LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN, December 21, 2023

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

Nine irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
Lithuania's Vinted announces Canadian market exit (expands)
Conscription reform to be submitted to Seimas of Lithuania
Lithuania reports 981 new COVID-19 cases, two deaths
Lithuanian MP Gapsys brought in to parlt from prison to face impeachment
Balzekas, partners' 4 Bees becomes sole shareholder of Lithuania's 15min
Lithuanian defmin plays down leaked cable on brigade-related costs
Lithuanian defmin plays down leaked cable on brigade-related costs (expands)
Lithuania plans to acquire mobile short-range air defense system from Sweden
More clarity on German families' accommodation once their number is known – Lithuanian PM
Lithuanian finmin: revised EU fiscal rules will allow more investment in defense
Lithuanian parlt fails to strip imprisoned MP Gapsys of his mandate
Lithuanian parlt gives initial OK to proposed conscription reform
Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, December 22, 2023

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

VILNIUS, Dec 21, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away nine migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Thursday morning.

Latvia reported no attempts at illegal border crossings on Wednesday, and 32 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Tuesday, according to the latest available information.

More than 2,500 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year.

Lithuanian border guards have prevented a total of almost 22,000 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 Vinted announces Canadian market exit (expands)

VILNIUS, Dec 21, BNS – Vinted, a Vilnius-based online second-hand fashion marketplace and Lithuania's first unicorn, is pulling out of the Canadian market.

"Vinted will be closing in Canada for now on February 12, 2024, which means it’s no longer possible to register," the company told its Canadian customers in a notice posted on its Canada-based site.

The company said that back in 2021, it launched Vinted in Canada using a different technical platform than in other countries.

"Historically, it has been built on a different platform to the main one. Running a separate platform was not sustainable or efficient," Vinted said.

"After careful and thorough consideration, we have decided to discontinue this platform, which means that we are pulling out of the Canadian market for now," it added.

The company points out that this decision allows it to focus on other markets and strengthen its positions in the Nordic countries – Denmark, Finland and Sweden.

Starting December 11, 2023, the company no longer accepts new member registrations in Canada due to its upcoming platform closure.

From January 12, 2024, users will not be able to buy, sell, list or favorite new items, write public comments, make or accept offers or follow members.

Until February 12, 2024, users will be able to finalize any ongoing transactions and settle payments, and the customer service team will continue working.

After exiting Canada, Vinted will be available in 19 markets, including Lithuania, the UK, France, Germany, the US, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Spain, Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, Luxembourg, Finland, Denmark, Austria, Sweden, Hungary and Romania.

In 2019, Vinted became Lithuania's first unicorn, a highly successful start-up valued more than 1 billion euros.

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Conscription reform to be submitted to Seimas of Lithuania

VILNIUS, Dec 21, BNS – A reform of conscription into the armed forces is scheduled to be presented to the Seimas of Lithuania on Thursday.

Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas will present a new version of the Law on Military Conscription and accompanying draft legislation.

Under the new model, the conscription age limit would be set at 18-21 years, instead of the existing 18-23 years, and studies in higher education establishments would not be seen as an exception to postpone military service.

Volunteers would be able to serve so between the ages of 18 and 38, unchanged from now.

Higher education students will be required to perform their service, either by attending the Junior Officer Commanders' training or by joining the National Defense Volunteer Force, thus combining it with their studies. They could also suspend their studies and perform normal service.

The reform also includes the reduction of the existing 9-month service time to six months for some conscripts.

The amendments are also aimed at enabling those who want to serve but are unable to perform compulsory military service because of their health condition. They will have to declare their willingness to serve, and the duration and form of service will be decided by the chief of defense.

In addition, it is proposed to increase the duration of alternative service from 10 to 12 months.

The army estimates that up to 7,000 young men graduate from school each year and are fit for service.

Plans to reform conscription in Lithuania were announced in February, respective bills were registered in August and approved by the government in December.

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Lithuania reports 981 new COVID-19 cases, two deaths

VILNIUS, Dec 21, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 981 new coronavirus infections and two deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Thursday morning.

The 14-day primary infection rate has dropped to 520.5 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 34.2 percent.

The number of new coronavirus cases hit the peak in Lithuania in early February 2022 when more than 14,000 new infections were recorded daily. Around 1.36 million people in Lithuania have tested positive for COVID-19 at least once.

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

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

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Lithuanian MP Gapsys brought in to parlt from prison to face impeachment

VILNIUS, Dec 21, BNS – MP Vytautas Gapsys, a member of the Labor Party political group who was convicted of corruption last month and is serving a prison sentence in Kaunas, was brought in to the Lithuanian parliament on Thursday as lawmakers are set to vote on his impeachment.

Under the Statute of the Seimas, a person subject to impeachment has the right to attend the Seimas sitting personally or represented by a lawyer.

At least 85 of the 141 lawmakers need to vote in favor for an MP to be stripped of their mandate.

As Gapsys is serving a prison sentence, the impeachment process is simplified, i.e. taking place without the need to turn to the Constitutional Court.

Last month, the Lithuanian Court of Appeal sentenced Gapsys to four years and six months in prison for corruption offenses, and he is currently serving his time in Kaunas Prison.

The court found that Raimondas Kurlianskis, a former vice president of MG Baltic (now MG Grupe), had asked Gapsys to use his position as an MP and influence his fellow MPs to influence other civil servants, including the then speaker of the Seimas, members of the Labor Party group in the Seimas, the leadership and members of the Seimas Committee on Budget and Finance, and the agriculture minister, when performing their duties, to act legally and illegally as Kurlianskis requested.

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Balzekas, partners' 4 Bees becomes sole shareholder of Lithuania's 15min

VILNIUS, Dec 21, BNS - 4 Bees, a holding company owned by Tomas Balzekas, Martynas Basokas, Gabriele Burbiene and Tomas Bindokas, has become the sole shareholder of the 15min group in Lithuania, the company said on Thursday.

4 Bees has acquired the remaining 60 percent of the shares from Estonia's Postimees Grupp. The two have co-owned the 15min group since September 2021.

15min owns the namesake news website and the print magazines Zmones, Legendos and Ji.

