LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Lithuania turns away 16 irregular migrants on border with Belarus
2. Lithuania’s formin to meet with Dutch counterpart in The Hague
3. Lithuanian president: we will offer Latvia assistance in combating irregular migration
4. Protest against PM Gintautas Paluckas, ruling coalition actions to be staged in Vilnius
5. Presidential office against Paulavicius' reinstatement before probe ends – advisor
6. Polish minister: controls at Lithuanian border to continue beyond August 5 - BNS EXCLUSIVE
7. Poland introduced border controls over domino effect, not real danger – advisor
8. Lithuania turns to EU for compensation for evacuation of Lithuanians from Israel
9. Location for new military training ground in Lithuania to be selected from four areas
10. Polish border checks will show true illegal migration situation – Lithuanian intermin
11. Remains of six freedom fighters found in Lithuania's Rokiskis District
12. Lithuanian border guards detain four irregular migrants from Latvia
13. Lithuanian authorities hope to speed up talks on 2nd phase of Rudninkai training area
14. Lithuanian president: Russia's aggressive intentions are not rhetoric, but reality
15. Lithuania can increase net defense spending by 6.1 pct this year, 5.2 pct by 2028 – ECOFIN
16. Lithuanian cynologist, service dog apprehend 11 illegal migrants in Latvia

Lithuania turns away 16 irregular migrants on border with Belarus

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have turned away 16 migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally over the past 24 hours, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Tuesday morning.

Latvia reported 52 illegal border crossing attempts on Monday. Poland denied entry to 57 irregular migrants on Sunday, according to the latest available information.

Lithuania has barred nearly 950 irregular migrants from entering from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year, after turning away 1,002 in 2024.

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

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Lithuania’s formin to meet with Dutch counterpart in The Hague

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS – Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys will travel to The Hague on Tuesday to meet with his Dutch counterpart Caspar Veldkamp to discuss bilateral relations and support for Ukraine.

The Foreign Ministry reported that the two countries' top diplomats would discuss bilateral political and economic cooperation and further measures to mobilize and strengthen support for Ukraine.

During the meeting, the ministers will also discuss issues related to the strengthening of European security, European Union enlargement, and competitiveness, according to the ministry’s press release.

During his visit, Budrys will visit a memorial dedicated to the victims of the MH17 plane crash.

The plane crashed in 2014 over eastern Ukraine, and Moscow-backed separatists who had seized the Ukrainian regions of Luhansk and Donetsk are accused of shooting it down.

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Lithuanian president: we will offer Latvia assistance in combating irregular migration

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS – Lithuania intends to offer Latvia assistance in combating irregular migration, President Gitanas Nauseda has said.

“We are committed and, I would say, will even offer very friendly assistance to our northern neighbor Latvia, which is apparently still experiencing certain waves of that irregular instrumentalized migration, in order to reduce that flow after all,” Nauseda said in a video comment from the Curonian Spit resort of Nida.

He made the remarks on Monday after Poland reintroduced internal border controls with Lithuania temporarily. The president said that such restrictions within the Schengen area “are not very welcome.”

According to the country's leader, Lithuania is currently “not presented as an attractive spot” for illegal border crossings, so there are not many such attempts, but more intense movement is seen in other places.

“In other places, we are seeing much more intense attacks on the border, if I can put it that way. As a result, quite a few citizens who have crossed the Latvian border illegally and are then moving towards Germany via Lithuania and Poland are being detained,” Nauseda said.

“This is where the root of the problem lies. Once we deal with the root of the problem, these extraordinary measures will no longer be necessary,” he assured.

Poland re-introduced border controls on its borders with Germany and Lithuania temporarily on July 7 to stop illegal migration from Belarus. Vehicles are checked at 13 crossing points along the Lithuanian-Polish border, with controls carried out on a random basis.

Lithuanian Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic said over the weekend that border controls would be restored for a month, until August 5, but Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak later stated they would be continued longer.

Data provided to BNS by the State Border Guard Service on Monday night showed that no traffic jams had formed in the direction of Poland. According to the border guards’ representative, if Warsaw continues to apply the current methods of checks, it can be assumed that there will be no queues during the entire month when the restored controls are in place.

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Protest against PM Gintautas Paluckas, ruling coalition actions to be staged in Vilnius

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS – A rally will be staged on Tuesday in Vilnius' Independence Square against Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas' former and current business activities and the actions of the ruling coalition.

After the rally, participants of the protest will march to Vincas Kudirka Square, where the government is headquartered.

“The first six months of this coalition's rule have been marked by attacks on media independence, the legalization of corruption and dishonesty, and the undermining of national security,” according to a call to the protest made on social media.

According to Gabrielius Grubinskas, representative of the local authority of Vilnius, a permit has been issued for a rally with up to 4,000 participants.

“The guarantor of democracy – a free media – is being undermined by throwing mud at the journalists who expose corruption, threats to the national broadcaster with a politicized audit, and filling the LRT [national broadcaster’s] council with people close to the president,” the rally organizers said, criticizing the government.

“The coalition's motto has become ‘Let's not exaggerate.’ Enough! It's time to say, ‘Let's exaggerate,’” the organizers said.

They demand that Paluckas provide “clear and documented answers” about his past and present business activities, terminate the coalition with the Nemunas Dawn party, and halt all initiatives “aimed at easing the responsibility of politicians at all levels involved in the ‘receipt scandal’”.

They also claim that President Gitanas Nauseda should take responsibility for the situation and apologize.

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Presidential office against Paulavicius' reinstatement before probe ends – advisor

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS – An advisor to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says that reinstating Colonel Elegijus Paulavicius as head of the country's military intelligence before an investigation into his conduct towards his subordinates is completed would only further complicate the situation.

"No, it would probably only complicate the whole situation even more in this case. (...) Let the investigation be completed first and then decisions be made, not the other way around," Frederikas Jansonas told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Tuesday.

Last week, the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense recommended that Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene should reinstate Paulavicius as the director of the Second Investigation Department, but the minister refuses to do so.

The president and Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas consider this whole story to be an expression of emotions.

Jansonas hopes the investigation into Paulavicius' conduct to be "swift and clear", adding, however, that if the minister's suspicions about the unbearable working atmosphere at the SID are not confirmed, she will have to apologize.

"If they are not confirmed, I think the minister will find the courage within to apologize because we are talking about very serious matters involving very important state institutions," the presidential advisor said.

In his words, the president believes that everyone involved in this case should "take a breath, calm down and think about the country first".

As BNS reported earlier, Sakaliene signed an order to transfer Paulavicius to the Defense Ministry's temporary reserve of professional military service personnel without waiting for his term to expire in mid-August.

The minister told reporters that she was forced to take this step after receiving complaints from employees about "very serious irregularities" and added that Paulavicius could not continue working in this position with the investigation into his treatment of his subordinates ongoing.

In response to the minister's decision to ignore the recommendation, the CNSD will ask Sakaliene to submit three candidates to the committee for consideration, although the defense minister can unilaterally appoint a new head of the SID.

By Saulius Jakučionis

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Polish minister: controls at Lithuanian border to continue beyond August 5 - BNS EXCLUSIVE

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS – Controls reintroduced on Monday at Poland’s border with Lithuania due to secondary migration will continue beyond August 5, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak has said.

“We hope that through joint efforts we will be able to block this route. It is difficult for me to estimate now how long this will take, but it will definitely be longer than 30 days,” Siemoniak said in an interview with BNS and several foreign news agencies.

“The Schengen Borders Code, which we are relying on, states that such controls may be introduced for 30 days and then extended. Therefore, the order issued last Thursday on this matter refers to 30 days. However, it is clear to us that these controls should continue as long as the reasons for their introduction remain,” the minister said.

