government's intention to tax all residential real estate, including a person's sole residence, amounts to a "de facto expropriation of property".

"I protested against the Soviet Union back then (...) and I hoped for a better life for myself and for my children. What do we have now? The final crippling," said Janina Valeikiene, a 65-year-old pensioner from Ukmerge who participated in the rally.

Simonas Margis, a 26-year-old animator, said the planned property tax goes against human rights and the Constitution. 

"It simply ruins society by turning them into debtors," he told BNS.

The authorities gave permission for a rally by up to 1,000 people, but police officers told BNS that around 2,500 took part in the protest. 

The police said they had recorded no incidents during the rally, but added that they would deal with possible violations due to the number of participants exceeding the permitted maximum number.

To prevent unrest, the Office of the Seimas closed one of the entrances to the parliament building and shut the gates to the inner courtyard.

In an effort to broaden the property tax base, the government proposes to tax all forms of real estate, including a person's sole residence.  

The parliament was scheduled to hold a final vote on the legislative amendments on Thursday, but decided last week to postpone the matter until November.

The government suggests that the new property tax rates should come into effect in 2025, with the first payment due in 2026.

 

By Goda Vileikytė, Saulius Jakučionis

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Hungary's flirt with Russia sends wrong signal – Lithuanian president

VILNIUS, Oct 26, BNS – The Hungarian prime minister's flirt with Russia send a wrong signal to the international community and Ukraine as it's fighting against Russian invasion, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says.

"It's really more than strange to see that we start to flirt with the regime which is committing (...) very cruel atrocities in the territory of Ukraine. It sends a very wrong message to everybody, first of all, to the international society and also to Ukraine," the president said as he arrived for a European Council meeting in Brussels.

Nauseda argues that Ukraine's defeat would worsen the security situation across the EU.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in China in mid-October. It was Putin's second meeting with a European leader since February 2022, when he launched the invasion of Ukraine, after he received Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer in April 2022.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has already publicly slammed Orban's action, stating that he disappointed her.

Nauseda underlines that the EU must stay united and do not succumb in to war fatigue as "some countries start establishing some special kind of diplomacy".

"This is very important, especially now in this critical stage of the war, to stay united, not to split our foreign policy because, otherwise, it will be the policy of 27 members. We have no right to do that," the Lithuanian leader said.

He vows to raise the issue of financial support for Ukraine at the EU summit.

As the European Commission proposed last summer a review of the EU budget to allow for an additional 50 billion euros in aid to Kyiv, the Lithuanian president says such aid would not be sufficient, "unless we are committed to come back to this issue if needed".

As the EU continues discussions on the 12th sanction package for Russia, Nauseda reiterates the need to include Russia's nuclear energy giant Rosatom, drones and other technologies in it.

EU leaders are meeting in Brussels as Kyiv awaits the EC's conclusion on the country's chances of starting accession negotiations. The Commission is expected to announce its position November, and then EU leaders will be expected to take a final decision.

The European Council will also discuss the call for a so-called humanitarian pause in Israel's war against Hamas.

Speaking with journalists, Nauseda echoed the European Council's previously expressed position that Israel has the right to defend itself, but without violating international humanitarian law.

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Lithuanian parlt sets up panel on lifting MP Grazulis' immunity

VILNIUS, Oct 26, BNS - The Seimas of Lithuania on Thursday set up an inquiry commission on lifting MP Petras Grazulis' legal immunity. However, the opposition Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union, the Democrats "For Lithuania", the Labor Party and the non-attached group refused to delegate their representatives.

Only the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party group agreed to send its representative to the commission.

75 MPs voted in favor of the establishment of such commission, there were no votes against and abstentions.

The commission is expected to issue its conclusion by November 7.

Earlier in the day, lawmakers heard Lithuanian Prosecutor General Nida Grunskiene asked lawmakers who asked the parliament to lift Grazulis' legal immunity so that prosecutors could charge him for publicly ridiculing and expressing contempt for a group of persons or a person on grounds of their sexual orientation.

Under the Statute of the Seimas, once the prosecutor general's request is heard, an inquiry commission needs to be set up to look into whether there are grounds to lift an MP's immunity and whether the MP is not being persecuted for political convictions.