Up until now, 4 Bees has held a 40 percent stake and had the control of 15min.

BNS, which operates a news agency under the same name, will remain a subsidiary of 15min.

The value of the transaction has not been disclosed, but Toomas Tiivel, CEO of Postimees Grupp, says 4 Bees made an acceptable offer for the remaining shares.

"The 15min group's management team has been successfully developing the group's companies and its willingness to buy all the shares demonstrates its confidence in the future of the Lithuanian media business," he said.

Balzekas, the largest shareholder of 4 Bees and CEO of 15min, points out that the recent deal is part of a bigger vision.

"The first return in 2021 to 15min, which my friends and I founded in 2005, in my vision, had to do with greater ambition to outgrow our competitors, to buy other companies, to merge the media market and shape a strong Lithuanian media group. Today's event is part of that vision. I feel like I have returned home after a long journey and I am ready to roll up my sleeves even more," Balzekas said. "My partners and I believe that media is a very local business. We do believe that its transparency and sustainability are very important for our society. We do believe that running this business requires high values and ideals. Being able to do so is a great responsibility."

"Together with our team, we believe that we will be able to develop digital subscriptions well and that this business will not only make sense, but also be stable in the long term," Balzekas added.

Shareholders' and borrowed funds were used of the transaction.

4 Bees, a holding company that manages media businesses, also owns the Pasaka cinema and the ZMONES Cinema home cinema platform, the Prenumerata.lt subscription platform, and is a co-owner of the Manodaktaras.lt health service platform, the Medipresa book distribution company, the Patogupirkti.lt online bookstore, and the Bookswap LT book exchange platform.

Balzekas owns 56.67 percent of 4 Bees, Basokas owns 25.67 percent, and Burbiene and Bindokas have stakes of 10 and 7.67 percent respectively.

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Lithuanian defmin plays down leaked cable on brigade-related costs

VILNIUS, Dec 21, BNS – Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas played down a report by the German magazine Der Spiegel based on a leaked cable saying that the deployment of a brigade poses major financial challenges to Vilnius.

According to him, Lithuania and Germany are still discussing the costs, which will be detailed later.

"Everything will be detailed in technical agreements," the minister told reporters in the Seimas on Thursday.

"We can say how much we are spending on infrastructure, on the Rudninkai training ground, but all other costs, summa summarum, we still need to calculate," he added.

According to Der Spiegel, diplomatic correspondence from the German embassy in Lithuania, obtained by the publication, shows that Lithuania is convinced that it will only have to pay for the military infrastructure and would only contribute proportionally to the cost of accommodating the German troops.

According to the cable, Vilnius does not feel responsible for building schools and kindergartens for the soldiers’ families.

The report followed the signing of an action plan on the deployment of a Bundeswehr brigade by the Lithuanian and German defense ministers in Vilnius on Monday.

The plan states inter alia that the responsibilities and financial arrangements, including host nation support services as well as funding and operation will be agreed and detailed "in technical arrangements to be developed in 2024".

"We speak openly, we do everything in trust with each other, not behind the scenes," Anusauskas said.

Under the signed agreement, the brigade's key deployment to Lithuania will take place between 2025 and 2026, and the brigade should be fully deployed by 2027.

Discussions on the deployment of such a brigade in Lithuania started after Russia invaded Ukraine. Germany announced its specific commitment in June.

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Lithuanian defmin plays down leaked cable on brigade-related costs (expands)

According to him, Lithuania and Germany are still discussing the costs, which will be detailed later.

"Everything will be detailed in technical agreements," the minister told reporters in the Seimas on Thursday.

"We can say how much we are spending on infrastructure, on the Rudninkai training ground, but all other costs, summa summarum, we still need to calculate," he added.

Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said that neither the Foreign Ministry nor the Defense Ministry had expressed any concerns about the deployment of the brigade during the official talks.

"… it was stated that we do not see any obstacles, everything will be provided and we will do everything as quickly as possible to allow the brigade to settle in Lithuania," he told reporters on Thursday.

According to the cable, Vilnius does not feel responsible for building schools and kindergartens for the soldiers’ families.

The report followed the signing of an action plan on the deployment of a Bundeswehr brigade by the Lithuanian and German defense ministers in Vilnius on Monday.

"We speak openly, we do everything in trust with each other, not behind the scenes," Anusauskas said.

Under the signed agreement, the brigade's key deployment to Lithuania will take place between 2025 and 2026, and the brigade should be fully deployed by 2027.

Discussions on the deployment of such a brigade in Lithuania started after Russia invaded Ukraine. Germany announced its specific commitment in June.

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Lithuania plans to acquire mobile short-range air defense system from Sweden

VILNIUS, Dec 21, BNS - Lithuania plans to acquire a mobile short-range air defense system from Sweden, Lithuania's Defense Ministry said after Vic Minister Greta Monika Tuckute signed a preliminary agreement with the Swedish Armed Forces Defense Materiel Administration (FSM) in Stockholm on Tuesday.

With this document, Lithuania has joined the Swedish institution's contract for the acquisition of short-range air defense systems.

"The short-range air defense system will significantly enhance the protection of our airspace. In cooperation with the FSM, we are initiating further procurement procedures which will clarify the exact price, scope and all other details of the acquisition," Tuckute.

The first components of the short-range air defense system are expected to be delivered to Lithuania in 2025 and the whole system should be delivered by 2027.

The Defense Ministry did not disclose the potential acquisition cost.

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More clarity on German families' accommodation once their number is known – Lithuanian PM

VILNIUS, Dec 21, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte says more details on the need for civilian infrastructure for the families of German troops will be available when Berlin provides more detailed information on how many of them plan to come to Lithuania during the deployment of the German brigade.

"The key question that needs to be answered, which we are still discussing, is what will be the composition of the people who will arrive, how many people with families and children will want to move here," the prime minister told reporters at the Seimas on Thursday.

"We cannot guess how many places we will need in schools and kindergartens as that is something our partners have to tell us. Once we have the parameters of the family situation of these people, I think we will solve all these issues," she added.

According to the prime minister, the recently leaked information published by the German publication Der Spiegel, stating that the deployment of the German brigade in Vilnius poses significant financial challenges, "does not show anything".

