LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. DS-1 terminates contract with Alvora on Orlen Lithuania upgrade
2. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, October 13, 2023
3. Seven irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
4. Lithuania's military plane transports another 42 people from Israel to Turkey  (updates)
5. Lithuanian formin calls for long-range missiles to Kyiv after call with Kuleba
6. Lithuania says hasn't received Israel's requests for military aid, to consider if it does 
7. Police say no indications yet of danger to Lithuanian Jews  (expands)
8. Lithuanian police receive 140 reports of bomb threats to schools, kindergartens 
9. Lithuanian intelligence says bomb threats could be targeted, coordinated attack
10. Teachers' trade union in Lithuania suspends strike until late November
11. Lithuania reports 224 new COVID-19 cases, one death
12. Red Cross in Lithuania to open humanitarian aid line
13. Lithuania's military plane to make 3rd flight to Israel to evacuate some 35 people
14. Lithuania needs to triple waste recycling – minister
15. Lithuanian police receive 750 reports of bomb threats to schools, kindergartens  (updates)
16. Warsaw wants extra attention for Polish minority in Lithuania, despite good relations
17. Lithuania's Constitutional Court accepts parlt appeal on Istanbul Convention
18. Lithuania contributed to global peace in Mali, learned to work with allies – army chief
19. German brigade deployment in Lithuania "very complex operation", army chief says
20. Some 900 hoax bomb threats received in Lithuania but 'no reason to panic' – minister 
21. Revolut Bank suspends card payments in Belarus
22. DS-1 terminates contract with Alvora on Orlen Lithuania reconstruction (expands)

DS-1 terminates contract with Alvora on Orlen Lithuania upgrade

VILNIUS, Oct 13, BNS – DS-1, a company building and installing engineering systems, has terminated its joint activity contract, worth tens of millions of euros, with Alvora, a construction company building energy infrastructure, for the upgrading of oil refining company Orlen Lietuva's (Orlen Lithania) refinery in Mazeikiai after Alvora caught the attention of law enforcement authorities.

The decision was on Friday confirmed by Vykintas Belickas, CEO of DS-1. For its part, Alvora refrains from commenting on the situation. 

"The contract has been terminated, we are no longer involved in this project and we will not be involved with Alvora in any format," Belickas told BNS.

He refrained to disclose who initiated the termination and why, citing confidentiality reasons. 

Alvora was awarded the contract to upgrade the Orlen Lietuva plan for 80 million euros in April after it previously also installed the strategically important Lithuanian-Polish gas pipeline (GIPL). The contract for the installation of engineering systems and energy infrastructure was signed by the project's general contractor, the UK's Petrofac.

The latter has refrained to comment on the situation when contacted by BNS. BNS has been unable to contact Martynas Pargaliauskas, CEO of Alvora, this week.

By Giedrius Gaidamavičius

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, October 13, 2023

VILNIUS, Oct 13, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Friday, October 12, 2023:

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to meet with Laima Liucija Andrikiene, a member of the European Court of Auditors, at 9.30 a.m.;

FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to met with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in Rome.

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

VILNIUS, Oct 13, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away seven migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Friday morning.

Latvia reported 122 attempts at illegal border crossings on Thursday, and 104 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Wednesday, according to the latest available information. 

A total of 2,052 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 21,200 people from crossing in from Belarus since August 3, 2021, when they were given the right to turn away irregular migrants. The number includes repeated attempts by the same people to cross the border.

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

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

 

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Lithuania's military plane transports another 42 people from Israel to Turkey  (updates)

VILNIUS, Oct 13, BNS – Lithuania's Spartan military transport aircraft   last night evacuated another 42 people, mostly Lithuanian citizens, from Israeli to Turkey. 

Jurgis Norvaisa, a spokesman for the Armed Forces, confirmed this to BNS, adding that from Turkey, the evacuees will return to Lithuania by other means.

The Spartan took off from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport at around 9 p.m. local time and landed in Antalya after midnight.

There were seven children and one infant among the passengers, according to Norvaisa. 

The Foreign Ministry said that the passengers also included citizens of Israel, Latvia and France.

This marked the military plane's second flight to evacuate people stranded in Israel amid its conflict with Hamas. 

The Foreign Ministry also urged people to register for the Spartan's further evacuation flights from Israel as soon as possible, warning them that the security situation in the region is rapidly changing, making it increasingly difficult to leave the country.  

The Spartan operated its first evacuation flight on Wednesday, transporting 29 passengers from Tel Aviv to Antalya.

The aircraft will be on standby in Turkey until October 15.

 

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Lithuanian formin calls for long-range missiles to Kyiv after call with Kuleba

VILNIUS, Oct 13, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis on Thursday called on allies to provide long-range missiles to Kyiv after being updated by his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on the situation in the country which is fighting back against Russia's military aggression.

"Good update on a call with @DmytroKuleba. As the world's attention is on the Middle East, Ukraine is advancing and Russia's latest offensives are failing," Landsbergis posted on the X social media platform.

"Ukraine could do even more, if more air defence and long-range missiles were provided now," he added.  

The minister added the hashtag #ATACMSforUkraine to his post.

 

 

By Saulius Jakučionis

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Lithuania says hasn't received Israel's requests for military aid, to consider if it does 

VILNIUS, Oct 13, BNS – Lithuania has not yet received any requests from Israel for military assistance in its conflict with Hamas militants, but will consider them if made, Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said on Thursday evening.

"I have to say that Israel talks specifically with states, expressing its needs. If such needs were communicated to Lithuania, we would, of course, consider the issue, but I have no such information at the moment," he told LRT TV. 

Anusauskas took part in a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels. The Alliance's ministers were addressed by their Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant, via a video call.

According to the Lithuanian minister, all NATO countries expressed their solidarity with Israel and discussed support for the country. 

The United States, Germany and other countries have announced military assistance to Israel.

 

By Saulius Jakučionis

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Police say no indications yet of danger to Lithuanian Jews  (expands)

VILNIUS, Oct 13, BNS – There are no indications that Jews in Lithuania could be in danger following public calls for attacks on Jewish people around the world on Friday, a police spokesman said.

"Today, we will have increased police presence in all sites, and plans are in place for how to do this," Ramunas Matonis, spokesman for the Police Department, told LRT Radio in the morning. 

"Of course, we are also closely monitoring the public space and social media to see if there are any indications of potential danger for Jews living in Lithuania. So far, there have been no such indications," he said. 

The police urge people to call the emergency services at 112 if they notice any suspicious behavior or activity around Jewish sites.

Ruth Reches, principal of Sholem Aleichem ORT Gymnasium, a Jewish secondary school in Vilnius, said that for safety reasons, classes are being held remotely on Friday and students' parents will be on duty at the school from Monday.

Reches said that the school community is concerned about future security as the threat will not dissipate after Friday.

"We are very worried: Friday, the day when it is officially stated that there are pogroms against Jews, will pass, but what happens next? The war continues, and we are very much hoping for more active help from the police: not just to drive by the school a few times, but perhaps to place a police car near the school," she told LRT Radio.

Matonis said there is no such decision yet, but it could be taken if the police see that there are real threats to the school community.

In that case, the police could have "not one or two cars, but as many as needed" at the school, he said.

The spokesman noted that there is a reinforced police presence at "up to ten sites" in Vilnius alone. 

Faina Kukliansky, chairwoman of the Jewish Community of Lithuania, said that the authorities should take a proactive approach to the safety of the community, rather than waiting for a danger to Jewish lives to emerge.

Kukliansky said that the Jewish community protects synagogues, community buildings and cemeteries using its own resources, but that there are areas where the community does not have its own buildings, which makes it "very difficult to protect them".