On Thursday, the prosecutor general told the Seimas that interviews of witnesses and victims, video recordings, and a linguistic examination show that Grazulis may have publicly ridiculed and expressed contempt for LGBTIQ people because of their sexual orientation.

According to her, five persons and European Foundation of Human Rights, a public organization, have been declared victims as part of this pre-trial investigation.

On May 26, 2022, after the Seimas gave its initial backing to the civil union bill, Grazulis met several representatives of the LGBTIQ community as he was leaving the plenary session hall and called them degenerates spreading STDs, and said they should get treatment.

Grazukis could face a prison sentence of up two years, if found guilty.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Lithuanian parlt approves three candidates for ECHR judges

VILNIUS, Oct 26, BNS – The Lithuanian parliament on Thursday approved three candidates for judges of the European Court of Human Rights. One of them will be picked by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

The government has nominated Lyra Jakuleviciene, a professor at Mykolas Romeris University, Edita Ziobiene, the ombudsperson for child's rights, and Gediminas Sagatis, a judge of the Supreme Court of Lithuania.

The candidates were approved with 107 votes in favor and one abstention.

Candidates for ECHR judges are nominated by the government, with the approval of the president and after consultation with the Seimas. The Seimas then decides whether to approve the nominations.

Lithuania's new delegated judge will replace outgoing judge Egidijus Kuris.

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, October 27, 2023

VILNIUS, Oct 27, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Friday, October 27, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda attending a European Council meting in Brussels.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to continue her visit to Japan.

EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND SPORT MINISTER Gintaras Jakstas to meet with Georgian Ambassador to Lithuania Salome Shapakidze at 10.30.m.

FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to pay a working visit to Singapore.

INTERIOR MINISTER Agne Bilotaite to meet with her Latvian, Estonian, Ukrainian and Finnish counterparts and the Polish and Norwegian vice ministers at 9 a.m., followed by a press conference at 11.30 a.m.

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LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, October 25, 2023
2. Twenty-two irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
3. Lithuanian govt to discuss proposal to scrap ban on telling minors about LGBTQI
4. Six in ten Lithuanians support stricter entry conditions for Belarusians – poll 
5. MP says Lithuania's property tax may be adjusted, not sure if it will be passed this year (media)
6. Lithuania reports 515 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death
7. Lithuania's defense chief heads to Riga to discuss security situation 
8. NATO Air Policing Mission jets to train over Lithuania's Siauliai
9. Lithuanian ForMin advises not to travel to Lebanon due to Israel-Hamas conflict
10. Lithuania climbs from 20th to 17th place in EU's Gender Equality Index
11. People don’t distinguish between Palestinian rights, Hamas support – Israeli ambassador
12. Astravyets NPP Unit 2 goes into industrial operation without resolving all safety issues
13. Lithuanian formin calls Vietnam one of like-minded countries in Indo-Pacific region
14. Lithuanian parlt committee calls on govt reconsider borrowing for defense next year
15. Lithuanian govt moves to scrap ban on telling minors about LGBTQI
16. Mikalauskiene appointed director of Lithuania's State Food and Veterinary Service
17. Vilnius adopts flight incentive scheme, introduces EUR 2 tourist tax
18. Lithuania's finmin sees no ways for additional defense borrowing next year
19. Lithuanian PM tells EU ambassadors: we must stand united in face of conflicts
20. Lithuanian PM congratulates new Slovak govt, hopes to continue helping Ukraine
21. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, October 26, 2023

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, October 25, 2023

VILNIUS, Oct 25, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, October 25, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to visit the State Security Department at 1 p.m.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to continue her visit to Taiwan.

PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to meet with EU ambassadors at 9 a.m.

FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to meet with US Ambassador to Indonesia Mark E. Knapper in Vietnam; to meet with his Vietnamese counterpart and the country's prime minister.

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

VILNIUS, Oct 25, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away 22. migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Wednesday morning.

Latvia reported 21 attempts at illegal border crossings on Tuesday, and 47 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Monday, according to the latest available information.

A total of 2,125 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 almost 21,400 people from crossing in from Belarus since August 3, 2021, when they were given the right to turn away irregular migrants. The number includes repeated attempts by the same people to cross the border.

The influx of irregular migrants to the EU's eastern member states from Belarus began in 2021 and is blamed by the West on the Minsk regime.