The prime minister says Lithuania's planned spending on military infrastructure "is much higher than any imaginable civilian infrastructure that might be needed for people arriving with their families".

"Actually, it is not clear which period it (the leaked information - BNS) is from, and of what authenticity. I can certainly confirm there have been discussions, and they are ongoing, on civilian infrastructure, but they are not taking place the way they are depicted and not because the way it was depicted there," she said.

According to Der Spiegel, correspondence from diplomats at the German embassy in Lithuania states that Lithuania is convinced it will only have to pay for the military infrastructure and will only contribute proportionally to the cost of accommodating German troops.

Diplomats say Vilnius does not feel responsible for building schools and kindergartens for the families of incoming German troops.

This information was made public after the Lithuanian and German defense ministers signed the brigade deployment roadmap on Monday as around 5,000 German troops are to be deployed in Lithuania.

The roadmap, among other things, states that states that the responsibilities and financial arrangements, including host nation support services as well as funding and operation will be agreed and detailed "in technical arrangements to be developed in 2024".

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Lithuanian finmin: revised EU fiscal rules will allow more investment in defense

VILNIUS, Dec 21, BNS – Finance ministers of the European Union (EU) on Wednesday sealed a political deal to reform the bloc's fiscal rules, which, according to Lithuanian Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste, will give more room for investment in defense.

"We stressed during the discussions that, in addition to flexibility for investment and reforms that increase growth potential and fiscal sustainability, we must also provide reasonable flexibility for investments in defense capabilities," Skaiste said in a press release.

"The revised rules reflect the changed geopolitical reality and will create more room for investment in this vital area," she added.

The rules should also deliver real debt relief for EU countries with high debt, while Lithuania and other low-indebted countries should maintain fiscal sustainability.

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Lithuanian parlt fails to strip imprisoned MP Gapsys of his mandate

VILNIUS, Dec 21, BNS – Lithuanian lawmakers on Thursday failed to strip imprisoned MP Vytautas Gapsys, representing the opposition Labor Party, of his mandate.

The votes on four separate criminal offense episodes did not result in the minimum number of votes - 85 - needed to revoke his mandate.

As Gapsys was convicted of four criminal offenses, MPs voted separately to revoke the mandate for each of them but the highest number of votes for one of them was 75. However, at least 85 out of 141 MPs had to vote in favor of at least one of the four resolutions for the mandate to be revoked.

Gapsys was also brought in from the prison in Kaunas to the parliament to attend the impeachment proceedings.

Addressing his fellow lawmakers, Gapsys said he was not guilty of bribery and influence peddling, saying that he was convicted for his statements.

Under the Statute of the Seimas, a person subject to impeachment has the right to attend the Seimas sitting personally or represented by a lawyer.

As Gapsys is serving a prison sentence, the impeachment process is simplified, i.e. taking place without the need to turn to the Constitutional Court.

Last month, the Lithuanian Court of Appeal sentenced Gapsys to four years and six months in prison for corruption offenses, and he is currently serving his time in Kaunas Prison. He is also disqualified for five years from being elected or appointed to any elected or appointed position in state or municipal institutions and establishments, companies or non-state organizations.

Other convicts in the high-profile corruption case include the Labor Party, the Liberal Movement, MG Grupe, Kurliansis, former MPs Eligijus Masiulis, Gintaras Steponavicius and Sarunas Gustainis.

By Milena Andrukaitytė, Jūratė Skėrytė

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Lithuanian parlt gives initial OK to proposed conscription reform

VILNIUS, Dec 13, BNS – The Lithuanian parliament on Wednesday gave its initial backing to the Defense Ministry's proposed conscription reform after 72 lawmakers voted in favor, one was against and 25 abstained.

The bill will now be considered by parliamentary committees and will return to the main hall in the spring.

Volunteers would be able to serve between the ages of 18 and 38, unchanged from now.

Higher education students will be required to perform their service either by attending the Junior Officer Commanders' training or by joining the National Defense Volunteer Force, thus combining it with their studies.

The reform will also include the reduction of the existing 9-month service time to six months for some conscripts.

Also, conscripts who have acquired a qualification in a profession that is in short supply in the army could serve for three months. The conscription age for such persons would be up to 30 years.

Young men on the conscript lists who are studying and living abroad will have the same choices as those studying and living in Lithuania.

There are also exceptions planned as conscripts who have been deferred on an individual basis would be called up to the age of 22 after the end of the foreseen circumstances. Also, in order to prevent the evasion of service, a conscription age of 30 years would be introduced for persons who have been called up for service but failed to report for service.

According to the ministry, the amendments are also aimed at enabling those who want to serve but are unable to perform compulsory military service because of their health condition. They will have to declare their willingness to serve, and the duration and form of service will be decided by the chief of defense.

In addition, the proposal is to increase the duration of alternative service from 10 to 12 months.

The changes would also extend the length of service in the active reserve and it would last 15 years instead of the existing 10 years. During this service, reserve troops would be periodically called up for repeated reserve training.

"Nevertheless, the 18-19-year-olds who finish school and start compulsory military service immediately after leaving school will remain the priority and ideal option," the Defense Ministry says.

The army estimates that up to 7,000 young men graduate from school each year and are fit for service.

Plans to reform conscription in Lithuania were announced in February and the bill was registered in August. The government approved them earlier this month.

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, December 22, 2023

VILNIUS, Dec 22, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, December 22, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to attend the ceremony of handover of the Flame of Peace of Bethlehem at 11 a.m.

THE CABINET to hold a virtual sitting at 10 a.m.

