LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN, August 9, 2023

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, August 9, 2023
Next rotation of NATO battle group to begin deployment in Lithuania
Lithuanian border guard chief says favors closure of more checkpoints with Belarus
Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
Belarusian opposition in Vilnius to mark 3 yrs since disputed presidential election
Lithuania reports 19 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
Belarus regime must be held accountable for its crimes – Lithuanian PM
Lithuania's CNSD to discuss further restrictions for Belarusians
Baltic, Polish ministers condemn 'massive internal repression' by Belarus regime
Some 230,000 Lithuanians traveled to Belarus in H1, attempts made to recruit some
Lithuanian InterMin's migrant amendments come in response to CC ruling – vicemin
Closing all border posts with Belarus would cause organizational problems – vice-minister
Lithuania's competition watchdog launches probe into lrytas.lt acquisition
Lithuania's competition watchdog launches probe into lrytas.lt acquisition (expands)
Some 230,000 Lithuanians traveled to Belarus in H1, attempts made to recruit some (expands)
Lithuania's support to freedom-seeking Belarusians remains 'unwavering' – president
Lithuania mulls closing its 2 border checkpoints with Belarus from Aug 15
Lithuanian MPs expect to return to tighter restrictions on Belarusians in fall
Lithuania hands protest note to Russia over restricted access to cultural center in Moscow
Lithuania hands protest note to Russia over restricted access to cultural center in Moscow (expands)
New NATO battalion rotation begins service in Lithuania
Lithuania's Landsbergis voices concern over Lachin Corridor closure to Armenian formin
Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, August 10, 2023

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, August 9, 2023

VILNIUS, Aug 09, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, August 9, 2023:

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to attend a meeting of the Board of the Seimas at 9 a.m.; to meet with Intelligence Ombudsman Nortautas Statkus at 11 a.m.

THE DEFENSE MINISTRY

A ceremony for the rotation and change of command of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group in Lithuania to take place at the Great Lithuanian Hetman Jonusas Radvila Training Regiment in Rukla.

SOCIAL SECURITY AND LABOR MINISTER Monika Navickiene to attend a reception organized by Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya to mark the third anniversary of the Belarusian presidential election that s not recognized by the West.

EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND SPORT MINISTER Gintautas Jakstas to meet with Israeli Ambassador Hadas Wittenberg Silverstein at 9 a.m.

THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

Threats to Lithuanian citizens travelling to Belarus will be discussed at the Medininkai border checkpoint at 10a.m., followed by a press conference to be attended by Foreign Voice Minister Mantas Adomenas, Interior Vice Minister Arnoldas Abramavicius, Commander of the State Border Guard Service Rustamas Liubajevas, and Mindaugas Zobiela, head of the Directorate of Border Crossing Infrastructure

OTHER EVENTS

The Day of Solidarity with Belarus to be commemorated in the Cathedral Square in central Vilnius at 6 p.m., with Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's planned at 6.30 p.m.

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Next rotation of NATO battle group to begin deployment in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Aug 09, BNS – The 14th rotation of NATO’s multinational enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup is starting its deployment in Lithuania.

A changeover ceremony will take place at the Lithuanian Great Hetman Jonusas Radvila Training Regiment at Rukla on Wednesday.

The new rotation will serve under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Andreas Kirchner of the Bundeswehr. He will succeed Lieutenant Colonel Lars Neitzel, who has been in command of the 13th rotation since February.

Up to 1,600 allied troops will be stationed in Rukla. They have arrived in Lithuania with Leopard tanks, and CV90 and Boxer infantry fighting vehicles, according to the Armed Forces.

The German-led battlegroup was deployed to Lithuania in February 2017 in response to Russia's aggression in Ukraine and military activity in the region.

Germany provides the largest contingent to the eFP BG, with the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, the Czech Republic and Luxembourg also contributing troops to the new rotation.

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Lithuanian border guard chief says favors closure of more checkpoints with Belarus

VILNIUS, Aug 09, BNS – Rustamas Liubajevas, the commander of the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service (SBGS), has said he would back a closure of more than two of the country's six border checkpoints with Belarus, as currently planned by the authorities.

"As the SBGS commander or a representative of a law enforcement body, I'd be in favor of closing more checkpoints, because it would allow us to reduce the flow of, let's say, unwanted persons," Liubajevas told LRT TV on Tuesday evening.

"Within our competence, yes, I'd say that, as far as we are concerned, this would be a reasonable step," he added when asked to clarify whether he would approve of the closing of as many border checkpoints as possible with Belarus.

Closing border checkpoints would be "technically very easy", according to the border guard chief.

Lithuania's authorities are considering shutting down the Sumskas and Tverecius border checkpoints in response to possible threats due to the relocation of some Wagner mercenaries to Belarus.

The final decision on the closure has yet to be made by the Cabinet.

"Today, both citizens of the Russian Federation and citizens of the Republic of Belarus are subject to a tightened checking procedure, but the flows are very high and reducing these flows would really contribute to our security situation," said Liubajevas.

The SBGS has said recently that it is looking to deploy additional personnel to increase its capacity at the border with Belarus.

Liubajevas told LRT TV that his service was planning to hold a joint tactical exercise with other bodies in the near future to be ready to counter possible provocations at the border.

The SBGS sees that Belarusian border guards continue to facilitate illegal migration to Lithuania and, although less frequently, to damage the physical barrier erected by Lithuania.

"We have information that they will continue to do so and depending on the political situation or the political agenda of the Lukashenko regime and the Kremlin regime, apparently, they will keep directing these flows (toward the border)," he said.

The Polish government on Monday accused Belarus and Russia of organizing another influx of migrants into the EU via the Polish border in an attempt to destabilize the situation in the region.

By Giedrius Gaidamavičius

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Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus

VILNIUS, Aug 09, 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 35 attempts at illegal border crossings on Tuesday, and 112 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Monday, according to the latest available information.

A total of 1,496 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year. Over 11,200 irregular migrants were turned away in 2022.

Lithuanian border guards have prevented around 20,800 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 SBGS says that illegal migration to Lithuania and the EU is being facilitated by Belarusian officials.

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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Belarusian opposition in Vilnius to mark 3 yrs since disputed presidential election

VILNIUS, Aug 09, BNS – Belarusian opposition activists are staging a march in Vilnius on Wednesday to mark the third anniversary of Belarus' disputed presidential election that sparked mass protests in the country.

In the evening, participants will march from Cathedral Square along the capital's streets to Belarus' embassy to show that people are not indifferent to what is happening in Lithuania's neighboring country, according to the organizers.