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

 

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Lithuanian govt to discuss proposal to scrap ban on telling minors about LGBTQI

VILNIUS, Oct 25, BNS – The Lithuanian government is expected to decide on Wednesday whether to approve a proposal to discard a law provision that information about LGBTQI marriages has a negative impact on minors.

The Justice Ministry has drafted the amendments in response to a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which found that Lithuania violated the provisions of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms on freedom of expression.

The Strasbourg court delivered the judgement in a case in which Neringa Macate, now deceased, challenged the suspension in Lithuania of the publication of her book "Amber Heart".

The collection of fairy tales, which depicts same-sex relationships, was published by the Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences in 2013. 

However, the university suspended the distribution of the book a few months later, citing as the reason a document from the Office of the Inspector of Journalist Ethics stating that Macate's book was harmful to children aged under 14.

The office said its position was based on existing legal regulations.

The Justice Ministry proposes to amend the Law on the Protection of Minors from Negative Effects of Public Information which defines as harmful information that "denigrates family values, promotes a different concept of marriage and creation of family from the one enshrined in the Constitution and the Civil Code".

It is the provision that the ministry wants to be scrapped. 

"The proposed legal regulation will eliminate the possibility of discriminatory restrictions on freedom of expression," it says in its explanatory note.

If approved by the Cabinet, the draft amendments will go to the parliament, whose members have diverse opinions on the ministry's initiative, meaning that the debate on this issue may create another divide, like the ratification of the Istanbul Convention or the legalization of civil partnerships. 

 

 

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Six in ten Lithuanians support stricter entry conditions for Belarusians – poll 

VILNIUS, Oct 25, BNS – Six out of ten Lithuanians are in favor of tightening the entry of Belarusian citizens into the country, according to the latest Baltijos Tyrimai survey published by the public broadcaster LRT on Wednesday.

It found that 60.61 percent of respondents believed that Lithuania should impose stricter entry conditions for Belarusians and 26 percent thought that it should not.  

The remaining 14 percent of those polled did not answer the question or said they had no opinion on the matter.

Baltijos Tyrimai polled 1,023 people in Lithuania between September 22 and October 7. The results of the representative survey, commissioned by LRT, have an error margin of up to 3.1 percent.

The parliament earlier this year passed a law on restrictive measures for Russian and Belarusian citizens, but the latter are subject to fewer restrictions.

The law imposed temporary restrictions for Russians and Belarusians to obtain Lithuanian visas and e-resident status, and bans them from bringing Ukrainian hryvnias into Lithuania. The measures are in place from May 2 this year to May 3, 2024. 

However, Russian citizens face additional restrictions on entry to Lithuania and acquisition of real estate in the country. Lithuania also temporarily refuses to accept their residence permit applications 

The parliament finally adopted the law in late April, overriding a veto from President Gitanas Nauseda, who proposed to impose the same restrictions on Russian and Belarusian citizens.

 

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MP says Lithuania's property tax may be adjusted, not sure if it will be passed this year (media)

VILNIUS, Oct 25, BNS – Mindaugas Linge, chairman of the parliamentary Committee on Budget and Finance, has said that Lithuania's proposed real estate tax may still undergo adjustments to set more precise tax ranges for residential and other properties, but added that he is not sure if the levy will be adopted this year. 

"We could bring more clarity to certain gradations and break down what is now very broad into parts," Linge said in an interview with the 15min online news site published on Wednesday.  

"This would bring clarity and knowledge that a higher rate would definitely not be applied to residential property," he said, commenting on possible tax adjustments.

The MP admitted that he cannot guarantee that the real estate tax will be adopted this year, noting that garnering broader political support for the levy is challenging and that the coalition on this issue is fragile.

 

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Lithuania reports 515 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death

VILNIUS, Oct 25, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 515 new coronavirus infections and one death from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Wednesday morning.

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals stands at 73, including two ICU cases. 

The 14-day primary infection rate has risen to 159.2 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 27.7 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 increased slightly 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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Lithuania's defense chief heads to Riga to discuss security situation 

VILNIUS, Oct 25, BNS – Lithuania's Chief of Defense General Valdemaras Rupsys is heading to Riga on Wednesday to discuss the security situation in the region with his Latvian and Estonian counterparts.