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Dec 22 2023

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, December 20, 2023
Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
MPs to discuss failures to prevent Russian artists from getting on stage in Lithuania
Seimas speaker: it is hard to justify Lithuania not having ambassador in Poland
Lithuania reports 1,171 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
Lease of building proposed for EU agency would cost EUR 13.3 mln to Lithuania over 5 yrs
Orthodox under Patriarchate of Constantinople to celebrate Christmas on December 25
Lithuanian committee chair suggests deciding on Poland ambassador in parlt
Lithuania hands over field facility equipment, MREs to Ukrainian army
Lithuanian Seimas committee proposes to set up special panel to assess Russian performers
Failure to meet three indicators prevents Lithuania from submitting 2nd RRF application
Lithuanian govt nominates Jarukaitis for CJEU judge, Norkus for advocate general
Baltic PMs sign declaration on uniform implementation of sanctions for Russia
Lithuania: Via Baltica reconstruction halfway through, other half to be completed by 2025
Lithuania's CNSD chair expects 'clearer picture' on rotational air defense next year
Lithuania govt: EUR 20 mln from Ignitis Group for wind farm to be used to repay state debt
Lithuanian finmin: we will ask authorities to find out Yellowstone’s final beneficiaries
No need for Lithuania to decide on migrant admission yet, despite EU deal – vicemin
Lithuanian parlt panel looking into SSD whistleblower case asks SIS to declassify info

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, December 20, 2023

VILNIUS, Dec 20, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, December 20, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to visit Silute.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to have a virtual conversation with

Marshal of the Polish Senate Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska at 10.50 a.m.

PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to chair a Cabinet meeting and sitting at 1 p.m.

By Jurgita Andriejauskaitė

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Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus

VILNIUS, Dec 20, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Wednesday morning.

Latvia reported no attempts at illegal border crossings on Tuesday either, and 22 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Monday, according to the latest available information.

More than 2,500 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year.

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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MPs to discuss failures to prevent Russian artists from getting on stage in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Dec 20, BNS – The parliamentary Committee on Culture will discuss on Wednesday why performances by artists who pose a threat to national security continue to be staged in Lithuania.

“We will try to find a way to find out who will take responsibility and who has to make the final decision to prevent one or another performer from coming to Lithuania," Conservative MP Vytautas Kernagis, a member of the committee, told BNS.

According to him, the ministries do not agree on who should take action to prevent such cultural figures from performing in Lithuania.

"The ministries have not found agreement yet, some say it [action] is necessary, others say it is not. I think that today there is no that one and only person who would say "yes" and that's it. One sees it, hands it over to another ministry, the latter considers it, hands it over to a third ministry, and then someone says that maybe it's not entirely bad here, and that's how the issue disappears," the MP said.

Representatives of the State Security Department, the Ministries of the Interior, Foreign Affairs and Culture were invited to the meeting of the Committee on Culture on Wednesday.

The situation will be examined in a closed session.

Following Russia's annexation of Crimea, which belongs to Ukraine, back in 2014, cultural figures who have expressed support for the Kremlin's action and have performed there or in the separatist republics of Donetsk and Luhansk are not welcome in Lithuania.

Lithuania has placed several Russian artists on the list of undesirable persons, including pop singers Filip Kirkorov, Natasha Koroliova and others.

Last year, Culture Minister Simonas Kairys expressed hope that Russian cultural figures would not be able to come to Lithuania, primarily because Lithuania does not issue visas to Russian citizens.

The Seimas has adopted legislative amendments allowing the inclusion of those who have expressed support for aggressive policies of a foreign state in violation of international law on the list of undesirable persons in Lithuania.

These amendments were drafted after it emerged that the Council for Culture had granted subsidies for cancelled or postponed events to the organizers of shows in Lithuania by Russian artists Filip Kirkorov and Mikhail Shufutinsky.

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Seimas speaker: it is hard to justify Lithuania not having ambassador in Poland

VILNIUS, Dec 20, BNS – Seimas Speaker Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen says it is difficult to justify that Lithuania does not have an ambassador in Poland.

"In my view, at a time like now, when the war in Ukraine is going on, when changes have taken place in Poland, when elections have just been held, it is difficult to justify the fact that Lithuania does not have an ambassador in Poland," she told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Wednesday.

"If that absence of an ambassador is based on what we hear, that the president does not like the proposed candidates, I find it hard to justify it," she added.

Cmilyte-Nielsen noted that such a situation is detrimental to the state.

“It seems to me that this is not good for the country, for the presidential office and for the foreign ministry, so we all suffer. It is very important now that relations with Poland continue to be so close that cooperation is good at all levels", she said.

The Seimas speaker insisted that efforts were being made at parliamentary level to maintain close contacts with Poland.

"Today I will speak with my new colleague, the Marshal of the Senate, and soon I will also have a video conversation with the Marshal of the Sejm. I am sure that at parliamentary level we are doing our best to maintain our close cooperation in all areas," Cmilyte-Nielsen said.

Lithuania's Ambassador to Poland Eduardas Borisovas was recalled on September 7 after his term expired, and the embassy is currently headed by Minister Plenipotentiary Audrone Markeviciene.

Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said last week that the appointment of Lithuania's new ambassador to Poland was being stalled by the presidential office. According to him, the Foreign Ministry submitted the first nominations for the post on time almost 18 months ago.

Presidential spokesman Ridas Jasiulionis said earlier that the last nominated candidate was rejected because of his qualifications and because he did not speak Polish.

Meanwhile, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has said that the selection process leads him to believe that "certain people" are being pushed through to fill ambassadorial positions, bypassing other people who "may not be to the liking of the ministry's leadership".

In Lithuania, ambassadors are appointed and dismissed by the president on a proposal from the government and with the approval of the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs.

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Lithuania reports 1,171 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths

VILNIUS, Dec 20, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 1,171 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 dropped to 531.3 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 34.7 percent.

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

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

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Lease of building proposed for EU agency would cost EUR 13.3 mln to Lithuania over 5 yrs

VILNIUS, Dec 20, BNS – The lease of a building in Vilnius' business center Yellowstone proposed for a new European Union (EU) authority for countering money laundering and financing of terrorism (Anti-money-laundering authority, or AMLA) will cost the Lithuanian state almost 13.3 million euros over five years if the EU institutions decide to establish the new authority’s headquarters in Vilnius.

According to Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste, this cost would be covered by the government.

BNS reported earlier that on November 27, the Finance Ministry signed a five-year lease agreement with Project RE 1, whose ultimate beneficiary, according to the Centre of Registers, is Vilius Kavaliauskas, the founder and shareholder of the Lewben Group.

However, according to the Yellowstone project developer, 14 other beneficiaries – investors in the project – do not want to disclose their identities. The only thing that is clear is that they are “sufficiently well-known” Lithuanian natural and legal persons.