He made these remarks after Lithuanian Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic said over the weekend that border controls would be restored for a month, until August 5.

Under the Schengen Borders Code, if necessary, border controls may be extended for a maximum period of 30 days, but the total period cannot exceed six months.

Poland has announced that vehicles will be checked at 13 crossing points along the Lithuanian-Polish border, with controls carried out on a random basis.

Permanent additional checks are carried out at three border crossing points between Lithuania and Poland: Budzisko-Kalvarija (road), Lazdijai-Ogrodniki (road) and Mockava-Trakiszki (railway).

According to the Polish minister, this arrangement is optimal at present.

“We believe that we will simply respond to developments in the situation, but, as I said, the current configuration of border crossing points, in our opinion, is optimal,” Siemoniak said.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda earlier described the decision to temporarily resume checks on people crossing the Polish borders with Lithuania and Germany as a capitulation to irregular migration.

Germany has also introduced such checks, which have been in place since the end of 2023.

Siemoniak reiterated that Poland would abandon these checks if Berlin did so.

When asked whether Lithuania should follow Poland's suit and reinstate border controls with Latvia, he said he did not want to interfere in the internal politics of other countries.

“It is not our job to tell anyone what they should do or what steps they should take,” Siemoniak told BNS and foreign media.

“However, we believe that we should act on the basis of cooperation, and our offer of cooperation undoubtedly applies to you as well,” the minister added.

Siemoniak noted that he had recommended to the European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, to allocate additional funds to Lithuania and Latvia for border protection.

“I recently spoke with the European Commission member responsible for national borders about how to provide financial support to Lithuania and Latvia in terms of strengthening their borders,” the Polish minister said.

“Together with Minister Kondratovic, we believe that this is a common problem and we will work together to solve it,” he added.

Data provided to BNS by the State Border Guard Service on Monday night showed that no traffic jams had formed in the direction of Poland. According to the border guards’ representative, if Warsaw continues to apply the current methods of checks, it can be assumed that there will be no queues during the entire month when the restored controls are in place.

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Poland introduced border controls over domino effect, not real danger – advisor

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS - Warsaw introduced border controls on the Polish-Lithuanian border because of Germany's decision to do so on its border with Poland, an advisor to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says.

"Even if Latvia has problems, in this case they are not of such a magnitude as to necessitate closing the borders. This is more of the same domino effect I mentioned than a real solution to a problem that does not exist," Frederikas Jansonas told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Tuesday.

Poland introduced border controls on its internal border with Lithuania on Monday. President Gitanas Nauseda has said that such restrictions in the Schengen area "are not very welcome".

Poland has announced that it will randomly check vehicles at 13 locations. Right now, additional controls are in place at three Lithuanian-Polish border crossing points: Budzisko-Kalvarija, Lazdijai-Ogrodniki and Mockava-Trakiszki.

Lithuanian Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic said at the weekend that controls would be reinstated for a month, until August 5. However, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak later said they would last longer.

Warsaw says border controls were re-introduced to stop secondary illegal migration where people from Belarus first enter Latvia and then move to Poland via Lithuania.

By Saulius Jakučionis

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Lithuania turns to EU for compensation for evacuation of Lithuanians from Israel

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS – Lithuania's Transport and Communications Ministry has turned to the European Union for compensation for a Chapman Freeborn flight to bring Lithuanians evacuated from Israel back to Lithuania.

"In accordance with the existing procedure, the Transport and Communications Ministry has submitted an application to the EU for compensation for the Chapman Freeborn evacuation flight,” the National Crisis Management Center, which coordinated the evacuation process, told BNS.

A decision on the compensation has not yet been made yet, pending an official assessment by the European Commission, which could take several months, the center said.

BNS reported earlier that Lithuania is seeking 75 percent in compensation, which would be around 140,000 euros. According to the NCMC, this is the standard EU reimbursement rate.

Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has assured that around 100 people flown back to Vilnius from Jordan's Aqaba airport will not have to pay for their evacuation.

"Lithuania expects the full amount requested will be financed as Lithuania believes that all the necessary conditions for receiving compensation have been met," the center said.

Chapman Freeborn, which operated the flight, is a charter company that is part of Avia Solutions Group, an aviation business group owned by businessman Gediminas Ziemelis.

The choice of this company has been criticized by some politicians and the public.

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Location for new military training ground in Lithuania to be selected from four areas

Rudninkai, Jul 08, BNS – The location for a new brigade-sized training ground in Lithuania is being selected from four areas, Deputy Defense Minister Orijana Masale confirmed to BNS on Tuesday.

“Our military is currently visiting specific selected locations. We have narrowed the list down to four, and after all the final inspections, we will make a decision,” she told BNS in Rudninkai, Salcininkai District.

According to Masale, the national defense system initially evaluated seven potential sites.

The Defense Ministry earlier said that Lithuania was seeking to establish not one but two new training grounds. One of them should definitely be brigade-sized, covering about 20,000 hectares. Decisions on the size of the other training ground are still to be made.

According to Masale, it would also be useful for the army to have more training areas – places where military equipment could maneuver but not fire – but the main goal now is to find locations for training grounds.

The deputy minister also said that representatives of the national defense system are continuing meetings with municipalities to agree on specific benefits for regions that allow training grounds to be established in their territory.

It is not yet clear how long it could take to set up the training grounds, but preliminary estimates suggest that it could take up to four years.

A site is being sought in Lithuania for a new brigade-sized military training ground with a view to creating a national division and in view of the growing number of allied troops, conscripts and reserves, and acquisition of new military equipment.

Last fall, the Seimas decided to establish training areas in the districts of Taurage and Silale, where shooting will not be permitted.

There are nine training grounds in total in the country.

By Paulius Perminas, Saulius Jakučionis

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Polish border checks will show true illegal migration situation – Lithuanian intermin

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS - Poland's resumed checks on its borders with Lithuania and Germany will reveal the true situation around illegal migration, Lithuanian Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic says.

"Of course, it's bad that have these checks because the spirit of Schengen is about free movement. But perhaps one of the instruments is to check and to make sure that there are no such flows here, and to show Germany that these are not the numbers that are causing Germany to experience an influx of illegal migration, and perhaps that will help them to make a decision to end their resumed checks on their border with Poland," the minister told BNS on Tuesday.

He pointed out that year 352 illegal migrants were detained in Lithuania in the first six months of this year after entering Latvia illegally from Belarus and they then tried to reach Western Europe, mostly Germany, via Lithuania and Poland.

According to the State Border Guard Service, this flow of illegal secondary migration from Latvia has increased 2.5 times in the first half of this year, compared to the same time last year.

"Approximately two people per day. It may not seem like a big number. I do hope this flow will not turn out to be much higher because we can see that there are a lot of attempts to cross the border, sometimes up to 100 per day in Latvia," Kondratovic said.

Lithuania has sent 24 officers with service dogs and mobile teams to help the Latvians guard their border, the minister said, adding that Latvia has not requested any other assistance.

Poland restored border controls on its border with Lithuania on Monday.

According to the interior minister, the first day of border checks did not cause any congestion. Lithuania was not informed of the detention of any illegal migrants were detained during the first day of checks.

Kondatovic does not rule out that border checks might last more than a month. Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak has also hinted at this.

"(...) We know that Germany has had these resumed border checks for a long time, as far as I have heard, and Poland's decision on these checks will depend on Germany," he said.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Remains of six freedom fighters found in Lithuania's Rokiskis District

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS - The remains of six post-war partisans have been found in Juzintai, in Lithuania's northeastern district of Rokiskis, the Genocide and Resistance Research Center of Lithuania said on Tuesday.