"Italy and Switzerland have a law, and apparently people and the authorities there think differently – that you don't necessarily wait until someone is killed and then start protecting them, but that you take preventive measures in advance," she said.

Kukliansky noted that the police's chosen model, which involves periodic visits to check for incidents, is not the same as continuous protection.

Hamas' former leader Khaled Meshal called on Muslims around the world to take to the streets on Friday to support the group in its fight against Israel. 

Calls to attack Jews and their businesses and public sites began to spread on social media after his statement.

Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, launched an unprecedented surprise attack on Israel last Saturday, invading its territory and firing rockets. Israel retaliated with strikes on Gaza. Hundreds have been killed on both sides of the conflict.

 

 

By Austėja Masiokaitė-Liubinienė

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Lithuanian police receive 140 reports of bomb threats to schools, kindergartens 

VILNIUS, Oct 13, BNS – Police have received since 6 a.m. on Friday 140 reports of explosives planted in schools and kindergartens across Lithuania.

"Reports of explosives in schools and kindergartens have been coming in since 6 a.m.; there have been 140 such reports all over Lithuania," Ramunas Matonis, spokesman for the Police Department, told BNS on Friday morning. 

Matonis said the bomb threats were sent to educational establishments at night.

"Everyone comes to school in the morning, reads it, and reports it to the police," he said.

The letters, written in Russian, say that explosives have been planted in the school or kindergarten and may explode.

Police officers go to each establishment and check, according to Matonis.

"Nothing has been found so far," the spokesman said.

According to him, similar reports have also been received in Latvia and Estonia.

"It's probably someone's centrally planned attack to disrupt the work of the special services," the police spokesman said.

 

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Lithuanian intelligence says bomb threats could be targeted, coordinated attack

VILNIUS, Oct 13, BNS – Bomb threats to schools and kindergartens across Lithuania appear to be a coordinated attack initiated by hostile states, the State Security Department (SSD) said on Friday.

Since 6 a.m. on Friday, police have received 140 reports of explosives planted in schools and kindergartens across Lithuania, following similar reports in Klaipeda on Thursday. 

The schools and kindergartens contacted the police after receiving emails with threats, written in Russian.

Similar incidents have been reported Latvia and Estonia this week.

"In the SSD assessment, the threatening messages to educational establishments in Lithuania, as well as in Latvia and Estonia, are likely to be a targeted and coordinated attack carried out at the initiative of hostile states," Aurelija Vernickaite, the intelligence agency's spokeswoman, told BNS. 

"The false reports and actions of a similar nature are aimed at creating tension and panic in society, disturbing and destabilizing the work of institutions, and increasing mistrust," she said. "As geopolitical tensions rise, Lithuania and the other Baltic states are constant targets of information and cyber-attacks by hostile states."

According to Vernickaite, the level of terrorism threat in Lithuania remains low.

The SSD is urging citizens to remain calm and not to not succumb to provocations, saying that the agency is cooperating with other authorities in investigating the attack.

 

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Teachers' trade union in Lithuania suspends strike until late November

VILNIUS, Oct 13, BNS – One of the teachers' trade unions in Lithuania on Thursday announced its decision to suspend the strike it has been holding for almost two weeks over working conditions until the end of November. And it plans to resume the industrial action in the run up to the adoption of the 2024 state budget in the parliament.

Formally, the strike will continue but the leadership of the Lithuanian Education Employee's Trade Union, led by Andrius Navickas, urged teachers to return to schools.

"My proposal would be definitely not to top the strike and to continue it, but to reduce and suppress the existing active steps and to resume the strike on November 22," Navickas told union members gathered at the Teachers' House in Vilnius, and the teachers expressed their support for this proposal by applauding and shouting.

The teachers' strike followed, among other reasons, disagreements with the government over how much teachers' salaries should rise next year.

The government proposes raising pay for teachers 10 percent from January and September to bring the average teacher's salary up to 130 percent of the national average wage. However, Navickas union demands two 15 percent pay rises from January and September.

The Education, Science and Sport Ministry says it does not have the financial capacity to offer more funds to raise teachers' salaries at a faster pace.

The government presented the 2024 state budget bill to the Seimas on Tuesday, and it will now be considered by parliamentary committees for the next two weeks. The first reading is scheduled for November 14m and the second one should take place on November 23, with a view to adopt it on December 5.

Meanwhile, four other teachers' unions last week agreed with the Education Ministry to draw up a plan by May on how teachers' pay will be increased after 2024, and they also agreed with the government's proposal for a pay rise next year.

By Saulius Jakučionis

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Lithuania reports 224 new COVID-19 cases, one death

VILNIUS, Oct 13, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 224 new coronavirus infections and one death from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Friday morning.

The 14-day primary infection rate has edged down to 115.6 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 22 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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Red Cross in Lithuania to open humanitarian aid line

VILNIUS, Oct 13, BNS - The Lithuanian Red Cross will open a humanitarian aid line next week, the organization said on Friday.

People in Lithuania will be able to call the short number 111 and receive urgent help from volunteers and staff in the event of a disaster requiring humanitarian aid in the form of items or clothing, counseling, accommodation, financial or psychological assistance.

The 111 humanitarian hotline will be open 24/7, including public holidays.

Humanitarian aid will be provided as quickly as possible depending on the situation, the orgaization said, adding that items will be available for pickup at at designated humanitarian aid points and, if necessary, will be delivered to the right place.

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Lithuania's military plane to make 3rd flight to Israel to evacuate some 35 people

VILNIUS, Oct 13, BNS – Lithuania's Spartan military transport aircraft is set to make its third flight to Israel on Friday to evacuate at least 35 people to Turkey, the National Crisis Management Center (NCMC) said. 

"The flight is tentatively scheduled to depart from Tel Aviv at 8 p.m.," Darius Buta, chief advisor at the NCMC, told BNS on Friday. "At the moment, we have 35 people and five cats registered for the flight from Tel Aviv to Turkey."

"We ask everyone to register for this flight as soon as possible, so that the plane can be filled and most importantly, people can depart to a safe country," he added.

Lithuania dispatched the Spartan to the region after Hamas' surprise attack on Israel last weekend. 

The military plane transported 29 passengers from Tel Aviv to Antalya in its first evacuation flight on Wednesday and flew another 42 people, mostly Lithuanian citizens, from Israeli to Turkey last night. 

The aircraft will be on standby in Turkey until October 15.

Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist militant group that controls the Gaza Strip, launched an unprecedented surprise attack on Israel last Saturday, invading its territory and firing rockets. Israel retaliated with strikes on Gaza. Thousands of people have been killed on both sides of the conflict.

 

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Lithuania needs to triple waste recycling – minister

VILNIUS, Oct 13, BNS - Lithuania needs to triple its waster recycling and its use in the production of new products in order to catch up with the EU average, the country's Economy and Innovation Minister Ausrine Armonaite says.

"Only 4 percent of our economy is circular. What does that mean? This means that the waste that companies produce in their production process, the rubbish, it is still not sufficiently returned back into the economy. We are aiming for a circular economy of at least 12 percent of our economy to meet the European level," the minister told reporters at the Plasta production facility in Vilnius on Friday.

The Economy and Innovation Ministry has allocated 8 million euros to small and medium-sized enterprises for the development of innovative technologies linked to the use of recycled waste. The maximum support per company is 500,000 euros.

According to the ministry's data, around 6.9 million tons of waste was discarded by residents and businesses in Lithuania in 2021. The metals, chemical, wood and paper industries generate the most waste, while as much as 1.7 million tons of waste is generated by Lifosa, the Kedainiai-based phosphate fertilizer production facility.