The Finance Ministry told BNS that the contractual rent for the premises is 33.53 euros per square meter and the leased area is 6,591 square meters. The rent would amount to around 221,000 euros per month, it said.

BNS estimates that the rent would amount to around 2.652 million euros over one year and 13.26 million euros over five years.

"As the government, we are committed to cover the costs of rent, installation and maintenance for five years, and we hope that this will increase the competitiveness of our application," Skaiste said last Friday.

According to the Finance Ministry, Project RE 1's bid was the lowest and the company was declared the winner of the tender.

A decision at the EU level is expected in the first quarter of 2024. According to Skaiste, the new authority is expected to employ 400 people and have a budget of around 70 million euros.

AMLA’s headquarters would be located in the Yellowstone Business Center in Vilnius, next to the Verslo Trikampis (Business Triangle) business complex, which is being renovated and expanded. The developers expect to complete the construction of the 9-storey modern business center worth more than 25 million euros in the second quarter of 2024.

Agnius Tamosaitis, CEO of Project RE 1, says that Kavaliauskas is not the real ultimate beneficiary of the company as the real beneficiaries are the 14 investors who have invested in the Yellowstone Business Center project, while Equite, of which Kavaliauskas is a shareholder and CEO, is providing project management services, for which it will receive the remuneration stipulated in the contract.

Tamosaitis said that due to confidentiality reasons he could not disclose the names of the investors, who "believe in the success of the project", without their consent.

"These investors are sufficiently well-known natural and legal persons from Lithuania (the beneficiaries of the legal persons are also Lithuanian citizens). Contrary to what has been claimed in the public domain, these investors are the final beneficiaries of the project," he said.

Skaiste announced last Friday that the new EU authority would be headquartered in the Yellowstone Business Center.

Following revelations that the center’s developer is linked to a company formerly known as Lewben, which has recently merged with the law firm Primus to form a new company called Noewe, the ministry said it was assessing the information and would consider referring the matter to competent authorities.

Based on information from the State Security Department, in autumn 2017, the then Commission for the Assessment of Compliance of Potential Bidders with the Interests of National Security (now the Commission for Coordination of Protection of Objects of Importance to Ensuring National Security) blocked the plans of Lewben Investment Management (currently known as Braitin) to acquire Prosperus Real Estate II, an investment company that was going to invest in an office complex in the Verslo Trikampis area of Vilnius, because of its ties to Belarusian businessmen.

Lewben Investment Management tried to overturn the Commission's decision in courts, but the Lithuanian courts rejected its appeals, ruling that the Commission's decision was legal. In June this year, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg ruled that Lithuania had not violated Braitin's right to a fair trial in Lithuania.

Kavaliauskas explained in a public letter a year ago that the Lewben Group had significantly narrowed its geography of operations since 2018 and abandoned its trust services in Belarus, where One Energy, the trading company he owned, operated.

“Lewben does not cooperate with Russian or Belarusian residents, and reviews the scope of services for the few citizens of these countries remaining in the clients' portfolio, even if they are legally resident and working in the European Union... Lewben Group has never invested and does not invest in the assets of the beneficiaries of the Russian or Belarusian citizens in Lithuania or in other EU countries," Kavaliauskas stated.

AMLA will be the main authority to ensure a unified anti-money laundering and anti-terrorist financing framework in the EU financial sector and to coordinate with national supervisory authorities in the Member States.

By Roma Pakėnienė

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Orthodox under Patriarchate of Constantinople to celebrate Christmas on December 25

VILNIUS, Dec 20, BNS - Orthodox Christians under the Patriarchate of Constantinople will celebrate Christmas on December 25 according to the new calendar, not the old one.

Ukraine, which has a majority Orthodox population, made the same decision earlier this year in order to distance itself from Russia. Under the old calendar, Christmas is celebrated on January. 7

The decision is aimed at "having a more comfortable life in Lithuania and in harmony with the majority of Orthodox Christians in Europe and the Western world", Father Gintaras Sungaila told BNS on Wednesday.

"Such a decision will harmonize the Orthodox liturgical dates with the Lithuanian calendar of public holidays, which includes the Christmas Eve, Christmas and the Assumption Day, also celebrated by the Orthodox, and these are public holidays. It will also make life easier for mixed familie, who until now have had to celebrate holidays twice," the father said.

This decision was made earlier this year by all Constantinople Orthodox parishes in Lithuania. Currently, there are four parishes in Vilnius and one each in Kaunas, Klaipeda, Siauliai, Anyksciai, Taurage and Elektrenai, Songaila said.

"Priests have the possibility to continue to serve according to the old calendar, if there are believers who wish to do so," the priest said.

Many communities under the Patriarchate of Constantinople around the world follow the new calendar, but it is also allowed to follow the old calendar, he pointed out.

"The patriarchate believes that the calendar is a matter of local tradition, not a matter of faith, and that communities are free to choose the calendar they prefer," he said.

Under the old calendar, communities will only celebrate Easter and related dates.

Now, in Lithuania, only the Orthodox and Old Believer communities subordinate to Moscow follow the old calendar.

The Orthodox under Constantinople are also seeking to formally establish an ecclesiastical structure in Lithuania and are awaiting the final decision from the patriarchate.

This community is based on five former priests of the Moscow Patriarchate who were defrocked last year by Metropolitan Innokentiy, but were later reinstated by Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople in February.

The Moscow Patriarchate accused the clergy of canonical offenses, but Constantinople stated that the priests were not removed for breaking church rules, but for their position on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Orthodox Christians in Lithuania are one of nine traditional religious communities in the country.

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Lithuanian committee chair suggests deciding on Poland ambassador in parlt

VILNIUS, Dec 20, BNS – As Lithuania's Foreign Ministry and the presidential office are at loggerheads over the country's ambassador to Poland, Zygimantas Pavilionis, the chair of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, has proposed resolving the issue in the Seimas and invited Asta Skaisgiryte, a chief advisor to President Gitanos Nauseda, to the next parliament sitting.

"I suggest and ask you to tell the honorable advisor, Ambassador Skaisgiryte, that we are waiting for her at the next meeting on January 10, a closed-door session, to try to find a solution on Poland together," Pavilionis said during the committee meeting on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, committee members and Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis discussed the reasons for the delay in the appointment of an ambassador to Poland. When the public portion of the meeting ended, the committee switched to a closed-door session.