Mass protests erupted in Belarus after Lukashenko, the authoritarian leader who has ruled the country since 1994, was declared the winner of the August 9, 2020 presidential election.

Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who challenged Lukashenko in the election, continues her political activity from Vilnius. She is expected to take part in Wednesday's march.

The opposition and Western countries do not recognize the 2020 election as free and fair.

Belarus' authorities cracked down harshly on the protests, with more than 35,000 people detained by the police and thousands of protesters saying they were subjected to violence.

Most prominent opposition figures were imprisoned or forced to leave Belarus. Independent media outlets were searched and their journalists were arrested.

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Lithuania reports 19 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths

VILNIUS, Aug 09, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 19 new coronavirus infections and no deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Wednesday morning.

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals now stands at thirteen.

The 14-day primary infection rate has edged down to 9.7 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 6.9 percent.

The number of new coronavirus cases hit the peak in Lithuania in early February 2022 when more than 14,000 new infections were recorded daily.

Around 1.19 million people in Lithuania have tested positive for COVID-19 at least once.

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

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Belarus regime must be held accountable for its crimes – Lithuanian PM

VILNIUS, Aug 09, BNS – Alexander Lukashenko's regime must be held accountable for its crimes in the war and against its own people, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said on Wednesday, the third anniversary of Belarus' presidential election that was not recognized by the West.

"3y ago Lukashenka stole elections & repressed peaceful protests. Now he holds ~1,5k political prisoners & is an accomplice in Russia's war against Ukraine," Simonyte posted on the X social media platform.

"Belarus' regime must face accountability for crimes against own people & war crimes in Ukraine – for the sake of #FreeBelarus & peaceful Europe," she added.

Mass protests erupted in Belarus after Lukashenko, the authoritarian leader who has ruled the country since 1994, was declared the winner of the August 9, 2020 presidential election, which were not recognized by the opposition and Western countries as free and fair.

Opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who challenged Lukashenko in the election, fled to neighboring Lithuania shortly afterwards and continues her political activity from Vilnius.

Opposition voices and independent media have been stifled during Lukashenko's nearly three decades in power.

Belarus' authorities cracked down harshly on the 2020 protests, with more than 35,000 people detained by the police and thousands of protesters saying they were subjected to violence.

Most prominent opposition figures were imprisoned or forced to leave Belarus. Independent media outlets were searched and their journalists were arrested.

On Tuesday, the European Union called Lukashenko's regime "a threat to regional and international security" and expressed concern about the recent deployment in Belarus of mercenaries from the Russian private military company Wagner.

Russia and Belarus have signed a Union State treaty that provides for close political, economic and military ties between the two countries. Last year, Lukashenko allowed Russia to use Belarus' territory for attacking Ukraine.

Also, Russia has recently started deploying tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus.

Dzmitry Shautsou, head of Belarus' Red Cross, has said that his organization is actively involved in bringing Ukrainian children to Belarus for "health improvement" purposes.

Both Ukraine and the Belarusian opposition have condemned the transfers as unlawful deportations.

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Lithuania's CNSD to discuss further restrictions for Belarusians

VILNIUS, Aug 09, BNS – Lithuania's parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense is set on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of introducing additional restrictions for Belarusian citizens to make them on a par with the existing restrictions for Russian citizens.

Supporters of such a move cite security concerns, while opponents are warning about its potential impact on the labor market and are calling for solidarity with the pro-Western part of Belarusian society.

Laurynas Kasciunas, the CNSD chairman, argues that the movement of Wagner mercenaries to Belarus is an important new argument to look into the situation. He told the public radio LRT that these fighters in Belarus can obtain Belarusian citizenship and then enter our country as tourists.

"As long as there are no restrictive measures, such as those in place for citizens of the Russian Federation, such a scenario theoretically (...) exists. We have to look at this," the MP said.

He also drew attention to the information published by the Migration Department last week that 910 Belarusian citizens have been recognized as a threat to national security, of whom 337 were refused temporary residence permits in Lithuania and 121 were refused to change their residence permits, since the end of last year when a special questionnaire for Russian and Belarusian citizens was introduced.

Evelina Gudzinskaite, who leads Lithuania's Migration Department, says the threat posed by individuals is determined by a questionnaire in which Russians and Belarusians are asked about their attitude towards the regime and other questions.

If certain indications are found, interviews are carried out, and if there are reasons to believe that a person may pose a risk, the State Security Department is contacted.

"The question is, the SSD has a large capacity, but how many people we are able to qualitatively check," Gudzinskaite said.

For his part, Andrius Mazuronis, a member of the CNSD and a representative of the opposition Labor Party, says the proposed path is wrong as restrictions for Belarusians will be a "huge shock" to the economy as incoming Belarusian professionals are of greater value than "one or two cases" of Belarusian citizens causing problems.

Moreover, he said, Lithuania should support the Belarusians fighting for democracy.

"It seems to me that the only one who would benefit from our behavior is the existing Belarusian regime, which would only be happy," the politician added.

On August 9, 2020, Belarus held a presidential election that was followed by mass protests sparked by the announcement that the authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has led the country since 1994, had won again.

The country's opposition and Western countries do not recognize the elections as free and fair.

However, Kasciunas argues that those who wanted to leave could have already left Belarus. The humanitarian corridor will remain in place for people who can prove their dissident activities, just like in the case of the Russians, therefore, the possibility for people persecuted by the regime to leave Belarus would remain even if the restrictions were put on par.

Mazuronis argued that any restrictions would not prevent Wagner mercenaries from entering Belarus through other Schengen countries. Kasciunas says they would nevertheless be a significant burden and would encourage other countries, such as Poland, to introduce similar restrictions.

Russians and Belarusians are now facing restrictions in obtaining Lithuanian visas and electronic resident status until May 3, and Lithuania has also made it more difficult for Russian citizens to enter Lithuania, acquire real estate, and the country temporarily refuses to accept Russian citizens' applications for residence permits.

President Gitanas Nauseda believes Belarusian citizens should be subject to the same sanctions as Russians, but the Seimas previously overrode his veto on the grounds that Belarusian citizens should be subject to softer requirements.

Kasciunas hopes that support for such an initiative will emerge in the Seimas following the emergence of Wagner mercenaries in Belarus.

By Austėja Masiokaitė-Liubinienė

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Baltic, Polish ministers condemn 'massive internal repression' by Belarus regime

VILNIUS, Aug 09, BNS – The Baltic and Polish foreign ministers on Wednesday condemned "the massive internal repression" by the regime of Belarus' authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko and its "complicity" in Russia's war against Ukraine.