Lithuania is among the four bottom countries in the EU in terms of the amount of waste generated in manufacturing.

By Goda Vileikytė

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuanian police receive 750 reports of bomb threats to schools, kindergartens  (updates)

papildymai visame tekste

VILNIUS, Oct 13, BNS – Police on Friday have already received 750 reports of bomb threats to schools and kindergartens across Lithuania and reports continue coming in, Police Commissioner General Renatas Pozela said. 

"I am asking everyone not to panic, because it seems that the primary goal of these instigators is to create panic," he told a press conference.

Most of the threating emails are in the Russian language. Some demand a ransom for "the demining service" and others are political in nature.

"Not only the response forces, but also the police commissariats are working," Pozela told the press conference.

"This started yesterday – Klaipeda received, I think, 23 such threats and Vilnius received one, and a mass attack began last night," he said.

The police chief advised reporting such information to the Emergency Response Center at 112.

He said that the police are responding and inspecting every school or kindergarten that has received such a threat. 

The State Security Department (SSD) said earlier on Friday that the bomb threats appear to be a coordinated attack initiated by hostile states.

The schools and kindergartens contacted the police after receiving emails with threats, written in Russian.

Similar incidents have been reported Latvia and Estonia this week.

 

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Warsaw wants extra attention for Polish minority in Lithuania, despite good relations

VILNIUS, Oct 13, BNS – Despite good bilateral relations, Warsaw expects more attention from Vilnius to the country's Polish minority, Polish Ambassador to Lithuania Konstanty Radziwill says.

"Today, relations between Lithuania and Poland are better than ever. The excellent relations between Lithuania and Poland are not a subject of controversy or debate between different political groups in Lithuania and Poland," the diplomat told reporters on Friday.

Lithuania and Poland work closely both on various bilateral projects, as well as in international formats on security issues and EU enlargement, he said.

"In this atmosphere, it is worth looking at other issues that are not yet part of this dynamic and well-developing relationship. In my opinion, the only area where we still have unresolved problems is the situation of the Polish minority, although there is progress here as well," the ambassador pointed out.

Radziwill hopes that Lithuania will resolve the issue of allowing dual Lithuanian and Polish place names in areas with large Polish populations, and will also legalize the use of diacritical marks in documents, and make it possible to take the state Polish language exam.

"We are following the ongoing discussions on teacher workload and class sizes, but regardless of the outcome of these discussions, we would like to see an exclusive criterion for national minority schools to emphasize that they are national minority schools," the diplomat said. "We would like to forget about the threat of schools being closed."

The diplomat pointed out to the fact that Lithuania had ratified the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, but has not yet adopted a law on national minorities.

The Polish ambassador expressed Poland's expectations as Vilnius and Warsaw are set to mark the anniversary of the Mutual Pledge of the Commonwealth of the Two Nations next week. This is an important historic bilateral document that complemented the Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Two Nations of May 3, considered the first constitution in Europe.

It was adopted by the Four-Year Sejm of the Commonwealth of the Two Nations on May 3, 1791. The Mutual Pledge was adopted a little later, October 20.

Radziwill hopes that the close relations between the two countries will not be affected by the results of the general election to be held in Poland on Sunday or the Seimas election to be held in Lithuania next year.

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Lithuania's Constitutional Court accepts parlt appeal on Istanbul Convention

VILNIUS, Oct 13, BNS - The Constitutional Court of Lithuania said on Friday it had accepted the parliament's appeal asking it to rule whether the Istanbul Convention was in line with the country's Constitution.

The Constitutional Court is being asked to clarify whether the norms of the Istanbul Convention on gender from a social perspective, gender-based violence against women, and the inclusion of material on non-stereotypical gender roles in the official education curriculum, among other things, are compatible with the Constitution.

"The applicant, the Seimas, maintains that the Constitutional Court's finding as to whether the provisions of the convention are in conformity with the Constitution would be of fundamental importance for the Seimas in deciding whether to ratify the convention submitted to the Seimas by the president back in 2018," the Constitutional Court said.

The Constitutional Court is being asked to clarify whether the terms "social aspect of gender", "social gender", "non-stereotypical roles based on the social aspect of gender", "non-stereotyped gender roles" used in the convention are compatible with Lithuania's Constitution.

Speaker of the Seimas Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, who initiated the appeal, said earlier that Lithuania signed the Istanbul Convention ten years ago but has not managed to ratify it ever since, even though the arguments against it remain the same.

Experts from the Council of Europe say Lithuania could benefit from recommendations on curbing domestic violence. The Catholic Church and some politicians, however, argue that the convention may require Lithuania to change its concept of gender and introduce unacceptable attitudes towards homosexuality.

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Lithuania contributed to global peace in Mali, learned to work with allies – army chief

VILNIUS, Oct 13, BNS - Lithuania has contributed to stability and peace in the world by taking part in the international mission in Mali, and has also learned to work with its main ally, Germany, Lithuania's Chief of Defense Valdemaras Rupsys says.

"Perhaps the clear definition of our contribution is that we had a clear task of ensuring peace, ensuring appropriate conditions for the Malian society to live in and, of course, ensuring security there. In fulfilling that task and achieving those objectives, we have probably made a huge contribution not only to stability in that region, but to stability and peace in the world in general, and we have been part of a contribution that could be made, and we have been part of a global, large, strategic mission," the general told reporters at a ceremony held to welcome back members of the Lithuanian National Defense Volunteer Force who returned from Mali on Friday.

This is the last group of Lithuania troops who took part in the UN mission MINUSMA in Gao, the eastern part of Mali.

Lithuanian troops were part of the German contingent that is also ending its its participation in the international operation.

There are still troops in Mali, participating in another EU mission, Rupsys said.

"In terms of our practical benefit, the lesson we have learnt from working troops from our main ally, German, is particularly important. It is an established friendship, the knowledge of procedures, the knowledge of tactics, which is, after all, part of national cooperation when the German army, the Bundeswehr, is here," Rupsys said.

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German brigade deployment in Lithuania "very complex operation", army chief says

VILNIUS, Oct 13, BNS – The deployment of a German brigade in Lithuania is a very complex operation, Lithuanian Chief of Defense Valdemaras Rupsys says.

"This is a very complex operation, the relocation or deployment of a German brigade to Lithuania for a permanent presence, it is a very complex operation, it is a complex task. It involves not only the relocation of military capabilities, but also a lot of other areas, such as infrastructure, social, education, medical. I probably could not list them all today," he told reporters in Vilnius on Friday.

He added, however, that the necessary planning and coordination at the political and military level are going very smoothly.

"In practice, the brigade will have to live in the same environment and enjoy the same guarantees and services that we, the Lithuanian population, have. It must be understood that even the planning cannot be done very quickly," the army chief said.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said earlier this week that Lithuania would have to put not only military infrastructure in place but also provide the so-called social infrastructure, such as schools and leisure facilities, for the German brigade.

Germany and Lithuania will work out a concrete plan for the deployment of around 4,000 troops and the installation of the necessary infrastructure by the end of this year, he said.

German troops will be deployed in Lithuania for three-year rotations, meaning that many of them will arrive with their families.

Berlin announced in June that it would permanently deploy a brigade in Lithuania once Lithuania has established permanent infrastructure, which Vilnius vows to do by 2026.

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Some 900 hoax bomb threats received in Lithuania but 'no reason to panic' – minister 

VILNIUS, Oct 13, BNS – Police have received about 900 false reports about explosives in schools, kindergartens and other places across Lithuania, but there is "no reason to panic", Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite said. 