"What is happening is unacceptable because if there have been processes regarding Poland for a year and no solution could be found with a key strategic partner that has gone through a tectonic power change, it is very dangerous," Pavilionis said.

For his part, Landsbergis says this is a rational way forward and he's ready to brief committee members on the qualifications of the candidates rejected by the presidential office.

The minister also informed that the process to select the country's ambassador to Poland was launched in 2022 and took place on September 1 as a total of four candidates took part, and one of whom "clearly stood out for in terms of his competence and work experience".

Landsbergis assured that this diplomat had previously worked at the Lithuanian Embassy in Poland and speaks Polish, and one of the four diplomats mentioned also speaks Polish, but does not have the same command of the language. One candidate met the requirements, Landsbergis said, and was presented along with the others, but "the process stalled".

A new competition was then launched and one diplomat, who did not speak Polish but spoke a "close language" and could learn Polish until his appointment, took part.

The names of the ambassadorial candidates have not been made public, nor has Landsbergis named them. However, Albinas Januska, a long-time diplomat, has announced on Facebook that the candidate rejected by the president was Giedrius Puodziunas, Lithuania's former ambassador to Austria and Georgia, who has also served as the first secretary of the Lithuanian Embassy in Poland and as acting charge d'affaires.

Puodziunas is currently the director of the Foreign Ministry's Transatlantic Cooperation and Security Policy Department.

Lithuania's Ambassador to Poland Eduardas Borisovas was recalled on September 7 after his term expired, and the embassy is currently headed by Minister Plenipotentiary Audrone Markeviciene.

Landsbergis said last week that the appointment of Lithuania's new ambassador to Poland was being stalled by the presidential office. According to him, the Foreign Ministry submitted the first nominations for the post on time almost 18 months ago.

Presidential spokesman Ridas Jasiulionis said earlier that the last nominated candidate was rejected because of his qualifications and because he did not speak Polish. Skaisgiryte also added that in addition to a good command Polish, the successful candidate was required to have knowledge of Polish history and culture.

Landsbergis stressed that the candidate had a degree in history and met the requirements.

Nauseda said earlier the way the competition had been conducted made him believe there was an attempt to push through "certain people" to fill the ambassadorial position, bypassing other candidates who "might not please the ministry's leadership".

In Lithuania, ambassadors are appointed by the president on a proposal of the government and with the approval of the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs.

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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Lithuania hands over field facility equipment, MREs to Ukrainian army

VILNIUS, Dec 20, BNS – Lithuania has sent field facility equipment vital for the military and several thousand MRE packages to the Ukrainian army.

The latest shipment of Lithuania’s military assistance was delivered to the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Wednesday, the Defense Ministry said in a press release.

“We continue doing everything we can to ease the hard fight of Ukraine against the brutality of the aggressor. The different field equipment is critical during the cold season. Each package of our assistance is a step towards victory,” the press release quoted Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas as saying.

Last week, Lithuania handed over several millions of rounds and several thousand grenades for short-range anti-tank grenade launchers to Ukraine.

In addition to the regular transfer of military equipment, Lithuania is also actively training Ukrainian soldiers, providing medical treatment and rehabilitation, expert advice, and is contributing to international funds for Ukraine.

Lithuania has earmarked a 200 million euro military aid package for Ukraine for 2024-2026.

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Lithuanian Seimas committee proposes to set up special panel to assess Russian performers

VILNIUS, Dec 20, BNS – The Seimas Committee on Culture will propose to the government to set up an inter-institutional commission to assess, if necessary, whether a particular Russian or Belarusian performer or artist poses a threat to national security and whether he or she can perform in Lithuania.

On Wednesday, the Committee decided to propose to the government to create such an inter-institutional panel.

For their part, MPs promise to draft legislative amendments to strengthen the responsibility of event organizers.

“The Committee decided to ask the government to create a commission which would be the responsible unit that could answer questions why certain performers can or cannot perform in Lithuania," Conservative MP Vytautas Kernagis, a member of the Committee on Culture, told reporters on Wednesday after the Committee’s closed session.

According to him, the organizers of events do not know now who to turn to in order to get a conclusion on whether a certain artist could pose a threat to national security or whether his or her concerts in Lithuania would cause negative reactions.

The Committee also considers a possibility of stipulating in law that a person who has performed in Crimea or other occupied territories of Ukraine, should be banned from performing in Lithuania for, for example, 20 years, even if he or she has subsequently spoken out against a large-scale war.

"I think we will clarify these provisions in the law", the MP said.

Lithuania has placed several Russian artists on the list of undesirable persons, including pop singers Filip Kirkorov, Natasha Koroliova and others.

Last year, Culture Minister Simonas Kairys expressed hope that Russian cultural figures would not be able to come to Lithuania, primarily because Lithuania does not issue visas to Russian citizens.

Following Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine, Kairys said that he had suspended consideration of all applications for tours by those figures in Lithuania.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Failure to meet three indicators prevents Lithuania from submitting 2nd RRF application

VILNIUS, Dec 20, BNS - Failure to meet three out of 19 indicators is preventing Lithuania from submitting a second application to the European Commission for hundreds of millions of EU funds under the Recovery and Resilience Facility, a representative of the Finance Ministry says.

The initial plan was to submit the application by the end of this year, after the EC approved Lithuania's updated RRF spending plan, according to Paulius Baniunas, an advisor from the ministry's Investment Department.

"Speaking of the earliest timing for the second payment application, which was supposed to be submitted by the end of this year, after the updated plan, we currently have three out of nineteen indicators that have not been achieved," Baniunas told the Seimas Committee on Audit on Wednesday. "As we have not reached the indicators, of course we cannot submit a payment application."

In his words, the non-met indicators posing the biggest risk are the new incentive system for businesses to invest in R&D) and the changes to social security contributions currently being debated by the Seimas and expected to be adopted shortly.

The Agriculture Ministry is responsible for the third non-achieved indicator, he said, and it’s the revised description of the project financing conditions. It should be completed shortly.