The remains were found near the old cemetery, a few hundred meters from the former KGB headquarters in Juzintai.

According to the report, the remains were fund in three separate pits. Archaeologists are carrying out archaeological research expect to find more remains in the third pit, and the work will continue until July 9.

"Some of the remains were covered with barbed wire and large stones from the dismantled cemetery fence, as the occupiers were trying to prevent the relatives from digging up and giving a dignified burial to their relatives," the statement said.

Anthropological research and identification of these remains is set to start soon to reveal the exact death circumstances, the fatal wounds, the ages of the dead, etc. Preliminary examination shows that there were both shots and blows that could have caused the death of the freedom fighters.

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Lithuanian border guards detain four irregular migrants from Latvia

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS – Lithuanian border guards from Siauliai have detained four illegal migrants in Joniskis District after they entered the country from Latvia and were being driven by two Estonian nationals, the State Border Guard Service said on Tuesday.

Just before midnight from Saturday to Sunday, the border guards stopped a Honda CR-V car with Estonian license plates, which had just entered Latvia, near the village of Kalviai in Joniskis District. 

According to the SBGS, there are no permanent checks in that locations as its close to the EU internal border, but border guards an randomly checks vehicles, looking for illegal migrants.

"The Honda CR-V female driver, 37, presented documents issued to non-citizens. These are usually former Soviet Union citizens who have the right to reside in Estonia but have not acquired citizenship of Estonia or any other country," the service said.

There were five passengers in the car, including an Estonian resident, 42, and four Eritrean and Ethiopian nationals, aged between 19 and 23. They had no documents.

According to preliminary data, these irregular migrants illegally crossed the border from Belarus to Latvia and then planned to reach Western Europe via Lithuania and Poland.

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Lithuanian authorities hope to speed up talks on 2nd phase of Rudninkai training area

RUDNINKAI TRAINING AREA, Salcininkai District, Jul 08, BNS – With the initial developers of the Rudninkai training area and military campus announcing their intention to complete the first phase of development of the site ahead of schedule, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry says it will make efforts to speed up the selection of companies for further construction.

Eika Construction (formerly Eikos Statyba), which is implementing the first phase of construction at the training area under a contract worth 125 million euros, says it intends to complete it six months earlier than planned.

As regards the second phase, which will be implemented through a public-private partnership (PPP) model, companies were to be selected and contracts were to be signed by the end of the year, but Deputy Defense Minister Orijana Masale says it is possible to speed up this deadline if businesses are willing to cooperate.

On Tuesday, she made a presentation to journalists about the progress of the project at the Rudninkai training area in Salcininkai District.

“Negotiations, like tango, are a dance for two. At this point, if we do not have any legal disputes on the business side, if businesses come to the negotiations properly prepared, then yes, we are already working day and night on our side, our procurement committee is working day and night to be properly prepared for those negotiations,” Masale said.

“I won't hide it, even the ambition to have a contract by the end of the year is already very big. So if we manage to do it a little earlier, it will be another piece of good news for this project,” she added.

The second phase of development of the Rudninkai military campus has been divided into three parts. The construction cost of one part will amount to approximately 400 million euros, and the total commitments of the state may reach approximately 1.8 billion euros (including VAT).

A tender for the second phase ended in early June, but the ministry has not disclosed how many applications it received. Each company will be able to participate in no more than two of the three parts of the project.

Masale said that the ministry is already finishing evaluating all of the documents submitted, of which there are approximately 14,000 pages.

“The evaluation process is coming to an end, and comments are already being sent to companies asking them to provide certain information, make adjustments, correct technical errors if there are any, and so on. We hope to begin the negotiation stage as early as in July,” the deputy minister said.

According to her, negotiations with potential contractors are divided into three parts: technical, legal, and financial.

“Is it possible to do something faster, as businesses would like? It certainly is, if we are all properly motivated and seek the best solution for the Lithuanian state,” Masale said.

Hopes that Lithuanians will be allowed to train in Rudninkai

The Rudninkai military campus, which is important for German troops, is being built approximately one and a half kilometers from the village of Rudninkai, and the project is scheduled for completion by 2027.

Berlin has committed to deploying a brigade of troops in Lithuania by the end of 2027.

Masale said it is being discussed that both Lithuanian and all other allied troops could conduct exercises at the Rudninkai training area, although only Germans are planning to live there.

According to the deputy minister, it is expected that it will be possible to hold combat shooting exercises at the Rudninkai training area as early as by the end of this year or early next year.

During the first phase of development, Eika Construction will build part of the infrastructure for the future military campus, allowing part of the German brigade to move in before the completion of the entire campus. This phase also includes the development of shooting ranges, which will allow training to begin at the training area before 2027.

Almantas Cebanauskas, CEO of Eika Construction, reiterated that the company intends to complete the first phase of the project six months ahead of schedule.

According to him, one of the biggest challenges of the project is the pace and changing requirements during the course of the work.

“We sometimes joke with our colleagues that we are driving on a highway at 140 [kilometers per hour], and then something changes and we then have to keep the car on that road together with the customer because, in reality ... to both design and start construction within 11 months, it is really impossible to carry out the work in a consistent manner when one thing is done after another. Everything is going in parallel,” Cebanauskas told reporters at the Rudninkai training area on Tuesday.

“The biggest challenges are still certain specific requirements ... and needs are changing, too. Not fundamentally, but there are changes, and we need to respond to them in time,” he added.

Four billion euros worth of military infrastructure

Around 200 military infrastructure projects are currently being developed across Lithuania, and their total value will reach approximately 4 billion euros over the next four years.

According to Masale, the projects include construction in Rudninkai, the Siauliai Air Base, and elsewhere. Military logistics facilities are also being built throughout the country.

In order to manage the large number of projects, the Defense Ministry’s Infrastructure Management Agency (IMA), which is responsible for the development of military infrastructure, is currently being reorganized.

“We want to bring together professional managers who, of course, have extensive knowledge of construction, engineering, and project management. But just as important to us are experts who know public procurement, who know the law, who know finances. After all, the people who will be working here will be working with ensuring transparency, because that is also an important aspect,” Masale said.

According to her, it is planned that over the next eight to nine months, the IMA staff will grow from 80 to 140 people, the agency will be reorganized, and its budget will reach approximately 11 million euros per year.

“For instance, strategic departments and divisions are being created and they are dedicated solely to the German brigade projects, to the projects of Lithuania’s national division, and to electronic security systems, because it is equally important to ensure the security of such buildings. In short, this is a huge reform,” the deputy defense minister said.

As reported previously, Lithuania, which is increasing its defense funding, is investing not only in the hosting of German and other allies, but also in the expansion of its own army.

By 2030, the army plans to develop a division and, to achieve this goal, tanks will be purchased for the first time in the history of independent Lithuania as well as other heavy equipment.

In 2026-2030, Lithuania's defense funding should reach about 5-6 percent of gross domestic product.

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Lithuanian president: Russia's aggressive intentions are not rhetoric, but reality

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS – It is necessary to convince allies that Russia's aggressive intentions are not rhetoric but reality, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said during a meeting with the country’s diplomats on Tuesday.

“We could feel truly dignified at the recent NATO summit in The Hague, where the Alliance's historic commitment to increase defense spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035 was confirmed. Lithuania is moving at its own pace: we will reach 5 percent of GDP for defense next year,” the president said.

“We must continue convincing our allies, especially those further west and south, that Russia's aggressive intentions are not rhetoric but reality, and that no European country can feel safe if it is unprepared,” Nauseda noted.