"We have about 900 false reports, and I want to stress that these are false reports," Bilotaite told reporters.

"I am asking the public to remain calm and not to panic. Because the persons who initiate these actions apparently seek to create confusion and panic," the minister said.

"Let us not panic because there is really no reason to," she added.

Bilotaite said she met with law enforcement officials on Friday to discuss the services' "response algorithms".

"It was agreed that, by the end of the workday, the Police Department will prepare an appropriate response algorithm, both general and specific, which will be adapted to the relevant institutions, such as those in the field of health or social security," the minister said. 

"We need a lot of clarity and understanding of who has to do what," she said. 

The State Security Department said earlier on Friday that the series of hoax bomb threats to schools and kindergartens appear to be "a targeted and coordinated attack carried out at the initiative of hostile states".

Lithuanian officials are planning coordination meetings with their counterparts from Estonia, Latvia and Poland to decide on preventive measures against such incidents.

Under Lithuanian law, making a false report is an offense punishable by imprisonment for up to one year.

 

 

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Revolut Bank suspends card payments in Belarus

VILNIUS, Oct 13, BNS - Revolut Bank, a bank operating across Europe and having a banking license in Lithuania, has suspended card payments in Belarus as of Friday. 

"We finished our work a few minutes ago, and we are blocking card payments in Belarus as well from today," the bank told BNS on Friday afternoon.

Until now, Revolut Bank has allowed customers traveling to Belarus to make payments and withdraw cash, but only a limited amount. 

Siauliu Bankas completely stopped card payments in Belarus on Wednesday, while other major banks - Luminor, Swedbank and SEB - suspended the use of payment cards in Belarus in September.

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DS-1 terminates contract with Alvora on Orlen Lithuania reconstruction (expands)

VILNIUS, Oct 13, BNS – DS-1, a company building and installing engineering systems, has terminated its joint activity contract, worth tens of millions of euros, with Alvora, a construction company building energy infrastructure, for the upgrading of oil refining company Orlen Lietuva's (Orlen Lithuania) refinery in Mazeikiai after the latter caught the attention of law enforcement authorities.

The decision was on Friday confirmed by Vykintas Belickas, CEO of DS-1. For its part, Alvora's CEO says the contract termination won't affect he project.

"The contract has been terminated, we are no longer involved in this project and we will not be involved with Alvora in any format," Belickas told BNS.

He refrained to disclose who initiated the termination and why, citing confidentiality reasons. 

Alvora was awarded the contract to upgrade the Orlen Lietuva plan for 80 million euros in April after it previously also installed the strategically important Lithuanian-Polish gas pipeline (GIPL). The contract for the installation of engineering systems and energy infrastructure was signed by the project's general contractor, the UK's Petrofac.

The latter refrained to comment on the situation when approached by BNS: "Alvora should be contacted directly regarding Alvora or its subcontractors".

Martynas Pargaliauskas, CEO of Alvora, told BNS that the contract had been terminated by mutual agreement for commercial reasons, adding that both sides have no claims against each other.

"The changes in the contractual relations with DS-1 do not affect the pace of our works or the deadlines for implementation. We continue to carry out our obligations in accordance with the approved schedule, and we plan to complete the work on time," the Alvora CEO told BNS.

In his words, there is currently no need to look for a new joint venture partner

By Giedrius Gaidamavičius

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, October 11, 2023
2. Charter flight with 97 Lithuanian citizens departs Tel Aviv (expands)
3. Lithuanian finmin to attend IMF-World Bank annual meetings in Morocco
4. Lithuania reports 307 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
5. Lithuanian citizens advised against travel to Israel, Palestine – ministry
6. Baltic Sea gas pipelines need additional protection – Lithuanian energmin
7. Hamas attack on Israel 'not just a regional conflict' – Lithuanian formin
8. Lithuanian parlt board okays speaker's trip to Taiwan, Farmers and Greens MP opposes
9. Lithuania's InterMin suggests longer residence permits for Belarusians
10. Lithuania plans to send military plane from Turkey to Israel to evacuate citizens
11. Lithuanian ForMin calls London ambassador's statements false, demands refutation
12. Charter flight with 97 Lithuanian citizens from Israel lands in Vilnius
13. Work at Lithuania's embassy in London paralyzed, ambassador must be recalled – chair
14. Lithuania to step up patrols at Klaipeda LNG terminal 
15. Spartan to fly 35 Lithuanian citizens from Tel Aviv to Turkey Wednesday evening
16. Lithuania to carry out 3 new Ukraine reconstruction projects worth nearly EUR 1 mln
17. Lithuanian Post temporarily suspends mail deliveries to Israel
18. Lithuanian Post temporarily suspends mail deliveries to Israel (expands)
19. Govt backs plans for Lithuania's candidacy to chair UN WTO Executive Council
20. Lithuania's Siauliu Bankas suspends card payments in Belarus
21. Lithuania records four cases when Belarusian border guards tried to damage barrier
22. Lithuanian opposition unsuccessfully contest China's inclusion in unreliable supplier list
23. Ramallah office manager: no Lithuanians in Gaza, three mixed families in West Bank
24. Lithuania set to hand over NASAMS launchers, power generator to Ukraine – minister
25. Lithuanian daughter kidnapper to stand trial for illegal border crossing in Kaliningrad
26. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, October 12, 2023

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, October 11, 2023

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, October 11, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to hold a virtual meeting with candidates for heads of Lithuanian diplomatic representations at 2 p.m.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen  to meet with representatives of thnic minorities at 11 a.m.; to meet with Mykola Trofimenko, reactor of Mariupol University, at 1 p.m.

DEFENSE MINISTER Arvydas Anusauskas to attend NATO, Ramstein-format and Northern Group meetings in Brussels.

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

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Charter flight with 97 Lithuanian citizens departs Tel Aviv (expands)

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS – Over 140 people, including 97 Lithuanian citizens, left the Israeli city of Tel Aviv on a charter flight in the early hours of Wednesday and are expected to arrive in Lithuania in the afternoon.

The flight, arranged by Skyllence, a company of Gediminas Ziemelis' Avia Solutions Group, was delayed again last night after having been postponed twice.

"The plane finally took off at almost half past five in the morning," Skyllence CEO Vilma Vaitiekunaite told LRT Radio on Wednesday morning.

"The people are now en route to Bucharest, where they are expected to land at 7:40 a.m. local time. We anticipate their arrival in Lithuania at around 12:50 p.m.," she said.

According to Vaitiekunaite, there are "141 people and a baby" aboard the plane, including 97 Lithuanian citizens and 27 Israeli citizens. The rest are citizens of other countries.

The passengers include a group of around 40 pilgrims who were in the Israeli-occupied West Bank during Hamas' weekend assault on Israel. 

According to information provided by Lithuanian authorities over the weekend, around 7,000 Lithuanian citizens live in Israel and about 450 others were temporarily visiting the country.

On Tuesday, Lithuania dispatched the Armed Forces' Spartan transport plane to the region. The 38-seat aircraft will be on standby in Turkey for a week in case Lithuanian citizens need further evacuation flights from Israel.

Audrius Bruzga, Lithuania's ambassador to Lithuania, confirmed to LRT Radio that a Spartan flight could be organized on Wednesday if there are enough people willing to fly.

He said that there might be more than one flight and that people could be initially transported to Turkey or another European country.

Based on information available as of Wednesday morning, about 20 people who had expressed their wish to return to Lithuania were not on the Skyllence flight, according to the ambassador.

"We are waiting for information, and as soon as we reach a critical mass, we will see how many want to leave at the moment. Depending on that, we will organize a Spartan flight," Bruzga said.