"We must remind ourselves that the struggle for freedom never ends. We believe in a democratic, independent and sovereign Belarus, as well as in Ukraine's victory," Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said in a press release.

"The authoritarian regime must collapse, and Lukashenko and his accomplices must be held accountable," he added.

The Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian and Polish foreign ministers issued their joint statement on the third anniversary of Belarus' presidential election that was not recognized by the West.

"Three years ago, on 9 August 2020, Alexander Lukashenko proclaimed himself the winner of the rigged presidential election, thereby trampling on the democratic aspirations and rights of the Belarusian people," they said.

The statement draws attention to the Lukashenko regime's continued persecution of human rights activists, journalists, lawyers and critics of the regime, and blackmail and arrests.

The ministers also condemn the Belarusian regime's logistical and political support for Russia's war against Ukraine.

The statement underlines the commitment to "continue supporting the democratic forces of Belarus, its leadership as well as other representatives of the civil society that rally in pursuit of democratic changes in Belarus".

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Some 230,000 Lithuanians traveled to Belarus in H1, attempts made to recruit some

VILNIUS, Aug 09, BNS – Some 230,000 Lithuanians travelled to Belarus in the first half of this year and there were attempts to recruit some of them, Rustamas Liubajevas, the commander of the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service (SBGS), said on Wednesday.

"In the first half of the year, 230,000 people left (for Belarus). On average, about 52,000 Lithuanian citizens travel tor Belarus monthly," Liubajevas told reporters in Medininkai, close to the border.

"I am talking about all groups, including those travelling for work," he added.

The border guard chief said attempts had been made to recruit some Lithuanian citizens.

"We have information that Lithuanian citizens are being recruited and that Belarusian citizens travelling to Lithuania are being asked to take certain photos and record the movement of troops," he said.

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Lithuanian InterMin's migrant amendments come in response to CC ruling – vicemin

MEDININKAI, Vilnius District, Aug 09, BNS – The Interior Ministry's drafted amendments on the detention of migrants, come in response to the Constitutional Court ruling, Interior Vice Minister Arnoldas Abramavicius says.

Among other changes, the new amendments provide for an individual assessment of whether migrants' right to freedom of movement should not be restricted. The amendments follow the Constitutional Court's June ruling that the forced placement of all migrants who have crossed the border illegally in special centers for six months is unconstitutional.

"What is our objective? The aim of the amendments is to comply with the Constitutional Court ruling. All the points that, let's say, relate to the Constitutional Court's assessment that maybe this and that should be corrected, that's has been taken into account," Abramavicius told reporters in Medininkai on Wednesday.

Erika Leonaite, the Seimas ombudsperson, told BNS on Tuesday that the new changes were aimed at implementing the Constitutional Court ruling, but only minimally.

For his part, the interior vice minister says that if the recommendations of public figures and NGOs were taken into account, the amendment package would have been bigger.

"In this case, our position is that the situation (at the border - BNS) has changed very little. The hybrid attack can be reactivated at any moment. Therefore, we should not be naive and say how friendly the regime is here, that (...) migrants are really fleeing from some kind of persecution, and that we have to give them maximum opportunities in this place," Abramavicius said.

"The extreme situation is far from being over, and amendments have been drafted in view of the extreme situation, and, again, they will be discussed by the government soon and then by the Seimas," he noted.

Under the new amendments, when a person applies for asylum at a border post, an assessment will be made as to whether there are any individual circumstances related to the asylum seeker's age, state of health, family situation or other individual circumstances that should not restrict the asylum seeker's right to free movement in Lithuania.

If such circumstances are not established, an asylum seeker who has applied for asylum at a border control point, in a transit zone or shortly after illegally crossing Lithuania's border would be temporarily accommodated in designated places without the right to free movement.

The amendments shorten the maximum duration of the border procedure from six to five months, in line with the EU's legislative proposals.

Lithuania's the Constitutional Court ruled in June that the forced accommodation of all irregular migrants who have illegally crossed the Lithuanian border when there's a declared extreme situation in the country and such accommodation can last up to six months run counter to the Constitution.

In 2021, almost 4,200 migrants entered Lithuania illegally from Belarus before Lithuania started turning irregular migrants around.

By Paulius Perminas

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Closing all border posts with Belarus would cause organizational problems – vice-minister

MEDININKAI, Vilnius District, Lithuania, Aug 09, BNS – Closing all of Lithuania's six border crossing points with Belarus at the same time would pose major organizational problems, Deputy Interior Minister Arnoldas Abramavicius said on Wednesday.

"In this case, we also see a situation where we would face quite big organizational problems to close the six checkpoints at once," he told reporters in Medininkai, close to the border.

The vice-minister added that closing the checkpoints was not an end in itself.

"The Poles have minimized their number of checkpoints from four to one, the Latvians have two international checkpoints with Belarus, and we have six today, two of which are perhaps limited in capacity," he said.

The Baltic and Polish interior ministers are planning to hold a meeting shortly to discuss what should be done if the border with Belarus has to be closed completely, according to Abramavicius.

Lithuania's authorities are considering shutting down two of the country's six border checkpoints with Belarus, those of Sumskas and Tverecius, in response to possible threats due to the relocation of some Wagner mercenaries to Belarus.

The final decision on the closure has yet to be made by the Cabinet.

Rustamas Liubajevas, the commander of the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service (SBGS), said on Tuesday that he would back a closure of more border checkpoints.

He said closing border checkpoints would be "technically very easy".

Lithuanian and Polish leaders have said recently that there are currently about 4,000 Wagner fighters in Belarus, with some of them stationed close to the two countries' borders.

Liubajevas said, however, that there could be up to 4,500 of them.

By Greta Zulonaitė

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Lithuania's competition watchdog launches probe into lrytas.lt acquisition

VILNIUS, Aug 09, BNS – Lithuania's Competition Council has launched an investigation into the agreement of Ekspress Grupp, an Estonian media group that owns the delfi.lt news websites in the Baltic states, and Lietuvos Rytas, a Lithuanian company, on the acquisition of the lrytas.lt news website in Lithuania.

The procedure has been started on the basis of the complaint of UAB 15min, Ekspress Grupp said via the Tallinn Stock Exchange on Wednesday.

"Ekspres Grupp is in full cooperation with the Lithuanian Competition Council," the Estonian group said.

The Competition Council earlier told BNS that the authority had not been informed about the December transaction and was not consulted by the parties.

In December, the Estonian group acquired the lrytas.lt news website from Lietuvos Rytas through its company in Lithuania for an undisclosed value. The agreement was signed for the acquisition of 100 percent in lrytas.lt, a subsidiary of Lietuvos Rytas, and the deal was partly financed by SEB Bank.