During the meeting with the heads of Lithuanian diplomatic missions, Nauseda paid particular attention to issues of national security and defense, the presidential office said in a press release.

Much attention was devoted to support for Ukraine and Lithuania's role in international organizations.

“Europe will have to take greater responsibility for Ukraine's future. Lithuania is ready to continue to set an example,” the country's leader said.

The president called on diplomatic missions to strengthen diaspora policy, expand cultural and scientific diplomacy, and prepare adequately for the presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2027.

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Lithuania can increase net defense spending by 6.1 pct this year, 5.2 pct by 2028 – ECOFIN

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS - The European Union's Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) on Tuesday endorsed the European Commission's recommendations on the application of the so-called national escape clause, meaning that the average annual growth of Lithuania's net spending should not exceed 5.2 percent between 2025 and 2028, including 6.1 percent this year alone, the Finance Ministry said today.

"The Council's decisions on spending limits and the approved defense clause are very important for us in shaping Lithuania's fiscal policy over the upcoming years," Finance Minister Rimantas Sadzius was quoted as saying in the statement. 

Under the proposal, Lithuania should maintain the maximum rate of net expenditure growth.

During its negotiations with the EC, the Finance Ministry managed to secure a faster net expenditure growth than foreseen in the Commission's initial guidelines for Lithuania.

The national escape clause has been approved for 15 countries. For example, Latvia will be able to increase its spending by an average of 4.1 percent over four years, Estonia by 4.8 percent and Poland by 4.6 percent.

The national escape clause covers a period of four years (2025-2028) and a maximum of 1.5 percent of GDP in flexibility. In practice, this activation means that the Commission and the Council may decide not to open a new excessive deficit procedure for these 15 member states, even though they exceed the maximum net expenditure path as approved by the Council, provided that this excess is due to increased defense spending.

Thereafter, member states commit themselves to staying within the 3 percent of GDP deficit limit set by the EU's fiscal discipline rules.

In March, the EC proposed relaxing the bloc's fiscal rules and allowing countries to spend much more on defense. The 1.5 percent GDP clause could free up 650 billion euros over four years.

Lithuania plans to spend an additional 12-13 billion euros on defense by 2030, which would raise defense spending to 5-6 percent of GDP. This is to be done by borrowing first and then covering part of the costs through tax increases and economic growth.

Lithuania aims to increase defense funding to develop an army division by 2030.

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuanian cynologist, service dog apprehend 11 illegal migrants in Latvia

VILNIUS, Jul 08, BNS – A German Shepherd from the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service and its handler have apprehended 11 illegal migrants in Latvia after they entered the country from Belarus.

Cynologist Artur Mavlev and his four-year-old dog are currently working at the Silene Border Police Guard Station, helping Latvian border guards to deal with illegal migration. They were within the border section protected by this station on Tuesday morning when the dog smelled tracks and started leading his handler and another border guard deep into Latvia where a group of people was found about ten kilometers away.

The people did not resist, did not run away and obeyed Mavlev and his Latvian colleague's demand to lie down on the ground.

The 11 detained migrants were all adults, according to initial data, and the group included five women and five men who identified themselves as Somali nationals, and another man claimed to be a Syrian national.

They were escorted to the nearest village where they were intercepted by Latvian officials.

Currently, eight Lithuanian border guards, including two cynologists with service dogs, are working in Latvia.

In total, almost more than 6,000 irregular migrants have been refused entry to Latvia this year.

 

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LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Monday, July 7, 2025
2. Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
3. Lithuania voices protest to Russia over its largest drone assault on Ukraine
4. Lithuanian president: border checks on travelers are capitulation to irregular migration
5. German president in Vilnius: your freedom is also our freedom
6. German president: Germany should organize cultural season in Lithuania
7. "It's a great honor": Australian rescuer of Lithuanian rower Mockus receives state award
8. Border guards rep: Lithuanian officers to regulate traffic flow at Polish border if needed
9. Wife of US serviceman who died in Pabrade: "I'm really grateful to Lithuanian community"
10. Eurogroup president to be elected on Monday with Lithuania's Sadzius among candidates
11. Heads of Lithuanian diplomatic missions holding annual meeting in Vilnius
12. Lithuania’s outgoing ambassador to United States to be appointed deputy foreign minister
13. Lithuanian PM: Germany's leadership in Europe is very important
14. FM: Lithuania's main foreign policy priority is to ensure national security
15. IEA director praises Lithuania for halting energy imports from Russia
16. Lithuanian finance minister withdraws from race for Eurogroup president
17. Lithuanian finance minister withdraws from race for Eurogroup president (expands)
18. Travelers face checks on Lithuanian-Polish border as Warsaw re-introduces border controls
19. Exit out of Lithuanian smooth as Poland re-introduces border – service
20. Baltics agree to step up cooperation in preparation for universal defense
21. Lithuania ready to launch cultural exchange program with Germany – Nauseda
22. NATO jets in Baltics scrambled once to identify Russian aircraft
23. Police launch pre-trial probe after Kaunas mayor hits pedestrian

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Monday, July 7, 2025

VILNIUS, Jul 07, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Monday, July 7, 2025:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda and PRESIDENT Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany to visit the Old Town of Klaipeda, then travel to Nida hosting cultural events to commemorate the 150th birth anniversaries of Thomas Mann, a German novelist and the Nobel Prize in Literature laureate, and Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis, Lithuania's most renowned composer and painter.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Saulius Skvernelis to meet with heads of Lithuanian diplomatic missions, missions to international organizations, and consular offices at 11 a.m.; to meet with Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, and the accompanying delegation at 1 p.m.

OTHER EVENTS

The Martynas Mazvydas National Library of Lithuania to host a presentation of Lithuania’s energy policy review prepared by the International Energy Agency (IEA) at 9 a.m., to be followed by comments to the media by Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas and IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol at 10.50 a.m.

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Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus

VILNIUS, Jul 07, BNS – Lithuanian border guards recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally for the third day in a row on Sunday, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Monday morning.

Latvia reported 85 illegal border crossing attempts on Sunday. Poland denied entry to 63 irregular migrants on Saturday, according to the latest available information.

Lithuania has barred 917 irregular migrants from entering from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year, after turning away 1,002 in 2024.

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

Lithuanian border guards have prevented around 23,900 people from crossing illegally from Belarus since the start of the migration crisis triggered by the neighboring country. The number includes repeated attempts by the same people to cross the border.

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Lithuania voices protest to Russia over its largest drone assault on Ukraine

VILNIUS, Jul 07, BNS – Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry on Friday summoned the acting charge d’affaires of the Russian Embassy in Lithuania to voice its protest over Russia's biggest drone and missile attack yet in the three-year war in Ukraine.

“Russia has once again been urged to immediately cease its illegal aggression against Ukraine, stop all hostilities, withdraw its armed forces from Ukrainian territory, and compensate Ukraine for all damage caused by Russia's military aggression,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The hours-long bombardments in the early hours of Friday sent Ukrainians scurrying for shelters across the country and came after a call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which ended without a breakthrough.

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Lithuanian president: border checks on travelers are capitulation to irregular migration

VILNIUS, Jul 07, BNS – Checks on travelers at Lithuania’s and Germany’s borders represent a capitulation to irregular migration, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has said.

“We can all probably agree that such internal controls taking place in the Schengen area reflect certain accumulated problems that we believe cannot be solved by other means. However, such measures must undoubtedly be temporary and must achieve results as quickly as possible and be terminated,” he told a press conference on Sunday.