The Finance Ministry said earlier it expected to receive around 230 million euros in RRF funds under the second application.

In May, the European Commission paid Lithuania the first installment of 542.3 million euros from the RRF,for the first 30 or so indicators. At the time, 26 million euros were temporarily withheld for failure to met two outstanding indicators, but on Tuesday the EC allowed Lithuania to use almost 9 million euros out of this amount.

The RRF plan has a total of 191 indicators, and the progress of meeting them is being monitored together with EC experts. In October, the EC approved an updated RRF package of 3.85 billion euros for Lithuania.

By Giedrius Gaidamavičius

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuanian govt nominates Jarukaitis for CJEU judge, Norkus for advocate general

VILNIUS, Dec 20, BNS – The Lithuanian government has nominated Irmantas Jarukaitis as the country's candidate for a judge of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), and Rimvydas Norkus as the candidate for an advocate general.

The Cabinet agreed on nominations at its Wednesday meeting, and the decision on the candidates, one of whom, Jarukaitis, is already working at the CJEU, will now have to be taken by the president and the Seimas.

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

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

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

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Baltic PMs sign declaration on uniform implementation of sanctions for Russia

VILNIUS, Dec 20, BNS – Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian Prime Ministers Ingrida Simonyte, Evika Silina and Kaja Kallas have agreed on the uniform regional implementation of EU sanctions for Russia and Belarus and signed a joint declaration on the matter, the Lithuanian government said on Wednesday.

The declaration notes that closing loopholes and ensuring the effective implementation of sanctions is of critical importance in strengthening the impact of sanctions and disrupting Russia’s ability to continue its war of aggression against Ukraine.

The document also includes a commitment to ensure uniform customs controls and information exchange; the relevant authorities in the Baltic States will adopt the regional approach no later than January 31, 2024.

Customs authorities will agree on principles for a common approach of handling the cases when illogical routes of goods are detected, to demand additional documentation concerning the transit or the end use of goods, to require additional declarations from manufacturers and exporters to minimize the risk of circumvention of sanctions, the declaration reads.

The Baltic prime ministers also emphasized the utmost importance for the Baltic states to act together in ensuring the strict and uniform implementation of sanctions.

Western economic, diplomatic and other sanctions for Russia and its supporter Belarus have been in place since Moscow launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago.

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Lithuania: Via Baltica reconstruction halfway through, other half to be completed by 2025

VILNIUS, Dec 20, BNS – Reconstruction of Via Baltica international motorway's section from kilometer 79 to kilometer 85 was completed officially on Wednesday.

The new road connects Marijampole and Kalvarija, two towns in southwestern Lithuania, and its opening marks the halfway point of the entire Via Baltica project, the Lithuanian Road Administration (LAKD) said in a press release.

Four viaducts, four bridges, a tunnel passage and a green bridge for animal migration were built during the year, according to LAKD.

Transport and Communications Minister Marius Skuodis said that the work was completed without delay.

He noted that the third section of the Via Baltica from Kaunas to Marijampole was now being worked on, while the fourth section was yet to be tendered.

"Twelve and a half kilometers have already been built, and work continues in full swing ... on another 16 kilometers, and we are just waiting for the end of the tender process for the last section at the Polish border," Skuodis said.

According to LAKD, the reconstruction of the fourth and final section is scheduled to start next year.

The entire 40-kilometer-long road will be reconstructed into a four-lane motorway by 2025 and will be adapted for both civilian and military mobility needs.

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Lithuania's CNSD chair expects 'clearer picture' on rotational air defense next year

VILNIUS, Dec 20, BNS - As the Baltic states seek to secure rotational allied air defense capabilities in the region, Laurynas Kasciunas, the chair of Lithuanian Committee on National Security and Defense, says a "clearer picture" on the implementation of this model is expected next year.

"We will have a clearer picture next year," he told BNS on Wednesday.

In June, NATO countries agreed on a rotational air defense model in response to calls from the Baltic states to bolster the ongoing air policing mission.

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have proposed a rotational deployment of air defense forces, given the shortage of air defense weapons, meaning that a different Western partner could send military equipment to a different Baltic country on a rotational basis.

Kasciunas says talks with countries having such capabilities are taking place "at all levels".

"These include Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Italy, Greece. These are the countries that have the best-developed capabilities", he said, adding that Lithuania is also making decisions at the national level by purchasing NASAMS systems.

"We are hanging on to every opportunity," Kasciunas pointed out.

In mid-December, Lithuania's Defense Ministry said it had signed a 200 million euro contract with a Norwegian manufacturer for the purchase of a new medium-range air defense system NASAMS.

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Lithuania govt: EUR 20 mln from Ignitis Group for wind farm to be used to repay state debt

VILNIUS, Dec 20, BNS – Twenty million euros paid as a development fee by Ignitis Renewables, a subsidiary of Lithuania's state-owned energy group Ignitis Grupe (Ignitis Group), after winning the tender for the development of the country's first offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea, will be used to repay the funds borrowed on behalf of the state.

The government approved a respective proposal of the Finance Ministry on Wednesday.

According to the ministry, Ignitis Renewables transferred the 20-million-euro development fee in December and if this money were spent next year, it would increase public spending and the general government deficit.

The funds borrowed by the state were used to compensate households and businesses for electricity and gas prices. This year, 175 million euros has been used for this purpose and 423 million euros in 2022.

Earlier this year, Ignitis Grupe and its partner Ocean Winds won a tender to develop Lithuania's first 700 MW offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea without state aid, having offered 20 million euros as a development fee to the state. The wind farm is preliminary valued at 1.8 billion euros.

By Erika Alonderytė-Kazlauskė

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuanian finmin: we will ask authorities to find out Yellowstone’s final beneficiaries

VILNIUS, Dec 20, BNS – The Lithuanian Finance Ministry will ask competent authorities to find out the final beneficiaries of a lease deal for the building proposed for a new European Union (EU) authority for countering money laundering and financing of terrorism (Anti-money-laundering authority, or AMLA), Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste has said in response to media reports that investors of the Yellowstone business center in Vilnius – the proposed site of ALMA’s headquarters – have not been disclosed publicly and one of them is linked to the former company Lewben.