Big Group, controlled by Ben Gudelis, owns a 36 percent stake in Lietuvos Rytas, and Gedvynas Vainauskas and Vidmantas Strimaitis owns 26.5 percent and 13.2 percent respectively. The rest belongs to minority shareholders.

Gudelis and Vainauskas told BNS on Wednesday they were not aware of the Competition Council's investigation.

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Lithuania's competition watchdog launches probe into lrytas.lt acquisition (expands)

The competition watchdog will look into whether the transaction was in line the law that requires the parties to notify about planned concentration and receive authorization from the Competition Council, if the revenues of the businesses involved in the transaction exceed the legal thresholds.

The procedure has been started on the basis of the complaint of UAB 15min, Ekspress Grupp said via the Tallinn Stock Exchange on Wednesday.

"Ekspres Grupp is in full cooperation with the Lithuanian Competition Council," the Estonian group said.

"Yes, we can confirm this information," Lina Navickaite, head of the Competition Council's Communications Department, told BNS, adding that the investigation into alleged failure to notify about the merger was launched on Tuesday.

Tomas Balzekas, the CEO o of 15min Group, expects principled decisions from the Competition Council.

"I view the Competition Council's decision very positively. It was obvious to me from the very beginning of this transaction that both a merger notification was necessary and that the merger of delfi and lrytas websites would result in an excess of the permissible concentration on the market in terms of advertising revenue and audience," Balzekas told BNS.

"I do believe the Competition Council will act in a principled manner and will not allow Ekspress Grupp to show disrespect for our laws and principles of ensuring competition through such actions. I hope that appropriate sanctions will be applied and that competition in the news website market will be regulated in an objective and fair manner," he underlined.

Gudelis and Vainauskas told BNS on Wednesday they were not aware of the Competition Council's investigation.

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Some 230,000 Lithuanians traveled to Belarus in H1, attempts made to recruit some (expands)

VILNIUS, Aug 09, BNS – Some 230,000 Lithuanians traveled to Belarus in the first half of this year and there were attempts to recruit some of them, Rustamas Liubajevas, the commander of the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service (SBGS), said on Wednesday.

"I am talking about all groups, including those traveling for work," he added.

The border guard chief said attempts had been made to recruit some Lithuanian citizens.

"We have information that Lithuanian citizens are being recruited and that Belarusian citizens traveling to Lithuania are being asked to take certain photos and record the movement of troops," he said.

In total, he said, "around 2 million passengers arrived and departed through checkpoints in the first half of this year".

"If we talk specifically about Belarusian citizens, 830 000 citizens arrived. Most of them left, and statistically almost the same number left," Liubajevas said.

Information stands

Belarus has introduced a visa-free regime for Lithuanian, Latvian and Polish citizens in the spring of 2022, and the country's authorities claim some 170 000 Lithuanians have taken advantage of this option this year.

"If we look into overall statistics, which are also available on the website of the Belarusian State Border Committee, over 400,000 people have arrived in Belarus since April 2022. Lithuanian citizens," the Lithuanian border chief says.

For his part, Foreign Vice Minister Mantas Adomenas urges Lithuanians not to travel to Belarus, as the country is helping Russia with the war in Ukraine by giving territory to Wagner mercenaries, deliberately trying to destabilize the border situation and stepping up its crackdown on the Lithuanian national minority

This call will be reflected in information stands at the border, which will read: "Don't risk your safety, don't go to Belarus, you may never come back".

On Wednesday, the State Security Department also warned of the dangers, stating posting on Facebook that Belarusian intelligence services are checking travelers' computers, phones, social media accounts, using blackmail and psychological pressure to encourage them to cooperate with Belarusian intelligence.

When asked about possible cases of recruitment, the foreign vice minister refrained to elaborate, only stating that Minsk "continues to pursue the objective of having tactical nuclear weapons deployed in Belarus". He, however, refrained from commenting further on the process.

"As the popular American phrase goes, if I tell you, I'll have to kill you," Adomenas said.

Fuel, salt, relatives

Although Lithuania has a recommendation for people not to travel to Belarus in place, there have been also cases of some statutory officers traveling to Belarus. However, such cases are unique, Liubajevas says.

"We are holding preventive conversations with our officers, but the number of these cases has gone down and is almost non-existent since the escalation of the situation and the appearance of Wagner mercenaries in Belarus," the SBGS chief said.

He has no information on why Lithuanian citizen travel to Belarus, but added that "about 60 percent of all citizens travel under the Belarusian visa-free scheme."

"Most of the time our citizens declare that they are going to visit friends, to see certain places in Belarus, and some of them say they are going for shopping," he said, adding that people go to cheaper salt or buckwheat and also bring back other products and goods.

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Lithuania's support to freedom-seeking Belarusians remains 'unwavering' – president

VILNIUS, Aug 09, BNS – Lithuania's support for freedom-seeking Belarusians remains "unwavering", President Gitanas Nauseda said on Wednesday, the third anniversary of Belarus' presidential election that was not recognized by the West.

"Today marks 3 years since rigged presidential election in #Belarus followed by oppression& violence by Lukashenka's regime," Nauseda posted on the X social media platform. "Lithuania believes in democratic& free Belarus."

"Assured @Tsihanouskaya that our support to the people of Belarus struggling for freedom will remain unwavering," he said, sharing photos from a meeting with Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who fled to Lithuania shortly after the election and continues her political activity from Vilnius.

Opposition voices and independent media have been stifled during Lukashenko's nearly three decades in power.

Belarus' authorities cracked down harshly on the 2020 protests, with more than 35,000 people detained by the police and thousands of protesters saying they were subjected to violence.

Most prominent opposition figures were imprisoned or forced to leave Belarus. Independent media outlets were searched and their journalists were arrested.

The West, especially the Baltic countries, is also concerned about the recent deployment in Belarus of mercenaries from the Russian private military company Wagner.

By Austėja Masiokaitė-Liubinienė

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Lithuania mulls closing its 2 border checkpoints with Belarus from Aug 15

VILNIUS, Aug 09, BNS – Lithuania mulls closing two of its six checkpoints on its border with Belarus – Tverecius and Sumskas – from August 15, according to a draft government resolution drafted by the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

The temporary closure of the checkpoints is proposed "due to geopolitical circumstances and the reduction of threats", the ministry says.

Traffic will be redirected to the Medininkai border checkpoint as it’s the largest and most technically equipped border checkpoint as its upgrade is set to be completed soon. This checkpoint is equipped with an X-ray inspection system, whereas Tverecius and Sumskas are not, the ministry says.