"When we know the exact number of people who want to leave today, then the flight will take place," he added.

Vaitiekunaite said that her company was also ready to organize more flights if there is such a need.

Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel on Saturday, invading its territory and conducting rocket attacks. Israel retaliated with strikes on Gaza. Hundreds of people have been killed on both sides of the conflict.

 

 

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Lithuanian finmin to attend IMF-World Bank annual meetings in Morocco

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS – Lithuanian Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste is attending the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group in Morocco from October 11 to 15. 

The meetings bring together finance ministers and central bankers from around the world to discuss the world economic outlook, coordination between fiscal and monetary policies, a joint response to international challenges, and other issues, the Lithuanian Finance Ministry has said.

Further financial support for Ukraine will also be high on the agenda.

The program of Skaiste's visit also includes bilateral meetings with finance ministers from Ukraine, Moldova and Canada, as well as with representatives of the IMF and the World Bank, and other international financial institutions.

 

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Lithuania reports 307 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 307 new coronavirus infections and no deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Wednesday morning.

The 14-day primary infection rate has edged down to 118 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 21.9 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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Lithuanian citizens advised against travel to Israel, Palestine – ministry

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS – The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday tightened its travel advisory for Israel and Palestine to ''do not travel''. 

Those who are in Israel or Palestine are advised to take precautions, such as staying in hotels, homes or other safe places, avoiding windows, and carrying essential supplies, the ministry said in a press release.

As the security situation in the region is rapidly changing, it is necessary to remain vigilant and follow the news and local authorities' advice, and know the location of the nearest shelter, it said.  

The ministry also strongly advises against travel to certain areas of Israel and Palestine.

Currently, the situation is particularly tense on the border with Gaza, in Jerusalem and the West Bank, as well as in the Golan Heights in the north of Israel, and on the border with Lebanon and in the Jenin, Nablus and Hebron regions of Palestine.

Lithuanian citizens are strongly advised not to travel to the Gaza Strip.

Over 140 people, including 97 Lithuanian citizens, left the Israeli city of Tel Aviv on a charter flight in the early hours of Wednesday and are expected to arrive in Lithuania in the afternoon.

The passengers include a group of around 40 pilgrims who were in the Israeli-occupied West Bank during Hamas' weekend assault on Israel. 

On Tuesday, Lithuania dispatched the Armed Forces' Spartan transport plane to the region. The 38-seat aircraft will be on standby in Turkey for a week in case Lithuanian citizens need further evacuation flights from Israel.

According to information provided by Lithuanian authorities over the weekend, around 7,000 Lithuanian citizens live in Israel and about 450 others were temporarily visiting the country.

Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel on Saturday, invading its territory and conducting rocket attacks. Israel retaliated with strikes on Gaza. Hundreds of people have been killed on both sides of the conflict.

 

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Baltic Sea gas pipelines need additional protection – Lithuanian energmin

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS - The most vulnerable energy infrastructure in the Baltic Sea needs even more protection following Saturday's incident involving a gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia, Lithuanian Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys says.

"First of all, all of the most vulnerable infrastructure is offshore and is difficult to protect. Of course, NATO is already watching ships and movement near critical infrastructure," Kreivys told the public radio LRT on Wednesday. 

"Certainly, that infrastructure is protected at the NATO level and a lot of attention is paid to that. We probably need even an even higher level of surveillance, an even higher level of protection and, as the foreign minister mentioned, we probably need joint agreements and a division of labor on who does what," he added. 

On Tuesday, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabriel Landsbergis called for the creation of joint EU and NATO instrument to ensure the protection of energy facilities.

Kreivys says Finland, which has the Inkoo LNG terminal, Estonia, which can receive gas from the Incukalns gas storage facility in Latvia and the Klaipeda LNG terminal in Lithuania, and also Lithuania have ensured sufficient security of their gas supplies.

On Tuesday, Finland said the damage done to the Balticconnector pipeline last week was probably caused by external factors and it was investigating whether the damage was intentional and who caused it.

By Giedrius Gaidamavičius

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Hamas attack on Israel 'not just a regional conflict' – Lithuanian formin

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS - The Hamas attack on Israel is not just a regional conflict and could have wide-ranging geopolitical consequences "in the context of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and other ongoing conflicts", Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis says.

He shares his views during an informal video conference of EU foreign ministers on the situation in Israel and the Middle East.

"Lithuania's Foreign Minister stressed that the Hamas’ attack on Israel was not just a regional conflict and could have wide-ranging geopolitical consequences in the context of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and other ongoing conflicts," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement released on Tuesday.

Landsbergis stressed Israel's right to defend itself following the principles of international humanitarian law, and called on the European Union to get actively involved in the resolution of this conflict.

"Europe must contribute constructively to the solution. The Middle East region expects this from us," Landsbergis said.

The Lithuanian foreign minister is now in Oman where he's attending the 27th session of the EU-GCC Joint Ministerial Council.

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Lithuanian parlt board okays speaker's trip to Taiwan, Farmers and Greens MP opposes

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS – The Board of the Seimas on Wednesday gave the go-ahead for an official trip to Taiwan and Japan by Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, speaker of the Lithuanian parliament. 

MP Jonas Jarutis of the opposition Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LFGU) was the only member of the Board who thought that the speaker should not pay such a high-level visit to Taiwan.

"We were and remain the only ones in the world to open Taiwan's embassy in Vilnius, which significantly worsened our relations with China, both in terms of trade and various other aspects," Jarutis said during the Board's meeting. 

"I do not approve of this," the MP said. 

"If we could break it down, I would certainly approve of the visit to Japan, but not to Taiwan," he added.

Cmilyte-Nielsen noted that Taiwan opened a representative office, not an embassy, in Vilnius and that parliamentary leaders from other EU member countries have also visited the island with business delegations.

"The leader of the lower house of the Czech parliament visited Taiwan in the spring of this year with a very large business delegation," she said. "We are continuing and doing what a number of EU countries are doing, which is developing economic, cultural and other ties."

Vytautas Mitalas, head of the Freedom Party's political group in the Seimas, said that the visit to Japan and Taiwan is very important for Lithuania.

MP Andrius Mazuronis of the Labor Party said that the parliamentary speaker's visits should not require the approval of the Board. 

According to the Seimas' press release, the visit to Japan and Taiwan, scheduled for October 21-29, is part of Lithuania's recently approved Indo-Pacific strategy, which aims to develop economic and cultural ties with the region.

Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen will be accompanied on her visit to Taiwan by representatives of 14 Lithuanian companies and four business associations. The goal of the mission is to expand opportunities for cooperation in the fields of IT and innovation.

The speaker is scheduled to take part in Fintech Taipei 2023, Taiwan's largest financial technology event, attend events presenting business opportunities in Lithuania, visit the recently opened Lithuanian laser laboratory, and discuss economic cooperation opportunities with Taiwan officials.

The business mission will also include Lithuania's deputy finance minister, the head of financial market development at the central Bank of Lithuania, and representatives from the Innovation Agency and the Lithuanian Business Confederation.

Memoranda of understanding on health cooperation and double taxation avoidance are planned to be signed in Taiwan. 

From Taiwan, Cmilyte-Nielsen will travel to Japan, were she will hold meetings at the parliament and go to Mino, the hometown of Chiune Sugihara, to open Lithuania NOW, the biggest Lithuanian cultural event of the year in Japan.

China regards democratic and self-governing Taiwan as an integral part of its territory and vows to reclaim the island someday. 

Vilnius angered Beijing in 2021 when it allowed Taipei to open its representative office in the Lithuanian capital with the word "Taiwanese", rather than "Taipei's", in its name.