The Baltic chiefs of defense will also discuss NATO's regional defense plans encompassing the integration of allies and interoperability among units, and joint military projects such as the Baltic Defense College (BALTDEFCOL), the Baltic Airspace Surveillance System (BALTNET) and the Baltic Naval Squadron (BALTRON).

According to the Lithuanian Armed Forces, the meeting will focus on the development of air defense capabilities and the expansion of military infrastructure.

The chiefs of defense will also discuss possible ways for the Baltic countries to support each other's armed forces, and are scheduled to visit to Latvia's Adazi military training area.

The three Baltic countries take turns hosting the annual meeting of the chiefs of defense. The 2021 meeting took place in Lithuania.  

 

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NATO Air Policing Mission jets to train over Lithuania's Siauliai

VILNIUS, Oct 25, BNS – Fighter jets taking part in the NATO Air Policing Mission will hold a flight exercise over the Lithuanian northern city of Siauliai on Wednesday, the army said.

It will involve the Italian Air Force's Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets and the Polish Air Force's F-35 fighter jets, as well as the Lithuanian Air Force's Spartan C27J aircraft.

"During the flights, residents and visitors of Siauliai and the county will hear and see the fighter jets reinforcing the Baltic Air Policing Mission. The flights will be performed at low altitude and thermal charges will be fired," the army said.

The exercise will take place from 2 until 4 p.m.

The NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission is conducted from Lithuania and Estonia.

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Lithuanian ForMin advises not to travel to Lebanon due to Israel-Hamas conflict

VILNIUS, Oct 25, BNS – Lithuania's Foreign Ministry has issued a stronger recommendation not to travel to Lebanon due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas, and those already in this country should leave.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends against all travel to Lebanon for any purpose, and all Lithuanian citizens in this country should leave due to the extremely unstable security situation, the high risk of terrorist attacks and possible military action," the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

As the conflict in the Middle East region continues, the geography of attacks and shelling as well as terrorist attacks on the Israeli-Lebanese border and in the wider country is expanding. Assaults and terrorist attacks are possible in the Lebanese capital Beirut as well as in other Lebanese cities.

The Foreign Ministry also strongly advises against travel to particularly dangerous areas, including areas bordering Israel, especially south of the River Litani, southern Beirut, Tripoli, the northern part of Bekaa Valley and the Hermel area, Palestinian refugee camps and areas bordering Syria. There's also a higher risk in Beirut, Sidon and the southern part of Bekaa Valley.

Those in Lebanon are advised to register immediately by filling in a travel registration form so that the diplomatic mission can be contacted for consular assistance if necessary. In case of need for consular assistance, people are advised to contact the Lithuanian Embassy in Egypt.

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Lithuania climbs from 20th to 17th place in EU's Gender Equality Index

VILNIUS, Oct 25, BNS – Lithuania has made progress towards gender equality, but still lags behind the EU average, according to a report by the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE). 

Lithuania ranks 17th in the EU on EIGE's Gender Equality Index 2023 with 64.1 points out of 100, a score that is still 6.1 points below the EU average, the agency said in its report. 

Lithuania's score has increased by 9.2 points since 2010, mainly due to improvements in the domain of power, it noted. 

Since 2020, the country's score has risen by 3.5 points, the fifth-largest increase among the bloc's member states during the period. 

"Due to its faster progress compared with the other EU countries, Lithuania's ranking has moved up three places since last year's edition of the Index," EIGE said. 

"Improvements in the domains of time and power have been the main drivers of its increased score," it said.

Lithuania's highest ranking is in the domain of work, in which it scores 75.7 points, 1.8 points higher than in 2020. However, the country's ranking in the domain has dropped by five places due to its slower progress compared to other EU nations. 

The gap between Lithuanian men and women is most pronounced in the domain of power, where the country scored 48.6 points, dropping from 14th to 18th place. However, the agency noted that the country's score has improved by 3.2 points since 2020. 

Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark maintain the top positions in the Gender Equality Index, while this year's lowest-ranking countries are the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania.

The index measures EU member countries' gender equality progress in six domains: work, money, knowledge, time, power and health.