Lithuania is set to close the two checkpoints response to possible threats due to the emergence of some Wagner mercenaries in Belarus. Rustamas Liubajevas, commander of Lithuania's State Border Guard Service, said earlier he would back the closure of more checkpoints.

The final decision on the matter will be made by the government. Ministers normally meet on Wednesdays, but this week's meeting was skipped as more than half of the ministers are on vacation.

According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the government plans to decide on the closure of the two checkpoints at its meeting on Saturday.

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Lithuanian MPs expect to return to tighter restrictions on Belarusians in fall

VILNIUS, Aug 09, BNS – Lithuanian MPs expect to return to the issue of tougher restrictions on Belarus' citizens when the parliament reconvenes for its fall session in September.

"The presence of Wagner, which we have labelled as a terrorist organization, changes the situation, and it seems to me that the decision is maturing in the parliament, and the decisions will be taken on September 10," Laurynas Kasciunas, chairman of the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense, told reporters on Wednesday.

"Of course, there will have to be an initiative from the executive branch, in accordance with the law on international sanctions," he added.

The committee earlier on Wednesday discussed a proposal to make Belarus' citizens subject to the same restrictions as those currently in place for Russians.

Deputy Interior Minister Vitalij Dmitrijev, who participated in the meeting, said that the ministry saw the need for this, but that it was basically a matter of political decision.

Belarusian citizens who want to come to Lithuania are already subject to stricter checks, which leads to a higher number of Belarusians being refused entry to Lithuania, according to him.

Saulius Skvernelis, leader of the opposition Democratic Union "For Lithuania", said after the committee's meeting that Wagner's arrival in Belarus had "opened a window of discussion" about tougher sanctions on Belarusian citizens, but added that the decision could not be taken "automatically".

"I'd like to see a broader vision," he said.

MP Dainius Gaizauskas of the opposition Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union told reporters that a discussion on the issue was necessary, because, he said, the Cabinet itself does not have a unanimous opinion.

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

The Law on Restrictive Measures in Response to Military Aggression against Ukraine has imposed temporary restrictions for Russians and Belarusians to obtain Lithuanian visas and e-resident status, and bans them from bringing Ukrainian hryvnias into Lithuania. The measures are in place from May 2 this year to May 3, 2024.

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

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

Kasciunas has said recently that he expects more MPs to back the initiative following the relocation of some Wagner fighters to Belarus.

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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Lithuania hands protest note to Russia over restricted access to cultural center in Moscow

VILNIUS, Aug 09, BNS – Lithuania has expressed its "strong protest" to Russia over restricted access to the Jurgis Baltrusaitis House in Moscow, the Lithuanian diplomatic mission's cultural center in the Russian capital, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

The note of strong protest over the Russian authorities' actions was handed to a diplomat from Moscow's embassy in Vilnius, who was summoned to the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, it said in a press release.

The ministry said it had received information on Wednesday morning that Russia's Federal Agency for State Property Management (Rosimushchestvo) had restricted access to the Jurgis Baltrusaitis House.

The Russian diplomat was reminded of the provision of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations that says that the premises used by diplomatic missions are "inviolable" and that "the agents of the receiving state may not enter them, except with the consent of the head of the mission".

Under the Vienna Convention, "the receiving state is under a special duty to take all appropriate steps to protect the premises of the mission against any intrusion or damage and to prevent any disturbance of the peace of the mission or impairment of its dignity", the ministry noted.

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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Lithuania hands protest note to Russia over restricted access to cultural center in Moscow (expands)

(adds new paras 4-6)

The ministry said it had received information on Wednesday morning that Russia's Federal Agency for State Property Management (Rosimushchestvo) had restricted access to the Jurgis Baltrusaitis House.

The Foreign Ministry provided no further comment to BNS on Russia's actions regarding the house.

The Russian side froze the activities of the cultural center in Moscow back in 2022, along with its decision to expel Lithuania's ambassador Virginija Umbrasiene.

The Jurgis Baltrusaitis House used to host cultural events attended by Lithuanians living in Moscow and Russian intellectuals.

On Wednesday, the Russian diplomat was reminded of the provision of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations that says that the premises used by diplomatic missions are "inviolable" and that "the agents of the receiving state may not enter them, except with the consent of the head of the mission".

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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New NATO battalion rotation begins service in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Aug 09, BNS - A new 14th rotation of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group Lithuania has started its service in Lithuania.

A change of command ceremony took place on Wednesday at the Great Lithuanian Hetman Jonusas Radvila Training Regiment in Rukla.

"Our security environment is not improving as Russia continues its war against Ukraine and is seriously undermining Euro-Atlantic security. This requires us to be vigilant and ready to adapt NATO's regional defense posture," Defense Vice Minister Zilvinas Tomkus said at the ceremony.

In such a security situation, Lithuania is particularly grateful to the troops of the NATO eFP Battle Group in Lithuania, he said.

"Their service in Lithuania is a sign of unwavering allied resolve and strong commitment to NATO's collective defense," Tomkus said.

The new rotation will serve under the command of led by Lieutenant Colonel Andreas Kirchner of the German Armed Forces, replacing Lieutenant Colonel Lars Neitzel who was in command since February.

According to the army, up to 1,600 allied troops will be deployed in Rukla with Leopard tanks, CV90 and Boxer IFVs.

The NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group has been deployed in Lithuania since February 2017 in response to Russian aggression in Ukraine and military activity in the region.

Germany, which leads the group, is contributing the largest number of troops, while the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, the Czech Republic and Luxembourg have also sent their troops to the new rotation.

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Lithuania's Landsbergis voices concern over Lachin Corridor closure to Armenian formin

VILNIUS, Aug 09, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis expressed concern about the humanitarian crisis caused by the blockade of the Lachin Corridor during his recent meeting with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan.

"Spoke with @AraratMirzoyan, expressed concern about the dire humanitarian consequences of the blocking of the Lachin corridor. Crucial to ensure unimpeded movement as ordered by ICJ. Reiterated firm belief in absolute necessity of working towards comprehensive & lasting peace," Landsbergis posted on X on Wednesday.

Nagorno-Karabakh, where the Lachin Corridor is located, is at the center of a decades-long territorial dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The two fought two wars over this mountainous, were Armenian predominantly live, in the 1990s and in 2020.

In July, tensions were heightened when Azerbaijan temporarily closed the Lachin Corridor, the only road linking Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia as the sparked concerns about the humanitarian crisis in the region suffering from food, medicine and energy shortages.