In response, Beijing downgraded its relations with Vilnius and blocked Lithuanian exports and imports. This led the European Union to launch in early 2022 a case at the World Trade Organization against China over its discriminatory trade practices against Lithuania.

 

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Lithuania's InterMin suggests longer residence permits for Belarusians

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS – Lithuania's Interior Ministry said on Wednesday it is proposing issuing longer-term residence permits to Belarusian citizens who cannot return to their country and they would need reniewing every three years, instead of annually right now.

Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite has drafted an amendment to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens to allow three-year temporary residence permits to be issued to foreigners who are unable to return to their country of origin.

The changes would apply to foreigners who are persecuted by a non-democratic regime, have suffered or are likely to suffer from repression by that regime, and are, therefore, unable to return to their country of origin.

Currently, such persons, mainly Belarusian nationals, are granted temporary residence permits for a maximum period of one year. 

"The situation in Belarus remains unchanged. Belarusians fleeing the regime's repression are still unable to return safely to their country. Our commitment to provide assistance to Belarusian citizens remains strong and will continue as long as necessary," Bilotaite was quoted as saying in the ministry's statement.

According to the minister, the decision to issue longer-term residence permits to Belarusians who have fled repression by the regime would also reduce the workload for Migration Department staff.

Lithuanian has issued more than 700 temporary residence permits have been issued to Belarusian citizens who have fled persecution in their country, data from the ministry shows.

Longer-term residence permits would solve another problem related to the issuance of a valid travel document to this category of foreigners when for objective reasons they cannot obtain a travel document issued in their country of origin, as Lithuanian alien's passports are issued for the same period of time as the temporary residence permit.

Under the proposal, the new legal provision would apply to all new and existing residence permit applications submitted by aliens who have not received decisions on their applications before the amendments came into force.

The Interior Ministry points out that the new amendment is part of the package of amendments submitted by the Interior Ministry in response to the Constitutional Court's ruling that the forced placement of migrants who have crossed the border illegally at special centers for six months is unconstitutional.

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Lithuania plans to send military plane from Turkey to Israel to evacuate citizens

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS – Lithuania's Spartan military transport aircraft is planning to fly from the Turkish city of Antalya to Tel Aviv on Wednesday to evacuate Lithuanian citizens who want to leave Israel amid its conflict with Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, the National Crisis Management Center (NCMC) confirmed. 

"As of today, there are over 30 Lithuanian citizens who want to leave Israel. The aircraft is preliminarily scheduled to fly to Israel today to evacuate our citizens," Darius Buta, chief advisor at the NCMC, told BNS. 

According to Buta, the 38-seat Spartan would fly back to Turkey with the first group of Lithuanian citizens and would wait there for the next group for evacuation. The state would help the people return from Turkey to Lithuania.

The exact time when the Lithuanian military aircraft would depart from Turkey to Israel is not known yet, according to the NCMC advisor. 

Jurgis Norvaisa of the Lithuanian Armed Forces confirmed that the Spartan landed in Turkey last night and is ready to take off to evacuate Lithuanians from Israel. However, he gave no further details.

Vilmantas Vitkauskas, the NCMC head, said earlier that the Spartan would likely be on standby in Turkey for a week in case more people need to be evacuated from Israel.

Over 140 people, mostly Lithuanian citizens, left the Israeli city of Tel Aviv on a charter flight in the early hours of Wednesday and are expected to arrive in Lithuania in the afternoon.

The passengers of the flight, arranged by Skyllence, a company of Gediminas Ziemelis' Avia Solutions Group, include a group of around 40 pilgrims who were in the Israeli-occupied West Bank during Hamas' weekend assault on Israel. 

The NCMC said that ten Lithuanian citizens could not be accommodated on this flight.

Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel on Saturday, invading its territory and conducting rocket attacks. Israel retaliated with strikes on Gaza. Hundreds of people have been killed on both sides of the conflict.

 

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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Lithuanian ForMin calls London ambassador's statements false, demands refutation

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS – Lithuania's Foreign Ministry has written to Ambassador to the United Kingdom Eitvydas Bajarunas, demanding that he refute his public statements made last week.

The letter, seen by BNS, states that the diplomat's press conference last week was not organized in accordance with the law and that the information provided to the public was false.

The Foreign Ministry has confirmed that it sent the letter last Friday, but refrained to comment on its content in detail. On Monday, the letter was forwarded to the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs, the government and the presidential office.

In the letter, the diplomat is reproached for his statements about representation expenses, mobbing and the activities of his spouse at the embassy.

Threats as a form of mobbing

The letter states that Bajarunas provided "false information", claiming that he was "unaware of complaints from staff".

"Over the past six months, you have had several conversations with the ministry's chancellor regarding verbal complaints made to her by staff members and the need to change work methods towards employees. This is also mentioned in the chancellor's email to you on September 11," the letter reads.

The Foreign Ministry also believes the ambassador is misleading the public by saying that he has not received any information about mobbing.

"(...) several training sessions on the application of this procedure have been exclusively held at the diplomatic mission under your leadership (which you have personally attended)," the document states.

At last week's press conference, Bajarunas said he was a demanding and active manager, working both weekdays and weekends, and that not everyone might like the way he worked.

"The '24/7 working principle' you refer to, forcing staff to work on weekends, is illegal and violates the provisions of the legislation regulating work and rest regimes, i.e. you admit that you are actually organizing the embassy's activities in violation of the existing legislation. Weekend work or overtime is only allowed with the written consent of staff and the recording of overtime hours," the letter reads.

When President Gitanas Nauseda visited London, Bajarunas invited him and his wife to see The Phantom of the Opera and paid for the tickets with the embassy's money. The ambassador later claimed it was a misunderstanding and he later paid out of his own funds.

However, the Foreign Ministry points out that this is also not true.

"The facts are that the tickets for the cultural event for the ambassador, the president and their spouses were paid for with the embassy card on May 4, 2023. On July 5, the expenditure was again approved by the ambassador when the revenue and expenditure statements were approved," the letter states.

No formal mandate

As regards the accusation that Bajarunas' wife, film director Giedre Zickyte, uses the embassy's vehicles and gives orders to embassy staff, the ambassador claimed that she's a person representing the state in an official capacity, receiving an official salary as the ambassador's wife, and carries out certain functions.

However, the Foreign Ministry's letter states that "the Law on the Diplomatic Service does not provide for any official mandate or obligation for diplomats' spouses to represent the state, nor do they have any obligation to perform any functions in connection with employment relationship with the embassy".

"In addition, spouses do not receive a salary," the ministry states.

The law stipulates that if a diplomat's spouse or partner is living with them, on top of their salary, the diplomat receives an allowance equal to half of the diplomat's monthly allowance for their expenses related to their work abroad.

"Upon request by the diplomat's spouse or partner, this allowance is paid to the spouse or partner. The spouse or partner of a diplomat who receives income in the context of an employment relationship or equivalent thereof is not entitled to this allowance," the letter states.

"Therefore, your spouse had no legal basis to "request transport or other staff's assistance", as you mention. You are, therefore, essentially admitting to abuse of office by using state property for purposes other than those of the service," it said.

Inspectors from Lithuania's Foreign Ministry visited the embassy on September 18-21 to assess the situation at the embassy and interview 13 embassy staff, including diplomats, special attachés, civil servants and contract staff, the delfi.lt news website reported.

The inspectors found that Bajarunas had been rude and impolite to employees, many of whom had been subjected to public insults, bullying, humiliating criticism and verbal aggression. Staff members pointed out to the ambassador's inability to separate his private and public interests, adding that he may be abusing his official position.