 

By Austėja Masiokaitė-Liubinienė

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People don’t distinguish between Palestinian rights, Hamas support – Israeli ambassador

VILNIUS, Oct 25, BNS – People do not distinguish between Palestinian rights and supporting Hamas, Israeli Ambassador to Lithuania Hadas Wittenberg Silverstein says.

"People don't really distinguish between rights for Palestinian people and between supporting a terrorist organization," she said after a meeting of the Lithuanian parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs on Wednesday, adding that Israel is fighting Hamas, not Palestinian people.

"By now we are 18 days into this war. 1,400 people were killed. (...) They were beheaded, they were butchered, they were burnt alive. All this is happening while more than 7,700 rockets have been launched to Israel from various directions," the ambassador said, adding that Hamas is holding more than 220 people hostage.

Addressing the committee via videolink, Colonel Lieutenant Peter Lerner, spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, said freeing the hostages was a priority for Israel. In his words, the international community must recognize that Hamas cannot govern the Gaza Strip.

"They have done nothing good for their own people and they are only undermining regional security," he said. "A terrorist entity like Hamas can only invest in hate and death and destruction and does not invest in life of the people of the people that they supposed to govern."

Hamas invaded Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7 and killed at least 1,400 people, mostly civilians, and took 220 hostages. In response, the Jewish state launched a bombing campaign on the Gaza Strip where entire city blocks were razed to the ground. Nearly 5,800 people have been killed there, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday Israel's assault on Gaza violated international law, and he called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to provide aid.

For his part, Lerner says the key thing now is to protect the surrounding areas of Gaza, the communities, to rebuild the barrier and prevent people from returning to Gaza, to ensure that no new terrorists penetrate the barrier, and also to destroy Hamas.

"We are in the war that we did not choose, the war that terrorist organization decided to launch against Israel civilians, Israeli citizens, men, women and children," the IDF spokesman said.

In his words, Israel has mobilized 300,000 reservists to respond effectively to a possible escalation.

The country's army will launch a ground operation in the Gaza Strip when the government gives the green light.

"Second component would be optimal operational conditions," he said.

By Greta Zulonaitė

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Astravyets NPP Unit 2 goes into industrial operation without resolving all safety issues

VILNIUS, Oct 25, BNS – Unit 2 of the Astravyets nuclear power plant situated 50 km from Vilnius has gone into industrial operation without resolving all safety issues, Lithuania's State Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate said on Wednesday.

Based on Belarusian media reports on Tuesday, the Belarusian Ministry of Emergency Situations of has issued a license for the start of industrial operation of the nuclear facility's Unit 2.

"Since the very beginning of the Belarusian NPP project implementation, Belarus has not provided specific information to Lithuanian authorities on how it selected the site for the construction of the nuclear power plant in Astravyets and assessed the distribution and density of neighboring country Lithuania's population in the surrounding territory, which is a key nuclear safety issue for Lithuania," the SNPSI said.

Such an assessment should have been carried out in accordance with the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) safety standards, and is crucial for Lithuania's emergency preparedness, as about 1/3 of the Lithuanian population could be affected in the event of radiological emergency at the Belarusian NPP.

Up to now, not all stress test recommendations have been implemented at the Belarusian NPP, and safety issues related to the NPP safety related equipment resistance to the seismic events and to the impact of a large civil aircraft crash, probabilistic safety assessment are still unsolved.

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Lithuanian formin calls Vietnam one of like-minded countries in Indo-Pacific region

VILNIUS, Oct 25, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis met with his Vietnamese counterpart Bui Thanh Son in Hanoi on Wednesday and agreed to deepen relations between Vilnius and Hanoi, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said.

"Vietnam is one of the key like-minded countries in the Indo-Pacific region, and Lithuania is pleased to see the opening of a wider two-way gateway between the European Union and Asia," Landsbergis said.

"We see Vietnam as a growing, stabilizing force both in the ASEAN and in the wider region. Lithuania wants to broaden and deepen our partnership by diversifying our supply chains, strengthening our economic security, and at the same time defending the rules-based international order," the minister said.

"Today, we signed a memorandum of understanding between our two ministries and it will provide further impetus to move towards closer and broader cooperation," Landsbergis said, adding that cooperation between the two countries is growing in economic, energy and smart technology fields.

"This is a clear proof that geographical distances do not matter when you meet a responsible and reliable partner," Lithuania's top diplomat said.