According to Nauseda, Poland's decision to introduce checks from Monday night only shows that it is not yet possible to “ideally control” the external borders.

“But we must strive to do that and we must abandon as soon as possible those measures that are not characteristic of the European Union and which, let me put it this way, represent a temporary capitulation to the problem,” the Lithuanian leader said.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is visiting Lithuania, said that his country is trying to resolve the issue of irregular migrants together with Poland.

“Germany introduced these controls when large numbers of migrants arrived in the country... We are coordinating with Poland on how to resolve that situation. I hope that this will not lead to a long-term dispute between Germany and Poland,” he said.

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German president in Vilnius: your freedom is also our freedom

VILNIUS, Jul 07, BNS – Lithuania's security and freedom are an integral part of Germany's security and freedom, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is visiting Lithuania, has said.

“The German brigade is the most visible sign of our unity, an exemplary project of this turning point in history. Our soldiers here in Lithuania confirm our Alliance's promise, which means that your security is also our security, and your freedom is also our freedom,” he said on Sunday during a joint press conference with the Lithuanian president in Vilnius.

Germany has committed to permanently deploy a brigade of approximately 5,000 troops and civilians in Lithuania by the end of 2027.

According to Steinmeier, the decision to deploy a brigade in Lithuania also reflects the changing attitude of German society.

He recalled that about a decade ago, when he was foreign minister, it was decided to increase defense spending to 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), which the Germans viewed unfavorably due to their historical experience.

“Many people in Germany now view the deployment of the brigade in Lithuania positively. This shows that the society now understands that we need to invest more in defense. German society has realized that the European security architecture has changed, that it could be destroyed by Russian aggression, and that we must respond to this. We are therefore prepared to invest more in armaments and defense,” the German president said.

According to him, there is no shortage of volunteers in Germany who want to serve in Lithuania, but he also welcomed the discussions that have begun in the country on the reintroduction of compulsory military service.

“We must continue this discussion because if there are not enough volunteers joining the army, there will be gaps, and given the changed security situation in Europe, we will have no choice but to return to compulsory military service,” Steinmeier said.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda emphasized that cooperation between Lithuania and Germany in the field of security and defense has reached a historic level – a month ago, the permanently deployed German brigade “Lietuva” (“Lithuania”) was officially inaugurated in Vilnius.

In less than two years since the decision was made, international agreements were signed, infrastructure construction began in Rudninkai, Salcininkai District, the brigade headquarters was established, and the first soldiers arrived.

According to the Lithuanian leader, close cooperation is also taking place in the defense industry, with Lithuania's purchases from Germany already exceeding 2 billion euros. Lithuania is buying Leopard 2 tanks, Boxer armored vehicles, and PzH 2000 howitzers. Construction of a Rheinmetall ammunition factory will also begin in the country soon.

During their meeting in Vilnius, the presidents also discussed military mobility.

According to Nauseda, the needs of Lithuania alone in this area amount to 3.5 billion euros, so it is essential to ensure sufficient funding for strategic infrastructure projects.

The German president is visiting Lithuania on the occasion of State Day (Day of Coronation of King Mindaugas) and National Anthem Day.

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German president: Germany should organize cultural season in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Jul 07, BNS – Following Lithuania’s cultural season in Germany, Berlin should respond in the same manner, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has said.

“I am delighted that Lithuania is planning a Lithuanian cultural season in Germany and wish this project every success. Today we discussed that Germany should organize a similar season in Lithuania afterwards,” he said on Sunday after a meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda. 

Lithuania organized a cultural season in France last year.

The Season of Lithuania in France 2024 saw almost 300 performances by Lithuanian artists and creators, and involved over 500 authors, performers, and other cultural figures, along with over 130 bilateral partnerships. Events took place in more than 80 cities and towns across France.

Nauseda has said that the three-month cycle of events, exhibitions, and other cultural activities, which proved to be a great success, has become an example of inspiration for Lithuanian cultural programs in Germany and Italy.

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"It's a great honor": Australian rescuer of Lithuanian rower Mockus receives state award

VILNIUS, Jul 06, BNS – Australian Lieutenant Fraser Baird, an Australian Navy officer who rescued Lithuanian rower Aurimas Mockus after he was caught in a storm in the Pacific Ocean, on Sunday received a state award in Lithuania and called it "a great honor".

"It's a great honor to myself. I received this is really as a representative of the team of the Royal Australian Navy and everyone who was directly involved in the in the mission to save life," he told reporters at the Presidential Palace on Sunday.

"It's a great honor to be in Lithuania. It's my first time in Lithuania. And to be invited to the Presidential Palace as well is a great honor for me," he added.

Three other people who contributed to the rescue operation, including Harry Wilson, Kaylene Dale and Jorian Kippax, also received state awards.

Mockus said that Baird was the first person to touch him when he got off the boat.

"This is the officer from the boat that rescued me, of course he is the only one of his crew, there were about 190 of them," Mockus said.

Mockus he was caught in a storm in the Pacific Ocean in March as he was trying to row across the Pacific Ocean. He had set sail from San Diego, California, on October 15 and planned to row to Brisbane in Australia.

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Border guards rep: Lithuanian officers to regulate traffic flow at Polish border if needed

VILNIUS, Jul 07, BNS – Lithuanian officers are ready to regulate traffic flows, if necessary, following Poland's decision to resume checks on travelers from Lithuania, starting from Monday.

“If traffic starts to build up, we will work with the police and Public Security Service officers to regulate those flows and will communicate with our colleagues in Poland to ensure that people do not experience any problems crossing the border and that the checks are as quick as possible,” Colonel Antanas Montvydas, deputy chief of the State Border Guard Service (SBGS), told the LRT Radio on Monday morning.

According to his information, Polish officers will continuously check people crossing the border at the Kalvarija, Lazdijai, and railway border crossing points, while checks at the other ten declared border crossing points will be carried out according to established risk factors.

According to Montvydas, these factors are determined by Polish officers.

He said that Lithuanian officers usually check vans, passenger cars from certain countries, and buses in their fight against secondary migration.

Poland rolled out additional controls at 1 a.m. Lithuanian time on Monday, July 7.

The checks are planned to take place at 13 checkpoints: Ogrodniki (on the Lithuanian side – Janaslavas, Lazdijai, Lazdijai District), Budzisko (Salaperaugis, Kalvarija, Kalvarija Municipality), Trakiszki (railway, Mockava, Kalvarija Municipality), Grzybina (Varteliai, Vistytis, Vilkaviskis District), Sudawskie (Vygreliai, Vilkaviskis District), Krejwiany (Liubavas, Vilkaviskis District), Poszeszupie (Ziogaiciai, Reketija, Kalvarija Municipality), Trompole (Trumpaliai, Kalvarija Municipality), Krejwiany (Senieji Alksnenai, Kalvarija Municipality), Burbiszki (Galiniai, Lazdijai District), Dusznica (Tarnauka, Lazdijai District), Podlaski (Kalediskiai, Lazdijai District), Berzniki (Kauknoris, Kapciamiestis, Lazdijai District).

According to Montvydas, residents traveling from Lithuania to Poland must carry personal identification documents with them.

He also advised against giving lifts to foreigners who do not have documents.

The SBGS deputy chief confirmed that Lithuania is not considering renewing document checks at the border with Latvia, from where the so-called secondary migration is taking place.

“We are trying to work with our colleagues on the Latvian border, and today eight of our officers are leaving to help strengthen Latvia's external border,” Montvydas said on Monday.

According to him, since the beginning of the year, the SBGS, the Public Security Service, and police officers have been conducting selective checks at the Latvian border to stop secondary migration.