In late July, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said there's a strong possibility of a new war with Azerbaijan, if the South Caucasus countries failed to reach a peace agreement.

Armenia relinquished territories it had controlled for decades in the fall of 2020, as part of a Russian-brokered ceasefire agreement, and Moscow sent peacekeepers to the Lachin Corridor to ensure free movement between Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, August 10, 2023

VILNIUS, Aug 10, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, August 10, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to present credentials to Ambassador to Romania Arturas Zukauskas at 10 a.m.; to present credentials to Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa Rasa Jankauskaite at 10.45 a.m.

PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte's interview with the Ziniu Radijas news radio at 8.05 a.m.

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Aug 10 2023

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
Closure of some Lithuanian border crossings with Belarus 'a matter of time' – MP
Lithuania reports 18 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
Belarusian oligarch supplies raw materials to Belarusian factory via Lithuania (media)
More than 1,000 Belarusians, Russians deemed threat to Lithuania's natl security
Belarusian border closure would harm Lithuanian economy – Mazuronis
Lithuania to use EUR 243 mln of bank levy revenue for military infrastructure projects
Lithuania to close border checkpoints with Belarus – vicemin
Lithuania's support to Ukraine includes helicopters, anti-aircraft guns, APCs
Vilnius' ex-mayor Simasius returns to private sector
Lithuanian, Polish ministers discuss security situation at border with Belarus
Lithuanian PM voices confidence in defmin
EUR 3 mln cigarette shipment busted near Lithuania's border with Poland

Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus

VILNIUS, Aug 04, 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 Friday morning.

Latvia reported 22 attempts at illegal border crossings on Thursday, and 86 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Wednesday, according to the latest available information.

A total of 1,480 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year. Over 11,200 irregular migrants were turned away in 2022.

Lithuanian border guards have prevented almost 20,800 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 SBGS says that illegal migration to Lithuania and the EU is being facilitated by Belarusian officials.

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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Closure of some Lithuanian border crossings with Belarus 'a matter of time' – MP

VILNIUS, Aug 04, BNS – The closure of some Lithuanian border checkpoints is only a matter of time because of Wagner mercenaries' presence in Belarus, Laurynas Kasciunas, chairman of the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense (CNSD), said on Friday.

"I have always said that this (closing the border with Belarus) can be an option and that we can do so," Kasciunas told LRT Radio. "In fact, the CNSD made a recommendation a couple of months ago to consider closing certain border crossings."

"Closing some checkpoints is only a matter of time. It will definitely be done. I will not go into details now as to which of them, but if we see that the situation is worsening, then a decision will be made to close the border completely," he said.

President Gitanas Nauseda said during his visit to Poland's northeastern Suwalki Region on Thursday that that Vilnius, Warsaw and Riga had to be ready to close their borders with Belarus together if the security situation deteriorated because of the Wagner mercenaries.

Polish officials have said the authorities are considering a complete closure of the border with Belarus.

"We are a bit different from the Poles, who are demonstrating their force at the border a bit more publicly," said Kasciunas.

"We do less of that publicly, but the whole plan (...) is in place. At some stage, our armed forces would also be involved," he added.

Nauseda and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in Suwalki Region on Thursday that there were currently about 4,000 Wagner mercenaries in Belarus.

The Lithuanian president said some of them were close to the Lithuanian-Polish border, adding that the number of Wagner mercenaries in Belarus was not final and could reach 10,000 in the future.

By Paulius Perminas

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Lithuania reports 18 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths

VILNIUS, Aug 04, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 18 new coronavirus infections and no deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Friday morning.

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals now stands at twenty.

The 14-day primary infection rate has edged up to 9.4 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 7.7 percent.

The number of new coronavirus cases hit the peak in Lithuania in early February 2022 when more than 14,000 new infections were recorded daily.

Around 1.19 million people in Lithuania have tested positive for COVID-19 at least once.

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

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Belarusian oligarch supplies raw materials to Belarusian factory via Lithuania (media)

VILNIUS, Aug 04, BNS – Despite strained relations with Belarus, Santa Trade, a unit of Belarus' Santa Bremor, is enjoying a "golden age", with 2022 figures showing an increase in the transit of frozen fish via Lithuania to Belarus and hundreds of millions of euros in revenue for the three-employee firm, according to an investigation by the public broadcaster LRT and its foreign partners.

Santa Trade has been operating in the Lithuanian port city of Klaipeda since 2016.

Alexander Moshensky, an oligarch close to Belarus' dictator Alexander Lukashenko, has devised a scheme to pay fewer taxes in Europe, supply raw materials to a factory in Brest, in Belarus, and rack up tax-free profits in the tax haven of the Seychelles, according to the report.

Santa Trade, which is owned by Yana Moshenskaya, the 28-year-old daughter of Moshensky, shipped a record amount of frozen fish and caviar via Lithuania to Belarus last year. The company's profits came in at almost 3.2 million euros and revenue reached nearly 139 million euros.

Santa Bremor does no produce anything in Lithuania.

"We are engaged in transit. We do not sell anything at all," said Santa Trade CEO Robertas Vansevicius.

Santa Trade has been operating with negative capital since its establishment, which is not in line with Lithuanian law.

The State Tax Inspectorate (STI) says the negative capital indicator may raise questions as to whether the company is actually operating and seeking economic benefits.

Based on STI data, Santa Trade has paid 964,000 euros in taxes, including on corporate income, to the Lithuanian budget since 2016. However, the Klaipeda-based company recovered 637,000 euros in VAT last year and may claim back an estimated 1.2 million euros this year.

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More than 1,000 Belarusians, Russians deemed threat to Lithuania's natl security

VILNIUS, Aug 04, BNS – Some 1,164 Belarusians and Russians have been deemed a threat to Lithuania's national security since a special questionnaire for Russian and Belarusian citizens was introduced late last year, the Migration Department said on Friday.

All adult Belarusian and Russian citizens are required to fill in the questionnaire when they submit applications for the issuance of a new document or the change of the existing document proving their right to live in Lithuania, apply for a new temporary residence permit or a new national visa. When filling the questionnaire, they are required to provide certain information and express their attitudes towards Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Once all public and non-public information was considered, 910 Belarusian citizens were deemed to be posing a threat to national security, of whom 337 were refused a temporary residence permit in Lithuania and 121 were refused its replacement. 205 Belarusians had their previously valid temporary residence permits revoked, and two Belarusian citizens were refused permanent residence permits in Lithuania and four had such documents revoked.