The two ministers also discussed support for Ukraine and developments in the Middle East.

"Both countries rely on a rules-based international order to ensure the security and well-being of our people. Whether it is Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East or a future crisis, any breach of the international order will affect us all," Landsbergis underlined.

On Wednesday, the Lithuanian foreign minister is also scheduled to meet with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Later this month, Landsbergis will visit Singapore and Indonesia.

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Lithuanian parlt committee calls on govt reconsider borrowing for defense next year

VILNIUS, Oct 25, BNS – Lithuania's parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense (CNSD) recommends that the government reconsider President Gitanas Nauseda's proposal to include a provision in next year's budget to allow for additional borrowing for national defense.

"In light of the proposal of the president's office, CNSD proposes that the government consider the possibility of supplementing the draft law with a provision envisaging the right to borrow, without violating the fiscal discipline rules, additionally up to 0.29 percent of Lithuania's GDP for national defense to ensure the development of the capabilities of the Lithuanian Land Force's division and to ensure the increase of the NATO-allied forces in Lithuania to the size of a brigade," reads the committee's decision adopted on Wednesday.

Laurynas Kasciunas, the CNSD chairman, described the recommendation as a compromise, while some committee members from the opposition called for a straightforward approval of Nauseda's proposal to include in next year's budget the possibility of borrowing for national defense if the need arises.

Kestutis Budrys, the president's chief national security advisor, said during the committee's meeting last week that the draft 2024 budget failed to earmark funding for creating the division, even though members of the State Defense Council had agreed that this would require additional funds.

Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste said that, unlike in the past, borrowing for defense was no longer allowed by economic forecasts and the tight budget.

Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said that the creation of the division had not yet been legislated for, noting that the budget plan was based on existing legislation. 

He added that the division would be built on the basis of the existing forces and that additional funds had been earmarked for their development.

Lithuania aims to create the division by 2030.

Next year's total defense budget is planned at 2.06 billion euros, or 2.7 percent of GDP, compared to 2.76 percent this year. 

 

 

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Lithuanian govt moves to scrap ban on telling minors about LGBTQI

VILNIUS, Oct 25, BNS – The Lithuanian government decided on Wednesday to propose that the parliament discard a law provision that information about LGBTQI marriages has a negative impact on minors.

The Justice Ministry has drafted the amendments in response to a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), which found that Lithuania violated the provisions of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms on freedom of expression.

"By adopting the law, Lithuania would avoid the European Commission's rights infringement (proceedings), as is the case with Hungary now," said Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska to journalists.

The Strasbourg court delivered the judgement in a case in which Neringa Macate, now deceased, challenged the suspension in Lithuania of the publication of her book "Amber Heart".

The collection of fairy tales, which depicts same-sex relationships, was published by the Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences in 2013. 

However, the university suspended the distribution of the book a few months later, citing as the reason a document from the Office of the Inspector of Journalist Ethics stating that Macate's book was harmful to children aged under 14.

The office said its position was based on existing legal regulations.

The Law on the Protection of Minors from Negative Effects of Public Information currently defines as harmful information that "denigrates family values, promotes a different concept of marriage and creation of family from the one enshrined in the Constitution and the Civil Code".

The Justice Ministry proposes to amend the law to scrap this provision. 

If approved by the Cabinet, the draft amendments will go to the parliament, whose members have diverse opinions on the ministry's initiative, meaning that the debate on this issue may create another divide, like the ratification of the Istanbul Convention or the legalization of civil partnerships. 

Ausrine Armonaite, the liberal Freedom Party's leader, said she hoped that the proposal to remove this provision from the law would not worsen relations in the ruling coalition.

"This is the government's bill, so we expect unanimous support for it," she said.

Armonaite said she had not calculated yet how many "yes" votes the initiative might receive, but added that that "it will be very bad" if parliament failed to pass the amendments. 

"We will continue to stagnate where we are now," she said. "We aim for genuine, real press freedom in Lithuania."
  

 

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Mikalauskiene appointed director of Lithuania's State Food and Veterinary Service

VILNIUS, Oct 25, BNS – The Lithuanian government on Wednesday appointed Audrone Mikalauskiene, acting director of the State Food and Veterinary Service (SFVS), as the agency's permanent head.

Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said she chose Mikalauskiene from among two candidates.