Poland has said it is introducing checks at its borders with Germany and Lithuania in order to stop secondary irregular migration, whereby foreigners enter the European Union from Belarus.

According to data released by the SBGS last week, a total of 352 irregular migrants who entered Latvia from Belarus and then attempted to reach Western Europe via Lithuania and Poland were detained in the first half of 2025.

Compared to the first half of 2024, when 140 such migrants were detained, the flow of irregular secondary migration from Latvia increased by two and a half times in January-June this year.

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

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Wife of US serviceman who died in Pabrade: "I'm really grateful to Lithuanian community"

VILNIUS, Jul 07, BNS – The wife of one of the four US servicemen who died at the Pabrade training area in Lithuania says she felt unity and support during the rescue operation and is grateful to Lithuania for its efforts to bring the officers home.

"With everything that happened, it was very out of nowhere and, at one point, I felt like I didn't have much hope, but I kept my faith and then seeing on the news and seeing all the Lithuanian government, the people just showing out to support, like trying whatever that they can help by prayers, by offering help with machinery," Karen Diaz, the wife of late Staff Sergeant Jose Duenez Jr.

"It just showed like we were all united in a way and it made me feel like I had people holding my back, like making sure that I was standing still. It was really nice, very beautiful," she added. "Being able to come here, it was very beautiful. I've met people on the streets and they are giving me condolences and they say they're here for me and for everybody else. So, it's it's very nice, very beautiful. I'm really grateful to the Lithuanian community, their government, everyone because they've shown so much support to us."

On Sunday, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda posthumously awarded the fallen US soldiers medals of the Order of the Cross of Vytis for their merits in strengthening the national defense system, exceptional devotion to duty and self-sacrifice in the performance of their duties during the NATO-allied exercises.

The president posthumously awarded the US Army Staff Sergeant Troy S. Knutson-Collins, 28, from Michigan, Staff Sergeant Jose Duenez, 25, from Illinois, Staff Sergeant Edvin F. Franco, 25, from California, and Sergeant Dante D. Taitano, 21, from Guam.

Major General Curtis Taylor, commander of the 1st Armored Division, told reporters that he's "unbelievably grateful for the gratitude and the support that we've received from the Lithuanian people throughout this terrible tragedy that happened to our soldiers just three months ago".

"It's been incredibly meaningful for them to see the site. We took the families out to the site where the tragedy took place to see and appreciate the work that was done on their behalf to recover their fallen soldiers," he said.

As BNS reported earlier, the four US soldiers went missing with their M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle during a training exercise at the Pabrade training area on March 25. The search and rescue operation lasted a week and involved Lithuanian, US, Polish, Estonian troops, officials and civilians.

The vehicle with the bodies of the three soldiers was recovered from a swamp on March 31, and the body of the fourth soldier was found the next day.

People in Lithuania donated over 200,000 euros to the families of the fallen soldiers during a fundraising campaign initiated by Laisves TV

The cause of the soldiers' deaths is being investigated by the American side, and the Lithuanian Prosecutor General's Office has already closed the related pre-trial investigation.

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Eurogroup president to be elected on Monday with Lithuania's Sadzius among candidates

VILNIUS, Jul 07, BNS – The president of the Eurogroup is set to be elected on Monday, with Lithuanian Finance Minister Rimantas Sadzius among the three candidates for the position.

Besides Sadzius, the group's incumbent president, Irish Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe, and Spanish Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo are also in the race.

Sadzius told BNS that as Lithuania prepares to take over the rotating EU presidency in the first half of 2027, this post will be useful during this process. 

"As my own experience shows, (...) you need to prepare in advance. Within the framework of these preparations, the work within the European institutions will have to be intensified," the minister told BNS last week, calling the European Union's financial perspective one of the most important upcoming issues.

"We are actively involved in discussions on EU legislation and other discussions, but we will have to be even more involved because there is a very difficult issue coming up, the EU's financial perspective for the next period where the Lithuanian presidency is likely to be involved in the hottest discussions," Sadzius said.

The Eurogroup chair is tasked with making sure EU countries that use the euro coordinate national financial policies -- a job whose significance was on full show during the 2008 global financial crisis.

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Heads of Lithuanian diplomatic missions holding annual meeting in Vilnius

VILNIUS, Jul 07, BNS – The annual meeting of heads of Lithuanian diplomatic missions is kicking off in Vilnius, with the main focus on support for Ukraine, security and defense issues, and getting ready to take over the presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2027.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Lithuanian diplomats will also discuss the EU agenda, partnerships in Europe, and economic diplomacy.

Over the course of five days, the diplomats will meet with President Gitanas Nauseda, Speaker of the Seimas Saulius Skvernelis, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, the ministers of foreign affairs, economy and innovation, and transport, as well as the parliamentary Committees on Foreign Affairs and on European Affairs.

The participants of the annual meeting will also visit the Grand Duke Algirdas Battalion of the Lithuanian Armed Forces in Rukla, where they will discuss national security issues, military cooperation between Lithuania and its allies, and will meet with the German Brigade and the NATO Multinational Battle Group in Lithuania.

The meeting of heads of Lithuanian diplomatic missions and consular offices is organized annually to assess achievements and agree on goals for the future.

Lithuania currently has 44 embassies, ten consular offices, eight representations to international organizations, an office in Palestine, and a Skopje branch of its embassy in Croatia.

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Lithuania’s outgoing ambassador to United States to be appointed deputy foreign minister

VILNIUS, Jul 07, BNS – Audra Plepyte, who will finish her term as Lithuania’s ambassador to the United States on July 14, will become the fourth deputy foreign minister.

“Plepyte will take up her duties as deputy minister on July 15,” Zivile Didzgalviene, adviser to Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys, told BNS.

The diplomat will be responsible for transatlantic cooperation, global politics, and global Lithuania issues.

The positions of deputy foreign ministers are currently held by former presidential adviser Sigitas Mitkus, diplomat Julius Pranevicius, and former deputy justice minister Gabija Grigaite-Daugirde.

Born in 1971, Plepyte has served as Lithuania’s ambassador to Spain and the World Tourism Organization, Lithuania's permanent representative to the United Nations. She also headed the UNICEF Executive Board Bureau for one year.

The diplomat has also been awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order for Merits to Lithuania.

Plepyte, who has served as Lithuania’s ambassador to the United States since 2021, will be replaced by diplomat Gediminas Varvuolis.

President Gitanas Nauseda signed a decree to that effect on Friday.

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Lithuanian PM: Germany's leadership in Europe is very important

VILNIUS, Jul 07, BNS – Germany's leadership in Europe is very important, Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said on Monday during a meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who is visiting Lithuania.

“Germany's leadership in the region and in Europe is extremely important, and a practical and very valuable manifestation of this leadership is the recently inaugurated German brigade in Lithuania,” a press release from the government quoted him as saying.

Germany has committed to permanently deploy a brigade of approximately 5,000 troops and civilians in Lithuania by the end of 2027.

According to the prime minister, cooperation between Lithuania and Germany is an example to allies in all areas.

While discussing security and defense, he noted that Lithuania was allocating 4 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) to national defense this year and planned to allocate 5.25 percent next year.

“Another important component of security is the defense industry, which is why Lithuania is developing its capacities and inviting foreign investors to cooperate,” the prime minister added.

During their meeting, Paluckas and the German president discussed the security situation in the region, with Russia continuing its war against Ukraine, in which Belarus is also involved, and the hybrid aggression against countries supporting Ukraine.

They also highlighted the importance of transatlantic partnership with the United States and the need to deepen cooperation between countries in the region – the Nordic-Baltic Eight, Germany, and Poland.