241 Belarusians also saw their applications for a Lithuanian national visa rejected.

Also, 254 Russian citizens were recognized as posing a threat to national security. 43 Russians were refused temporary residence permits in Lithuania and 46 were refused renewal. Another 59 Russian citizens had their previous temporary residence permits revoked and 52 Russians lost their permanent residence permits in Lithuania. Two Russian citizens were denied permanent residence permits when applying for the first time.

52 Russians were denied a national visa.

All the above mentioned 1,164 foreigners were also banned from entering Lithuania, according to the department.

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Belarusian border closure would harm Lithuanian economy – Mazuronis

VILNIUS, Aug 04, BNS – The closure of the Belarusian border would harm Lithuania's economy as it would limit the opportunities for Belarusian IT specialists to come to Lithuania, says Andrius Mazuronis, leader of Lithuania's opposition Labor Party.

"We would really damage our economy because we actually have a large number of young, active people educated in Belarus, who work here in Lithuania, and who receive very high salaries," Mazuronis told the public radio LRT on Friday.

"I would name at least a few companies in the IT sector, having over a thousand programmers, where the median salary is 5,000 to 6,000 euros, which is a really impressive integration into our economy. We would be hurting our economy," he added.

The politician does not rule out the need to close the Lithuanian-Belarusian border because of the threat posed by the Wagner mercenary group, but, he said, there are no circumstances for such measures now.

Lithuania, Latvia and Poland are currently considering closing their borders with Belarus.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda met with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki on Thursday and said border closure would be a last resort measure to address the security crisis, "if we see Wagner's militant units deliberately building up close to our border and launching various hybrid attacks towards our border".

Lithuania and Poland claim there are currently around 4,000 Wagner soldiers in Belarus.

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Lithuania to use EUR 243 mln of bank levy revenue for military infrastructure projects

VILNIUS, Aug 04, BNS – The Defense Ministry has allocated almost 243 million euros of the revenue planned to be raised from Lithuania's temporary "solidarity" levy on banks to 2023-2025 military infrastructure projects.

"The additional funding will significantly contribute to increased national security needs and will help to significantly accelerate the process of putting in place all necessary infrastructure," Deputy Defense Minister Renius Pleskys said in a press release.

The temporary levy is expected to raise a total of 380 million euros for military infrastructure and military mobility projects.

Most of the money will go toward the development of the Rudninkai military training area.

The Transport Ministry will allocate the remaining funds to various dual purpose military mobility projects.

The levy, in effect since May 16, amounts to 60 percent of banks' net interest income that exceeds the average of four regular financial years by more than 50 percent.

Commercial banks have until August 31 to make the first payment, but Eivile Cipkute, president of the Lithuanian Banking Association, told BNS in late July that the procedure for calculating and paying the levy was still unclear.

The temporary levy was introduced as banks in Lithuania are this year forecast to post over a billion euros in combined profits, which is seen as a windfall due to the European Central Bank's interest rate increases.

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Lithuania to close border checkpoints with Belarus – vicemin

VILNIUS, Aug 04, BNS - Lithuania plans to close two of its six border checkpoints with Belarus in response to the arrival of Wagner mercenaries in Belarus, Interior Vice Minister Arnoldas Abramavicius confirmed on Friday.

"A decision will be made soon on the closure of two border checkpoints. If today Poland has one checkpoint, we have six. One of the preventive measures would be to reduce the number of checkpoints from six to four," Abramavicius told the public radio LRT, adding that Lithuania mulls closing the Sumskas and Tverecius border checkpoints.

The government will have to make the final decision on this matter.

The closure of some of the existing border checkpoints on the border with Belarus will reduce risks, Saulius Nekracevicius, deputy head of the State Border Guard Service, told BNS on Friday.

"If we reduce the number of people traveling through, we also reduce the threats," he said.

In his words, the Sumskas and Tverecius checkpoints have limited capacity to allow vehicles and persons through.

"Not all vehicles pass through the Tverecius and Sumskas checkpoints because of the roads, the infrastructure of the checkpoints, the capacity in the neighboring country and the infrastructure there. It was agreed a long time ago that not all vehicles would pass through these checkpoints. No vehicles with goods pass through the Tverecius border checkpoints, and only vehicles up to 3.5 tons go through Sumskas," the SBGS officer said.

According to him, not only national but also regional decisions are taken into account when considering the closure of several border checkpoints.

"Our Polish neighbors have closed their border checkpoints (with Belarus - BNS) in stages, and they currently have one international road border checkpoint and three or four railway border checkpoints. So we would be contributing to a regional solution to apply uniform measures," Nekrasevicius said.

For his part, Laurynas Kasciunas, chairman of the Seimas Committee on National Security and Defense, also told the LRT radio on Friday that the closure of some Lithuanian border checkpoints was only a matter of time in response to the presence of Wagner mercenaries in Belarus.

"I have always said that this (Belarusian border closure - BNS) could be an option and we can do it. In fact, I would like to say that a couple of months ago, the CNSD recommended considering closing certain border checkpoints," Kasciunas told the LRT radio on Friday.

"Closing some checkpoints is only a matter of time at all. It will definitely be done. I may not elaborate on which ones, but if we see that the situation is getting worse, a decision will be made to close the border completely," he said.

Speaking in Poland's Suwalki Region on Thursday, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said Vilnius, Warsaw and Riga must be ready to close their borders with Belarus together, if the security situation deteriorated because of Wagner mercenaries. Polish officials have also hinted at this possibility.

"We are a bit different from the Poles. The Poles are a bit more public in their show of force at the border. We do it less in public, but the whole plan, the whole preparedness is in place. At some stage, our army would be involved," Kasciunas said.

There are currently some 4,000 Wagner mercenaries in Belarus, the Lithuanian and Polish leaders said on Thursday. Some of them are close to the Lithuanian and Polish borders, Nauseda said and added that the number of fighters in Belarus was not final and may rise up to 10,000.

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Lithuania's support to Ukraine includes helicopters, anti-aircraft guns, APCs

VILNIUS, Aug 04, BNS - Lithuania provided Ukraine with helicopters, anti-aircraft guns and armored vehicles in the first seven months of this year, the Defense Ministry said on Friday.

Its data shows that Lithuania's military support included Mi-8 helicopters, L-70 anti-aircraft guns with ammunition, M113 armored personnel carriers, millions of rounds of ammunition and grenade launcher ammunition.

"NASAMS missile launchers, anti-drones, logistical equipment, cots and a wide range of other support will soon be handed over to Ukraine," the statement reads.

On top of the provided military equipment, Lithuania also continues training Ukrainian soldiers, providing medical treatment and rehabilitation to Ukrainians, providing expertise and paying into international funds helping Ukraine.