For his part, Bajarunas told a press conference last week he had become an instrument of political fight. However, he did not name whose political fight he has found himself in. He claimed to be s a demanding and active manager, working both weekdays and weekends, and someone might not like his principles of work. He also said no financial irregularities had been detected regarding the use of representation funds at the embassy.

President Nauseda has said staff embassy must understand that a diplomat's work does not fit into a normal regime, adding that it's a specific activity that requires the ability to adapt.

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

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Charter flight with 97 Lithuanian citizens from Israel lands in Vilnius

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS – A charter flight carrying over 140 people, including 97 Lithuanian citizens, from Israel landed in Vilnius on Wednesday.

The departure of the flight, arranged by Skyllence, part of Avia Solutions Group, from Tel Aviv was delayed again last night after having been postponed twice.

Skyllence CEO Vilma Vaitiekunaite told LRT Radio on Wednesday morning that "141 people and a baby" were aboard the plane, including 97 Lithuanian citizens and 27 Israeli citizens.

The passengers included a group of around 40 pilgrims who were in the Israeli-occupied West Bank during Hamas' weekend assault on Israel. 

According to information provided by Lithuanian authorities over the weekend, around 7,000 Lithuanian citizens live in Israel and about 450 others were temporarily visiting the country.

On Tuesday, Lithuania sent the Armed Forces' Spartan transport plane to the region. The 38-seat aircraft will be on standby in Turkey for a week in case more Lithuanian citizens need evacuation flights from Israel.

Hamas launched its surprise attack on Israel on Saturday, invading its territory and conducting rocket attacks. Israel retaliated with strikes on Gaza. Hundreds of people have been killed on both sides of the conflict.

 

By Greta Zulonaitė

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Work at Lithuania's embassy in London paralyzed, ambassador must be recalled – chair

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS - Work at the Lithuanian embassy in London is paralyzed due to the ongoing conflict with its staff, Zygimantas Pavilionis, chairman of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs Committee, says, adding that Ambassador Eitvydas Bajarunas must be recalled.

"We gave a stalemate situation and it should be addressed. I would very much like to see the institutions responsible for the appointment or removal of an ambassador to work together. That would be the best thing to do," he said.

"In my personal opinion, an ambassador who has not created conditions for their team to work and who has allowed such a conflict to develop can no longer be in office and must be recalled," the MP said.

The committee held a closed-door meeting on Wednesday and heard explanations from Bajarunas, Inga Cerniuk, chancellor at the Foreign Ministry, and members of the ministry's work council on the accusations of mobbing and abuse of office against the ambassador.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Lithuania to step up patrols at Klaipeda LNG terminal 

KLAIPEDA, Lithuania, Oct 11, BNS – Lithuania will step up patrols at the Klaipeda liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and port gates following a leak in an undersea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia, the Joint Threat Prevention and Crisis Management Group decided on Wednesday.

"In response to the damage to the gas pipeline connecting Finland and Estonia in the Baltic Sea (...), it was decided to intensify patrols at the LNG terminal and sea gates in Klaipeda, as well as to as to strengthen cooperation with allied countries regarding the protection of strategically important assets in the Baltic Sea, and to further raise this issue in international formats," the government's press office said. 

On Tuesday, Finland said last week's damage to the Balticconnector pipeline was probably caused by "external activity", adding that an investigation into the causes of the incident was underway. 

The Lithuanian government says that the protection of strategic energy assets has been continuously reinforced since the start of Russia's military invasion in Ukraine and the explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipeline in 2022.

 

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Spartan to fly 35 Lithuanian citizens from Tel Aviv to Turkey Wednesday evening

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS – The Lithuanian Armed Forces' Spartan aircraft is set to fly 35 Lithuanian citizens from the Israeli city of Tel Aviv to Turkey on Wednesday evening, according to Inga Cerniuk, the Foreign Ministry's chancellor. 

"At the moment, a  Spartan evacuation plan is also being prepared," Cerniuk told reporters. "We have 35 people registered for this flight, which is planned for around 8 p.m. today."  

"The plane should take off from Tel Aviv Airport and fly to Turkey, and from Turkey, (its passengers) should return (to Lithania) on scheduled flights depending on availability," she added. 

There are currently approximately 7,000 Lithuanian citizens in Israel, according to the chancellor.

A charter flight carrying over 140 people, including 97 Lithuanian citizens, from Israel landed in Vilnius earlier on Wednesday.

The flight  from Tel Aviv was organized by Skyllence, part of Avia Solutions Group.

The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday tightened its travel advisory for Israel and Palestine to ''do not travel''. 

Cerniuk said the update was prompted by the changing situation.

"Regular flights are not being operated, with many of them being canceled, and private flights are also becoming scarce, so the risk of being unable to leave the country is very high," she said.

The Spartan will be on standby in Turkey until October 15, according to the official.

By Greta Zulonaitė

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Lithuania to carry out 3 new Ukraine reconstruction projects worth nearly EUR 1 mln

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS – Lithuania is planning to carry out three new reconstruction projects in Ukraine, with almost 1 million euros to be allocated for the purpose.

The government on Wednesday gave the go-ahead for their implementation.

"The projects implemented by Lithuania are highly regarded both by Ukraine and by our partners, because we are actually doing things on the ground," Government Chancellor Giedre Balcytyte told the Cabinet.  

The new projects are a three-year 426,000-euro project entitled "3D Territorial Planning Tool for Ukrainian Municipalities", a five-month project, worth 500,000 euros, for "Equipping the Kindergarten Building and Improving the Outdoor Infrastructure in Borodyanka", and a six-month 68,000-euro school renovation project in the town of Snihurivka. 

According to Balcytyte, a long-term concept is currently being worked out "to stop burdening the government with each specific project" and to prioritize projects where Lithuania can contribute most effectively.

Lithuania has built a mobile residential camp for 36 families in Borodyanka and reconstructed a school in the town for 7.9 million. The country has also rebuilt a kindergarten in Irpin and carried out other projects.

 

 

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Lithuanian Post temporarily suspends mail deliveries to Israel

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS – Lietuvos Pastas (Lithuanian Post) is temporary suspending all mail deliveries, including letters, postcards and parcels, to Israel as of Wednesday.

"Mail delivery (to Israel) by air has become impossible, as logistics companies (...) have notify us of flight cancellations," the state-owned company said in a press release, commenting on the reason for the suspension. 

 

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Lithuanian Post temporarily suspends mail deliveries to Israel (expands)

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS – Lietuvos Pastas (Lithuanian Post, LP) is temporary suspending all mail deliveries, including letters, postcards and parcels, to Israel as of Wednesday.

"Mail delivery (to Israel) by air has become impossible as logistics companies (...) have notify us of flight cancellations," the state-owned company said in a press release, commenting on the reason for the suspension. 

LP spokesman Lukas Zadarackas said mail deliveries from Israel to Lithuania are not being suspended.

"So far, Israel Post has not informed us about the suspension of mail shipments from Israel," he told BNS.

LP has earlier suspended commercial mail shipments to Russia and Belarus.

 

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Govt backs plans for Lithuania's candidacy to chair UN WTO Executive Council

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS – The Lithuanian government on Wednesday approved the country's candidacy to chair the UN World Tourism Organization's Executive Council. In case of failure to do so, Lithuania would apply for the position of a vice chair.

"My team and I thought that Lithuania could try its hand at this election, to chair the Council for a year. If elected, we will show leadership, if not, we will work constructively within the Executive Council," Economy and Innovation Minister Ausrine Armonaite told a government meeting on Wednesday. 