On Monday, Paluckas and the German president also visited Antakalnis Cemetery in Vilnius and the Paneriai Memorial, where they paid tribute to the memory of Lithuanian freedom fighters and Holocaust victims.

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FM: Lithuania's main foreign policy priority is to ensure national security

VILNIUS, Jul 07, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys on Monday met with the heads of Lithuania's diplomatic missions, consular offices, and representative offices to discuss the most important geopolitical issues and emphasized that the main priority of the country's foreign policy is to ensure national security.

“The most important priority of Lithuania's foreign policy is to ensure national security. We must maintain NATO's role as the cornerstone of security in the transatlantic space and increase Europe's contribution to collective security,” a press release from the Foreign Ministry quoted Budrys as saying.

He also stressed that the outcome of Russia's war against Ukraine is a matter of existential importance for Lithuania's security, and therefore mobilizing support for Ukraine remains one of Lithuania's foreign policy priorities.

“In order to defend itself and continue to defend the security of all of Europe, Ukraine needs air defense capabilities, ammunition, and munitions. Lithuania has been a consistent supporter of Ukraine from the very beginning and is one of the leaders in terms of military assistance. We urge other European countries to provide military assistance to Ukraine to the best of their ability, especially since the prospect of such assistance from the United States is currently unclear,” Budrys said.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Lithuania’s top diplomat also emphasized the importance of maintaining a rules-based international order.

“It is important for Lithuania to ensure that the Russian and Belarusian regimes are held accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity so that they are not repeated in the future. The lessons of history have shown us that impunity leads to even greater cruelty and continued aggression. We must stop this and prevent authoritarian regimes from achieving their goals of destroying the rules-based international order,” the minister said.

Participants of the meeting also discussed other foreign policy priorities, including Lithuania's Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2027 and economic diplomacy tasks.

The strengthening of bilateral relations and cooperation between the Nordic and Baltic countries (NB8) was discussed, too.

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IEA director praises Lithuania for halting energy imports from Russia

VILNIUS, Jul 07, BNS – Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), has praised Lithuania for ending energy imports from Russia, synchronizing the Baltic countries' electricity systems with continental Europe, as well as, according to him, for being the fastest among the organization's member countries in developing renewable resources.

At the same time, the agency's head urges Lithuania to ensure greater energy efficiency of buildings, pay more attention to centralized heating, and strengthen electricity grids and system flexibility.

“In the year 2021, the total energy imports of this country from Russia was close to three billion [US] dollars. Three billion, which is about 5 percent of the country’s economy, GDP. In terms of oil, in terms of gas, in terms of electricity, even a bit of coal. And today, it is zero. It's a huge achievement. In such a short period of time, with the limited means this country has, to bring it from there to here is a big achievement,” Birol said on his first-ever visit to Vilnius on Monday.

According to him, the synchronization of the Baltic countries' electricity grids in early February is seen by many as an engineering achievement, but, according to the IEA head, it is also very important politically.

Another Lithuania’s achievement mentioned by Birol is the rapid pace of growth of renewable electricity generation, where Lithuania leads the way compared to other IEA countries.

“I asked them [my colleagues from the IEA], is there any other, out of our 32 member countries, is there any other country, how many other countries were able to double their renewable electricity generation in the last two years? My few colleagues looked at the numbers and I received the answer yesterday night. Lithuania was the number one country among all of our countries,” he said.

Lithuania was officially invited to join the IEA in 2021 and became a full-fledged member in 2022 after the Seimas ratified the agreement.

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuanian finance minister withdraws from race for Eurogroup president

VILNIUS, Jul 07, BNS – Lithuanian Finance Minister Rimantas Sadzius has withdrawn as a candidate for president of the Eurogroup, he told BNS on Monday.

The new president will be elected later in the day.

Now, there are two candidates for the position – the group's incumbent president, Irish Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe, and Spanish Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo are also in the race.

Sadzius told BNS earlier that as Lithuania prepares to take over the rotating EU presidency in the first half of 2027, this post will be useful during this process, especially during the debate on the EU's new multi-annual budget.

The Eurogroup chair is tasked with making sure EU countries that use the euro coordinate national financial policies -- a job whose significance was on full show during the 2008 global financial crisis.

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Lithuanian finance minister withdraws from race for Eurogroup president (expands)

VILNIUS, Jul 07, BNS – Lithuanian Finance Minister Rimantas Sazdius has withdrawn as a candidate for president of the Eurogroup, he told BNS on Monday.

The new president will be elected later in the day.

Spanish Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo has also withdrawn from the race.

"My counterpart Carlos Cuerpo has just announced that he is withdrawing from the election for the Eurogroup president, so I am also withdrawing," Sadzius told reporters in Brussels on Monday, reiterating his belief that the Eurogroup should work "by consensus".

"I think that we will also be able to elect a president for a new two-and-a-half-year term today by consensus," Sadzius said.

Now, the group's incumbent president, Irish Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe, is the only candidate.

Sadzius told BNS earlier that as Lithuania prepares to take over the rotating EU presidency in the first half of 2027, this post will be useful during this process, especially during the debate on the EU's new multiannual budget.

The Eurogroup chair is tasked with making sure EU countries that use the euro coordinate national financial policies -- a job whose significance was on full show during the 2008 global financial crisis.

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Travelers face checks on Lithuanian-Polish border as Warsaw re-introduces border controls

BUDZISKO, Poland, Jul 07, BNS – Vehicles are randomly stopped and checked on the Lithuanian-Polish border as Poland re-introduces border controls on this border for a month on Monday due to secondary migration.

Many drivers and travelers interviewed by BNS at the Budzisko border checkpoint on the Polish side said they were aware of the checks and planned their travel times accordingly.

There were no huge numbers of vehicles at this checkpoint by midday and there were no major lines on the way out Lithuania.

The checks take place immediately after crossing the border on the Polish side where there is a large car park. Here, the carriageway narrows to one lane and there are signs warning of the checks.

All cars are directed to the car park and undergo an initial check without the driver being asked for documents. After Polish border guards check cars, most of them are allowed to continue their journey.

Some cars, with a greater focus on vans, are diverted by the border guards for document checks and inspection of the load.

Some HGVs are also checked at the roadside, taking an average of three minutes. Once the vehicle is the parking lot, the checks take a few more minutes. A passenger bus was also stopped, but borer guards only checked the driver's documents.

When a BNS reporter and a photographer arrived at the border crossing point at around 9 a.m., two Polish police and seven border guards were working at the checkpoint, and documents were checked in a container room.

"We heard they are stopping cars because of refugees from Latvia, we heard things from media reports. They asked us for our ID documents, and we have been standing here for maybe ten minutes. They haven't checked the car yet, maybe they will do it later," Darius Klapatauskas, 55, who works in the chemical industry, told BNS.

He refrained from commenting on whether such measures were necessary and noted that it would be unpleasant if the checks lasted more than half an hour and was not known in advance.

"If it takes a short period of time, it's no big deal. But if it takes longer, of course it is unpleasant. 10-15 minutes is fine, but if it's more than half an hour... Of course, if it was a surprise, it would be unpleasant again, but since we had heard something, we were ready, we left a little earlier," the man said.

A 47-year-old Polish man working in Finland, driving a ban with Finnish registration plates, who only gave his name as Lukas, said that border guards were checking every car, adding that he was aware that the reintroduced checks were linked to the immigration problem, but said that more attention should be paid to Poland's southern border.

"Maybe not from this side (there is no migration problem - BNS), it would be better to check the southern border. Lithuania is a normal country, probably nobody is accepting migrants from here," he said.