“Taking into account the information that has emerged in the public domain that there may be risks regarding the reputation and other links of the beneficiaries, we are going to turn this week to the institutions that have additional information and then, when we receive that information, we will be able to assess it," the minister told BNS on Wednesday.

She noted, however, that this would only be relevant if Lithuania won the EU competition.

"In that case, if Europe decides that the agency should be headquartered in Vilnius, only in that case those [contractual] relations come into force. So I would say that we still have time before a decision is taken, we will gather additional information and see if additional decisions are needed," Skaiste said.

According to her, Lithuania is competing to host the AMLA with nine other cities, including Madrid, Paris, and Frankfurt.

The five-year lease for Yellowstone was signed with Project RE 1 on November 27, with the option to terminate the contract if the EU Council and the Parliament decide to locate AMLA's headquarters outside Lithuania or if no decision is taken within 6 months. The decision on the host country of the new authority’s headquarters is expected in the first quarter of 2024.

If the decision is taken to base the authority’s headquarters in Vilnius, the Lithuanian state would cover the costs of renting and maintaining the building for five years – almost 13.3 million euros.

BNS reported earlier that the final beneficiary of Project RE 1, according to the data of the Center of Registers, is Vilius Kavaliauskas, the founder and shareholder of Lewben Group.

The media has repeatedly raised questions about the group's links with various individuals from Eastern countries and the content of its services.

However, another 14 beneficiaries – the investors of the Yellowstone project who have not been publicly registered anywhere – do not want to disclose their identities in public, according to the Yellowstone project developer.

Agnius Tamosaitis, CEO of Project RE 1, told BNS on Monday that he would disclose the names of those investors if they agreed. On Tuesday, however, he stated that due to confidentiality reasons he could not do so without their consent.

By Goda Vileikytė

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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No need for Lithuania to decide on migrant admission yet, despite EU deal – vicemin

VILNIUS, Dec 20, BNS – There's no rush for Lithuania to decide whether to take in more than 500 migrants each year or pay several million euros, despite an EU consensus on migration, Interior Vice Minister Arnoldas Abramavicius says.

He was speaking after EU member states and the European Parliament agreed on five separate EU rules on how to manage the inflow of asylum seekers and migrants, and how to deal with sudden migrant crises.

One of the changes is the creation of a compulsory solidarity mechanism, which means that a certain proportion of migrants will be relocated to other EU countries. If any block member refuses to take these people in, it would have to make a financial or material contribution to receiving countries.

Lithuania estimates that, at current illegal migration flows, it would have to take in 158 people per year or pay 3.18 million euros.

"Today's announcement that a political agreement has been reached does not mean that the regulation enters into force today and now. Quite some time will pass until it enters into force and the final approval will take place in the EP in April," Abramavicius told BNS on Wednesday.

"Then we will have a 24-month transition period, and in this case the decision on whether to accept 158 migrants per year or to pay the contribution will probably have to be made much later, certainly not today and certainly not next year," he added.

The EU migrant reform also includes faster screening of irregular arrivals, the creation of detention centers at the borders, and faster removal of those refused asylum.

The rules also address situations where third countries or hostile non-state actors seek to use migration as a tool to destabilize the EU, and therefore provide for temporary derogations from the normal asylum procedure.

Lithuania has been a vocal advocate of the latter, as it faced increased migrant flows from Belarus a few years ago.

"I think this is a certain achievement for Lithuania here," Abramavicius said. "Procedural facilitation emerges: the accommodation of migrants under simplified conditions and the restriction of their movements. In this case, the procedures would be similar to the ones we had in 2021."

Lithuania blamed the Minsk regime for the influx of migrants from Belarus in 2021 and still has a policy of turning back migrants in place, which has been criticized by NGOs.

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Lithuanian parlt panel looking into SSD whistleblower case asks SIS to declassify info

VILNIUS, Dec 20, BNS – The Lithuanian parliamentary commission investigating the story of whistleblower Tomas Gailius, a former employee of the country's State Security Department, heard the testimony of Linas Pernavas, the head of the Special Investigation Service, on Wednesday, and asked for the submitted material to be declassified.

"Unfortunately, it happens so that the SIS owns the information in question by law, and this prevents the commission from commenting on the information received during this hearing. But we have formally asked the SIS to declassify the information that was submitted to the commission," Vytautas Bakas, who chairs the commission, told reporters after the meeting on Wednesday.

In his words, the commission believes that the SIS' classified letters "do not comply with the criteria provided for in the law", which defines that only information posing a threat to state security and the activities of special services can be classified.

Speaking with reporters after the meeting, Pernavas refrained to comment on anything, including on potential declassification, saying that everything that was discussed was the material of a closed meeting.

The SIS chief was questioned during a closed-door meeting. Later one, commission members heard Birute Davidonyte and Dovydas Pancerovas, the authors of The Whistleblower and the President. Part of it is based on the information provided by Gailius.

The temporary parliamentary inquiry commission is looking, among other things, into whether the SSD followed the law when vetting the inner circle and potential financial supporters of Gitanas Nauseda, who was then preparing to run in the 2019 presidential race, and whether it passed its findings to individuals unauthorized to access classified information.

Gailius earlier told the parliamentary commission that the top SSD officials might have committed a disciplinary offense or even a crime by asking the department's employees to vet Nauseda's inner circle and possibly sharing information with unauthorized persons. He also claimed to have seen information on the possible non-transparent financing of the 2019 presidential election campaign when he worked for the intelligence service. However, he did not singled out a specific candidate.

Following Gailius' testiony, the SSD reiterated that it followed the law when it vetted Nauseda's inner circle.

Evaldas Pasilis, a former prosecutor general, and his deputy Zydrunas Radisauskas earlier told the commission that the SIS seemed to be the most appropriate institution to assess the material received from Gailius.

They said the SIS launched a nine-month criminal intelligence investigation, but terminated it after it failed to find any signs of a criminal offense.

Published early this year, The Whistleblower and the President is based on Gailius' testimony and raises questions regarding the transparency of funding of Nauseda's election campaign.

For his part, Nauseda rejects suspicions of non-transparent funding and says he's ready to answer the commission's questions in writing.

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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Dec 22 2023

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