The new director will start her five-year term on Friday. 

Mikalauskiene says on her LinkedIn profile that she joined the SFVS in 2007 and was appointed its deputy director in July 2021.

The SFVS has been without a permanent head since last November when the government fired Mantas Staskevicius amid corruption suspicions.

In July, the Cabinet approved an overhaul of the entire agency in an effort to dismantle its non-transparent and corruption-tolerant structure that had been in place for decades.

 

 

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Vilnius adopts flight incentive scheme, introduces EUR 2 tourist tax

VILNIUS, Oct 25, BNS - The Vilnius City Council on Wednesday approved a flight incentive scheme and raised the existing 1-euro tourist tax to two euros from next year.

The municipality says it will finance marketing measures to promote flights important for business and inbound tourism from 2024 under the new scheme aimed at stimulating demand for these routes, attracting more foreign travelers and investors, and making effective use of Vilnius' tourism and economic potential.

The scheme is also needed in preparation for the opening of the new Vilnius Airport terminal that is expected to increase the airport's capacity from 5 million passengers in 2019 to 8 million passengers per year.

The flight incentive scheme will be implemented on the basis of a list of 27 destinations of interest for business and inbound tourism, including 23 from Vilnius Airport.

"It is not only important that we have a destination there, but how often and at what times the flights are operated. We want to increase the number of flights to existing destinations," Adomas Buxinskas, administration director of the Vilnius Municipality said during the council meeting on Wednesday, adding that Lithuania has the ambition of having direct flies from Vilnius to New York.

"Of the 24 priority destinations, we have achieved a lot working on destinations from Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Tel Aviv, Madrid and Dublin," Buzinskas said.

The Vilnius authorities will aim to allocate 30 percent of the funds from the tourist tax and an equal amount from the municipal budget for flight incentives. The amount of the municipal allocation, however, will not exceed 20% percent of the state appropriations.

The tourist tax in Vilnius will go up from January 1.

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Lithuania's finmin sees no ways for additional defense borrowing next year

VILNIUS, Oct 25, BNS – Lithuanian Finance Minister Gintarė Skaiste says she sees no possibility of additional borrowing for national defense next year without violating the fiscal discipline requirements, adding that the inclusion of such a right into the law would not make any difference.

"Since the law also contains other safeguards, which means that the overall borrowing limit should not be exceeded and the overall government deficit should not be exceeded, which is currently set at 2.9 percent, I would say that the chances of making use of this right would be quite minimal," Skaiste said, commenting on the proposal approved by the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense earlier in the day.

"I would say this solution is more of a simulation of a solution than real national defense funding," she added.

Earlier in the day, the CNSD recommended that the government reconsider President Gitanas Nauseda's proposal to include a provision in next year's budget, "envisaging the right to borrow, without violating the fiscal discipline rules, additionally up to 0.29 percent of Lithuania's GDP for national defense to ensure the development of the capabilities of the Lithuanian Land Force's division and to ensure the increase of the NATO-allied forces in Lithuania to the size of a brigade".

Kestutis Budrys, the president's chief national security advisor, said during the committee's meeting last week that the draft 2024 budget failed to earmark funding for creating the division, even though members of the State Defense Council had agreed that this would require additional funds.

"Systematic and coherent solutions are needed if we really want to genuinely care about increasing national defense funding. It seems to me that a party agreement in this case would be a very welcome step in this direction," the finance minister told reporters on Wednesday.

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

The planned budget deficit will exceed this year's 2.9 percent of GDP, and the government debt will reach 39.8 percent of GDP.

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Lithuanian PM tells EU ambassadors: we must stand united in face of conflicts

VILNIUS, Oct 25, BNS – The European Union has repeatedly shown that it can act in a united and effective manner and it must continue to do so in the face of the current regional conflicts, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte told the bloc's ambassadors on Wednesday.

The prime minister and the ambassadors discussed "foreign, European Union and key domestic policy issues, primarily focusing on the security situation in the neighborhood and in the world, support for Ukraine, and the European Union's migration and energy policies", the government's press office said in a press release.

"Simonyte underscored the pivotal role of the European Union in promoting global stability and unity," it said. "She emphasized the need for consolidation, political solidarity, and the unwavering support of all Member States for EU decisions."