Auris, 50, a car repairer in his 50s, said he had no problem with the Polish side checking vehicles for illegal migrants.

"They can check them, they can check everyone. (...) It's no big deal, it was quick," the driver said.

The Polish Border Guard Service said on X that around 620 people and 400 vehicles were checked at the Lithuanian border from midnight until 7 a.m., and around 350 people and 160 vehicles were checked at the German border.

Polish border guards says checks at 65 checkpoints in Germany and 13 in Lithuania are being carried out without incidents and traffic is moving smoothly.

Just another nonsense

Polish border guards also checked the semi-trailer of the lorry driven by Bronius Kasparas Lelus, 21, looking for illegal migrants.

"Speaking of illegal immigrants, they are doing this mainly because of Latvians, because I have heard that Latvians are taking them. They asked for a passport and load documents, but nothing else. They told me to open the semi-trailer. It took seven minutes, they have not handed over the documents yet, so it remains to be seen how long it will take," the man said.

"Depending on how long they will hold it, if it's really five minutes, it's not too bad, we can stop, there's no problem with that. But if it is longer, of course it is a nuisance," the driver said, adding that checks longer than half an hour or more would cause inconvenience.

"We don't consider these lines"

Erlandas Mikenas, president of Linava, Lithuania's national road carriers' association, also came to Budzisko to assess the situation, and told reporters that "it's actually a relief because the traffic is moving well".

"Even though vehicles stopped for a few minutes create some lines. However, I came from Vilnius and we felt the traffic slow down considerably only on approach to the Kalvarija checkpoint, so we don't consider such lines as lines," Mikenas said.

"In this case, border guards are checking for illegal migrants. As far as I have noticed, HGVs pass in a separate line and they are not stopped. They are randomly stopped, maybe one or another," he noted.

As BNS reported earlier, Lithuaian Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic said over the weekend that border controls would be restored for a month, until August 5.

Estonian man detained for allegedly smuggling migrants

Giedrius Misutis, spokesman for the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service, told BNS that, according to initial information, Polish border guards detained an Estonian national at around 10 a.m. on Monday as he was allegedly taking four illegal migrants from Afghanistan.

According to Misutis, the Estonian national was detained at one of the smaller Lithuanian-Polish border crossing points.

The Afghan men had tried to cross the Belarusian-Polish border two months ago but failed to do so, and the Belarusian authorities took them to the Latvian border, from where they tried to re-enter Poland via Lithuania.

Once the procedures are completed, the detained Afghans will be handed over to the Lithuanian side under the readmission procedure.

As BNS reported earlier, Poland temporarily re-introduced border controls on its borders with Germany and Lithuania on July 7 to stop illegal migration from Belarus. Checks are being carried out at 13 locations.

According to data released by the SBGS last week, a total of 352 irregular migrants who entered Latvia from Belarus and then attempted to reach Western Europe via Lithuania and Poland were detained in the first half of 2025.

Compared to the first half of 2024, when 140 such migrants were detained, the flow of irregular secondary migration from Latvia increased by two and a half times in January-June this year.

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

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Exit out of Lithuanian smooth as Poland re-introduces border – service

VILNIUS, Jul 07, BNS - There are no traffic jams when exiting Lithuania in the Polish direction as Warsaw re-introduces border controls on Monday, Lithuania's State Border Guard Service says.

Giedrius Misutis, spokesman for the SBGS, told BNS on Monday afternoon that if the Poles continue with their current methods of checks, lines are unlikely to form throughout the next month when the restored controls will be in force.

"There are no lines anywhere, the situation is the same all day long. The traffic out of Lithuania is smooth, and there are no lines, jams, problems, incidents, everything is quite smooth on our side," he said. "This means that there are no lines on the Polish side either."

Asked whether traffic jams could be possible later this month, Misutis said that it was theoretically possible, adding, however, that the situation should remain calm.

"The first day shows that the Poles are really in control of the situation, that they are fulfilling the objectives they have set themselves - to identify potentially risky vehicles - and that is what they are doing, with that methodology, with that scope, and that is not creating any problems when leaving Lithuania," Misutis said.

As BNS reported earlier, Poland temporarily re-introduced border controls on its borders with Germany and Lithuania on July 7 to stop secondary illegal migration from Belarus where migrants try to reach Poland and Germany via Latvia and Lithuania.

By Dominykas Biržietis

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Baltics agree to step up cooperation in preparation for universal defense

VILNIUS, Jul 07, BNS – Defense vice ministers from the three Baltic states agreed in Riga on Monday to strengthen trilateral cooperation, Lithuania's Defense Ministry said today.

Lithuania was represented at the meeting by Vice Minister Tomas Godliauskas.

Given the changing security situation, the meeting highlighted the need to pay more attention not only to military capabilities, but also to civilian defense, the ministry said

The vice ministers agreed to initiate discussions on the development of a universal defense concept at the regional level.

The concept will identify key areas of trilateral cooperation, such as planning and coordinating mobilization, providing host nation support to allies in accordance with existing defense plans and organizing joint mobilization exercises.

The meeting also discussed the need to resume previous joint exercises between the Baltic states on military logistics and host nation support.

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Lithuania ready to launch cultural exchange program with Germany – Nauseda

VILNIUS, Jul 07, BNS - Lithuania ready to launch cultural exchange program with Germany, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said as he and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, currently on an official visit to Lithuania, took part in a discussion held on Monday at the Thomas Mann Culture Center in Nida.

"The Lithuanian president emphasized that Lithuania, drawing on a centuries-old tradition, is ready to develop a broad and ambitious cultural exchange program with Germany," the presidential press service said.

During the meeting, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier presented Germany’s national award to Vitalija Teresa Jonusiene, founder and first director of the Thomas Mann Culture Center.

Earlier in the day, the Presidents of Lithuania and Germany, together with the First Ladies, visited Klaipeda, where they explored several historical and cultural heritage sites.

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NATO jets in Baltics scrambled once to identify Russian aircraft

VILNIUS, Jul 7, BNS – NATO's fighter jets policing Baltic airspace were last week scrambled once to identify Russian aircraft violating flight rules, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

On July 3, NATO jets took off to identify two Russian SU-24M attack aircraft as they were flying in international airspace with their onboard transponders off, without flight plans and were not in contact with the regional flight control center.

The NATO Baltic Air policing mission s conducted from Lithuania and Estonia.

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Police launch pre-trial probe after Kaunas mayor hits pedestrian

KAUNAS, Jul 07, BNS – Police in Lithuania's second-largest city of Kaunas have launched a pre-trial probe after Mayor Visvaldas Matijosaitis hit a man at a pedestrian crossing while driving his car on June 30.

The investigation was opened upon receipt of conclusions on the extent of the victim's health impairment, which was found to be minor, police said.

Matijosaitis hit the man at a pedestrian crossing around noon on Monday as he was driving his Rolls-Royce. The mayor sincerely apologized to the pedestrian after the incident and claimed that the incident was caused by a lack of attention and a lack of horizontal markings on the newly laid asphalt. The mayor said that he was driving slowly enough but did not see the pedestrian when changing lanes.

In the winter of 2018, Matijosaitis also hit and injured a pedestrian while driving his car.

The mayor’s car then knocked down an 80-year-old man near the crosswalk in downtown Kaunas, Lithuania's second-largest city. The man sustained minor injuries.

Matijosaitis promised at the time that he would no longer drive during working hours.

In addition, in the fall of 2016, the mayor was involved in an incident when he allegedly failed to yield to a pedestrian crossing the street. A witness then said he saw a man standing on the crossing, leaning against a black car and banging on the bonnet, angry at the driver.

 

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