The total value of Lithuania's assistance since the outbreak of the Russian-led war in Ukraine in February 2022 has already reached around half a billion euros, the ministry pointed out.

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Vilnius' ex-mayor Simasius returns to private sector

VILNIUS, Aug 04, BNS – Remigijus Simasius, a former mayor of Vilnius, has returned to the private sector and is working in two think tanks.

According to Simasius' LinkedIn profile, the former mayor became a senior advisor at Centenary Policy Institute in May and co-founded the World is a School think tank in June.

Simasius told BNS that World is a School is a small think tank that aims "to help cities implement innovations in education", similar to the one that won the Lithuanian capital Bloomberg Philanthropies' Global Mayors Challenge award.

The think tank will not focus on Lithuanian cities, he said.

"Centenary Policy Institute was already operating," Simasius told BNS. "I joined its mission to help expose the Kremlin's policies and help the West generate new and empowering ideas."

"The sphere of activity is also less in Lithuania and more in the rest of Europe," he added.

Simasius, one of the founders of the liberal Freedom Party, served two terms as mayor of Vilnius from 2015 to 2023, and currently represents his party on the City Council of Vilnius

By Ignas Jačauskas

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Lithuanian, Polish ministers discuss security situation at border with Belarus

VILNIUS, Aug 04, BNS – In response to Wagner mercenaries' relocation to Belarus, Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite and her Polish counterpart, Mariusz Kaminski, discussed the security situation at the border on Friday.

"The ministers discussed the current situation at the border with Belarus and the principles of permanent cooperation among Poland, Lithuania and the other Baltic states," the Lithuanian Interior Ministry said in a press release.

Both Lithuania and Poland are considering closing checkpoints on their borders with Belarus.

Interior Vice Minister Arnoldas Abramavicius confirmed earlier on Friday that Lithuania would decide in the near future on the closure of two of its six border checkpoints with Belarus due to Wagner's presence in the neighboring country.

The authorities are considering closing the Sumskas and Tverecius border checkpoints, with the final decision on the matter to be made by the Cabinet.

Bilotaite and Kaminski agreed on a response to the current threats from Belarus and possible future provocations at the border, according to the ministry's press release.

They also discussed a mechanism to be applied in case it becomes necessary to close all border checkpoints with Belarus.

"Both sides emphasized effective and strong cooperation between Poland and Lithuania in the field of security," the ministry said.

Saulius Nekrasevicius, deputy commander of the State Border Guard Service, told BNS earlier on Friday that the closure of some of the border checkpoints with Belarus would help reduce risks.

Polish officials have said the authorities are considering a complete closure of the border with Belarus.

Nauseda and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in Suwalki Region on Thursday that there were currently about 4,000 Wagner mercenaries in Belarus.

The Lithuanian president said some of them were close to the Lithuanian-Polish border, adding that the number of Wagner mercenaries in Belarus was not final, with the group planning to deploy up to 10,000 fighters there.

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Lithuanian PM voices confidence in defmin

VILNIUS, Aug 04, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte has voiced her confidence in Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas after he came under fire for allegedly publishing information about the purchase of tanks.

"I trust the minister, and I have discussed this situation with him. Although, in my opinion, in response to the public accusations of MP Raimundas Lopata, the minister should have proposed to the chairman of the Committee on National Security and Defense to hold a meeting and present the information and answer the questions, to the best of my knowledge, the information presented at the State Defense Council, which is specifically classified under the legislation regulating this matter, was not disclosed by the minister," Simonyte was quoted as saying in a comment the government sent to BNS.

The prime minister also agrees that Anusauskas should have refrained from broader discussions in the public domain at the current stage, which she called a working stage, but she sees no reason to demand the minister's resignation.

According to the prime minister, the presentation of restricted information includes the discussion of content that can be found in public sources and that does not make the information that is already public classified.

Simonyte points out that the State Defense Council's plans and decision on the establishment of an army division are known publicly as are the plans to acquire tanks in that context.

"The supply of tanks is limited, and their names and the armies that use them are known, and one can find numerous articles by analysts analyzing and comparing their various characteristics, and the differences in engines or other operational differences among the most common models can be easily googled," the prime minister said.

She also rejects claims that the defense minister's announcement about a letter of intent on Leopard tanks, sent to Germany, could have undermined Lithuania's negotiating position, saying that she sees them as "irresponsible and casting a shadow over the ability of strategic partners to maximize their own interests as well as those of other governments and societies".

The Prosecutor General's Office decision to investigate the situation regarding the possible disclosure of classified information "does not imply that any infringement can be attributed a priori to a particular person", Simonyte said.

"That would be clarified during the investigation, and its conclusions can be different. I want to believe that this case will be a good lesson for everyone who prepares and receives restricted-use and other classified information," Simonyte said.

Anusauskas was criticized by the president and some other politicians last week when he disclosed Lithuania's plans to purchase tanks for the Lithuanian army after the SDC meeting last week.

Earlier this week, President Gitanas Nauseda said Anusauskas disclosed information of restricted use, which Anusauskas denies and says it may have been similar to such information.

Opposition MP Agne Sirinskiene later turned to the General Prosecutor's Office over Anusauskas' post-SDC statement asked prosecutors to look into whether the defense minister disclosed classified information or not. The prosecution servicing is still considering her request.

The minister later confirmed the Prosecutor General's Office had received such a request. The presidential office handed over the information from the SDC to the prosecution service and answered its questions on Tuesday, but refrains to comment on it.

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EUR 3 mln cigarette shipment busted near Lithuania's border with Poland

VILNIUS, Aug 04, BNS – Lithuanian border guards this week found a large shipment of smuggled cigarettes, worth over 3 million euros, in a truck stopped near the border with Poland, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Friday.

The MAN truck with a semi-trailer with Lithuanian registration plates on Wednesday was pulled over by SBGS officers for an inspection on the Kaunas-Marijampole-Suwalki road, about two kilometers from the Kalvarija border checkpoint, it said in the press release.

The vehicle, which is owned by a haulage company in Jurbarkas and was driven by a 24-year-old resident of Jurbarkas District, was heading in the direction of Poland.

The border guards, who had been tipped off that the truck might be carrying smuggled goods, found 1,522 boxes containing 761,000 packs of various types of cigarettes with Belarusian excise stamps.

The value of this amount of cigarettes, including all taxes payable in Lithuania, is more than 3 million euros.

The authorities have opened a pre-trial investigation into the illegal possession of items subject to excise tax.

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Aug 07 2023

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