"These elements not only build confidence but also enhance the EU's standing on the world stage."

The prime minister also "called for close dialogue with the United States and concerted efforts to achieve sustainable peace".

On energy, Simonyte noted that Lithuania's energy supply security had been ensured even before the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine. 

As tensions began to rise near its borders, Lithuanian took additional steps to ensure uninterrupted gas and electricity supplies, along with operational and technical measures to secure its infrastructure, she said.

Lithuania is closely monitoring the situation regarding a recent leak in the Balticconnector gas pipeline linking Finland and Estonia, according to the prime minister.  

"That said, we're staying calm. Lithuania's energy infrastructure is secure, and we're geared up for diverse contingencies," she said.

The Finish and Estonian natural gas system operators said on October 8 that they had detected an unusual pressure drop in Balticconnector, which led them to shut down the gas flow.

On October 10, Helsinki said that a telecom cable between Finland and Estonia, both NATO members, had also been damaged and that the leak in the gas pipeline had been likely caused by external activity.  

Finnish police said Tuesday they believed that the pipeline had been damaged by a Chinese container ship's dislodged anchor.

At the meeting with the EU's ambassadors, Simonyte underlined "the importance of sustaining unwavering support and providing essential resources" to Ukraine and called for "the swift provision of requested arms and the strengthening of Ukraine's air defense".

She also "reiterated the need to hold Russia accountable for its actions in Ukraine, and continued vigilance in the application of sanctions".

The prime minister "expressed her hope for a positive recommendation from the European Commission" on Ukraine and Moldova's EU accession negotiations. 

Simonyte drew attention to the protection of the EU's external borders and the strengthening of the effective fight against human smuggling and of partnerships with third countries. 

She also "highlighted the necessity of understanding the threat posed by Russia and responding with confidence, including by enhancing defense capabilities and investment in defense", according to the press release.

 

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Lithuanian PM congratulates new Slovak govt, hopes to continue helping Ukraine

VILNIUS, Oct 25, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte on Wednesday congratulated Slovakia's new government and hopes for continues cooperation within the EU and NATO in helping Ukraine and putting further pressure on the aggressor Russia.

Sworn in on Wednesday, new Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico earlier voiced his readiness to suspend his country's support for Ukraine as it's fighting against Russian invasion.

"Lithuania highly values the friendly relations with Slovakia and greatly appreciates your country’s contribution to the NATO’s presence in the Baltic states. Russia’s war against Ukraine and Russia’s ability to rebuild military capabilities still pose the greatest threat not only to Ukraine but also to all the neighboring countries, as well as to the EU and NATO," the Lithuanian prime minister said in her message of congratulation. "I hope that by acting in unison in strengthening sanctions against the aggressor and in helping Ukraine to win, we – the community of democratic nations – will be able to return peace and stability on the European continent."

Simonytr hopes that Lithuania and Slovakia "will work together in further strengthening the EU and NATO, as well as the democratic values that are key to the rules-based international order".

"Our solidarity and close cooperation have never been more critical in countering the challenges that democracies face today," the Lithuanian prime minister said.

Fico formed his parliamentary majority by signing a coalition agreement with the left-wing Hlas party and the ultra-nationalist pro-Russian Slovak National Party.

Fico's return could mark a dramatic shift in the country's foreign policy and undermine the fragile unity of the European Union and NATO. He's against the EU sanctions against Russia, doubts whether Ukraine can push the invading Russian troops out and wants to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO.

The Slovak politician has also suggested that instead of sending arms to Kyiv, the EU and the US should use their influence to force Russia and Ukraine into a compromise peace agreement.

Fico has also several times echoed Russian President Vladimir Putin's claims that the Ukrainian government is neo-Nazi and that ethnic Russians living in the east of the country should be protected from it.

So far, Slovakia, a country with a population of 5.5 million, has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine since Russia attacked it in February 2022, has donated arms and opened its borders to refugees fleeing the war.

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, October 26, 2023

VILNIUS, Oct 26, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, October 26, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to attend a European Council meting in Brussels.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to pay a visit to Japan.

EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND SPORT MINISTER Gintaras Jakstas to meet with Japanese Ambassador to Lithuania Ozaki Tetsu at 4 p.m.

FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to attend a OECD regional meeting.

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