The Economy and Innovation Ministry has been tasked with presenting the country's candidacy in Uzbekistan on October 20, and in case of failure, it has also been tasked to seek the position of a vice chair.

The ministry says the Council presidency would give Lithuania "high visibility and recognition", the country would have a direct influence on other members, adding that the position would not require additional public spending. 

Lithuania was elected to the WTO Executive Council for a four-year term in June, along with four other countries – the Czech Republic, Italy, Azerbaijan and Bulgaria. The WTO brings together 159 countries worldwide, of which 35 are elected to the Executive Council.

By Giedrius Gaidamavičius

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuania's Siauliu Bankas suspends card payments in Belarus

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS – Lithuania's Siauliu Bankas is completely suspending card payments in Belarus as of October 11, the bank said. From September until now, payments were restricted in some retail outlets.

This decision will not have a significant impact on the bank's customers, according to Simona Urbanaviciute, director of the bank's Fincrime Prevention Department 

Bank card payments in Russia have been suspended since March 2022. Payments between Lithuania and Russian and Belarusian entities were suspended in the fall of 2022.

Other major banks, including Luminor, Swedbank and SEB, suspended the use of their cards in Belarus in September.

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Lithuania records four cases when Belarusian border guards tried to damage barrier

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS - Persons from the Belarusian side attempted to damage the physical barrier on the Lithuanian side at four different places on Tuesday, Lithuania's State Border Guard Service reports.

The goal was to allow irregular migrants to cross into Lithuanian territory. However, Lithuanian border guards reacted swiftly and no people entered the country illegally.

All four violations, which took place between around 6 p.m. and midnight on Wednesday, were organized by Belarusian officers.

Lithuanian border guards have recorded a total of 73 attempts to deliberately damage the physical barrier on the border with Belarus so far this year. There were 467 such cases last year.

The SBGS says the Belarusian regime is orchestrating illegal migration attacks from the summer of 2021 in order to destabilize the situation in Lithuania and neighboring countries.

Lithuanian installed a physical barrier consisting of a concertina pyramid and a security fence along the majority of its border with Belarus in late 2022.

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Lithuanian opposition unsuccessfully contest China's inclusion in unreliable supplier list

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS – A group of Lithuanian opposition MPs have unsuccessfully appealed to the Constitutional Court against the government's decision to include China in the list of unreliable suppliers of software and computer systems.

In their petition filed in July, the 35 MPs challenged certain provisions of the Law on Public Procurement and the respective government resolution. However, the Constitutional Court in September returned the petition to the petitioners, stating that they failed to provide legal arguments to support their position.

This was not reported by the media at the time, but on Wednesday the court's decision was made public by Mindaugas Linge, chairman of the parliamentary Committee on Budget and Finance.

In their petition, the opposition MPs say that the contested legislation is flawed because it grants the government the right to "exclude a particular market entity from the market without examining its legal situation" and, without consulting the president and the parliament, "take decisions on key foreign policy issues (and) determine which countries pose a threat to national security". 

In its resolution adopted on March 30, 2022, the government added China to the list of unreliable countries producing, supplying and maintaining software and computer systems. It made the decision based on the Public Procurement Law and the National Security Strategy approved by the parliament.

"This did not sit well with some members of the Seimas, who turned to the Constitutional Court. Quietly, without any public announcements. This is not typical – usually those making appeals communicate the fact widely. Not in this case, where the intention was to protect China's interests while remaining unnoticed," Linge posted on Facebook on Wednesday.  

The Constitutional Court returned the petition, pointing out that while the MPs contest both the provisions of the Public Procurement Law and the government's resolution, their complaint is based solely on the latter.

The court also noted that although the MPs claim that the government's decision on foreign policy was not coordinated with the president and the Seimas, it is the parliament-approved National Security Strategy that states that China supports the expansion of private Chinese businesses in the West, while at the same time obliging them to act in its interests, including the unlawful collection and transfer of data to the government, and that this poses a threat to the security of the entire democratic world.

 

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Ramallah office manager: no Lithuanians in Gaza, three mixed families in West Bank

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS - There are no Lithuanians in Gaza, while three mixed families live in the West Bank, but they do not need help yet, Bertas Venckaitis, head of Lithuania's Representative Office in Palestine, says.

"The situation is changing not every hour, but every 30 minutes, every minute. (...) To the best of our knowledge, thank God, we do not have citizens in Gaza, while a number of EU member states do," Venckaitis told reporters on Wednesday from Ramallah in the West Bank.

"As for our citizens in the West Bank, we have three families, about 25 people in mixed families, mixed Palestinian-Lithuanian mixed. They have been living here for almost three decades, we know them, we are in contact with them but they have very deep roots in Palestine. We have not received any requests from them to leave Palestine," the diplomat said.

Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel on Saturday, invaded its territory and launched rocket attacks. Israel launched retaliatory strikes against Gaza and has also stepped up security in the occupied West Bank.

"Access to the West Bank is restricted to the maximum extent possible. It is not impossible, but it is extremely difficult to move in the West Bank, even for officials with diplomatic accreditation," said Venckaitis said.

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Lithuania set to hand over NASAMS launchers, power generator to Ukraine – minister

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS - Lithuania is set to hand over NASAMS air defense system launchers and power generators to Ukraine soon, the Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas presented Lithuania's defense plans to Ukraine at a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, and also meetings of Northern Group defense ministers and the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the Ramstein format on the sidelines of the NATO meeting.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting for the first time.

"The issue of military support to Ukraine is becoming a matter of internal political debate, but the support being provided remains a key factor in Ukraine's defense. Lithuania will continue to stand by its commitments to support Ukraine and we will stand with Ukraine until victory," Anusauskas said.

Lithuania purchased the NASAMS launchers for Ukraine for 9.8 million euros from Norway's Kongsberg.

Anusauskas also reminded about the coalition for demining Ukraine that Lithuania is establishing.

"We thank the countries that have contributed or are considering contributing to the coalition being established. The priority at the moment is demining equipment Lithuania and other countries could help to acquire, and we are willing to allocate a significant part of our own funds for this purpose," the defense minister said.

In addition, Lithuania will order 155 mm ammunition for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, together with individual EU countries.

According to the Lithuanian minister, preparations for the winter have already started, and power generators and other equipment needed for the cold season will be handed over to Ukraine soon.

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Lithuanian daughter kidnapper to stand trial for illegal border crossing in Kaliningrad

VILNIUS, Oct 11, BNS – A Lithuanian man who kidnapped his nine-month-old daughter and took her to Russia will stand trial for illegal border crossing in Kaliningrad, a court has said.

Algirdas Svanys, 37, took his daughter and crossed the Russian border illegally from Lithuania using his inflatable boat. He took food, warm clothes and documents with the intention of taking the child away from her mother.

According to the court's statement, his actions are deemed an illegal crossing of the Russian state border without a mandatory permit. The report states that Svanys is a Russian citizen.

The 15min.lt new website was the first to report on Wednesday that Svanys' case had reached a court in the Russian region of Kaliningrad.

The girl was taken to Russia on August 27. On that day, her mother contacted the police and reported that Svanys had failed to return the child at the agreed time. It was later found that the man had crossed the Rover Skirvyte in Lithuania's Silute District, crossing the Lithuanian-Russian border.

The child was returned to her mother on September 5 when she went to Kaliningrad. And they came returned to Lithuania the same day.

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, October 12, 2023

VILNIUS, Oct 12, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, October 11, 2023:

PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to meet with Israeli Ambassador Hadas Wittenberg Silverstein at 11 a.m.

DEFENSE MINISTER Arvydas Anusauskas attending a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels.

FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to continue his working visit to Egypt.

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