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LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN, June 12, 2025

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, June 12, 2025
Lithuanian president to discuss business ties with Vietnam's top officials
Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
Lithuanian FM believes NATO will agree on 5 pct of GDP defense spending target
Lithuanian MPs to start debating possibility of natl economic sanctions on Russia, Belarus
SocDems continue to top Lithuania's party rankings, followed by conservatives – poll
Lithuania plans to sign double taxation avoidance treaty with Vietnam
Lithuanian parlt postpones debate on natl sanctions against Russia and Belarus
Lithuania to sign technical assistance deal with IMF to cut VAT gap – finmin
Vilnius BC Wolves wants to suspend activities, asks LKL to suspend its license
HU-LCD vow to table their own bill on possible economic sanctions against Russia, Belarus
No point for Lithuania to impose sanctions against Russia, Belarus alone – PM
Lithuanian parlt orders audit on Ignitis Group's offshore wind farm project
FM says he has no info on possible transfer of Lithuanians from US to Guantanamo
Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, June 13, 2025

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, June 12, 2025

VILNIUS, Jun 12, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, June 12, 2025:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to pay a visit to Vietnam.

INTERIOR MINISTER Vladislav Kondratovic to attend a meeting of EU justice and home affairs ministers in Luxembourg.

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Lithuanian president to discuss business ties with Vietnam's top officials

VILNIUS, Jun 12, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda is set to meet with President Luong Cuong, General Secretary To Lam and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man during his official visit to Vietnam on Thursday.

Nausėda will also open the Lithuania–Vietnam Business Forum, which will be attended by a delegation of Lithuanian business and public sector representatives, the president's office said in a press release.

"During the visit, interinstitutional and business agreements between Lithuania and Vietnam will be signed, covering cooperation in various economic sectors," it said.

First Lady Diana Nausediene will visit the Vietnamese Women's Museum, where she will meet with the president of the Vietnam Women's Union.

Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas, who is also currently in Vietnam, joined Nauseda's delegation on Wednesday.

Lithuania began stepping up ties with Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, a few years ago in a bid to reduce its dependence on China.

Relations between Lithuania and China soured in 2021 after Vilnius started forging closer ties with Taiwan and allowed the island to open its representative office with the word "Taiwanese," rather than "Taipei's," in its name.

Darius Silenskis, CEO of the state-run oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal operator KN Energies, has also spoken about Vietnam's market potential as the country prepares for a strategic shift from coal to LNG.

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Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus

VILNIUS, Jun 12, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally in the past 24 hours, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Thursday morning.

Latvia reported 46 illegal border crossing attempts on Wednesday. Poland denied entry to 197 irregular migrants on Tuesday, according to the latest available information.

Lithuania has barred a total of 857 irregular migrants from entering from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year, after turning away 1,002 in 2024

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

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Lithuanian FM believes NATO will agree on 5 pct of GDP defense spending target

VILNIUS, Jun 12, BNS – NATO member states are likely to agree at the upcoming summit to aim for gradually raising defense spending to 5 percent of GDP, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said on Wednesday.

"The overall target should be 5 percent, and I'm optimistic we'll reach a deal. Some countries are still hesitant, but it looks like everyone will say we've finally hit the 2 percent mark," Budrys told an LRT TV program.

With the United States pressing its allies to spend 5 percent of GDP on defense, diplomats say NATO countries will aim to agree on such a commitment at the summit in The Hague later in June by splitting it into two components.

The proposal includes a 3.5 percent target for hard defense spending and an extra 1.5 percent for defense-related needs.

Lithuania's top diplomat called this proposal a positive step that the Alliance is likely to take.

"The 5 percent figure will likely be split into 3.5 and 1.5 percent. But 3.5 percent would already be a solid leap forward. Even NATO's secretary general has mentioned the figure of 3.7 percent. That's what's needed to reach NATO's planned capabilities," he said.

Still, Budrys believes NATO should move beyond just talking percentages and focus on strengthening concrete capabilities.

"My call has been (...) to start talking about specific capabilities. Maybe even declassify some (information). (...) We're now hearing that we need four times more air defense, we need thousands of tanks to be able to maneuver," he said.

The minister added that he will use the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague to convince Southern European allies to bolster their defenses and allocate more funding.

Budrys noted that countries farther from Russia often have a false sense of security, assuming any conflict would stay confined to NATO's eastern flank.

"(They believe) that war could be localized or contained. If anything moves here (on the eastern NATO flank), everything will go to hell. Organizations will collapse, currencies will crash, jobs will vanish, and entire industries will fall apart. Europe will never be the same again," the minister said.

"It's part of our job to convince Southern European countries to keep increasing their defense budgets and to help them find the arguments for why it needs to be done," he added.

NATO countries are considering committing to the 5 percent of GDP defense target by 2032.

The Hague will host the Alliance's summit on June 24–25.

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Lithuanian MPs to start debating possibility of natl economic sanctions on Russia, Belarus

VILNIUS, Jun 12, BNS – The Lithuanian government's proposal to amend the law to allow national economic sanctions to be imposed on Russia and Belarus if the European Union fails to extend its measures is expected to be presented to the parliament on Thursday.

The amendments to the Law on Restrictive Measures Due to Military Aggression Against Ukraine were initiated by the Foreign Ministry and have been approved by the Cabinet.

"Sanctions remain a key instrument of the European Union's foreign policy in response to Russia's continued aggression against Ukraine, but extending them is never an easy process – it presents all sorts of challenges," Deputy Foreign Minister Gabija Grigaite-Daugirde told the Cabinet last week while presenting the bill.

"We are doing everything we can to ensure sanctions stay in place at the EU level, but we must also be ready for all potential scenarios," she added.

The bill would authorize the Lithuanian government to impose two types of sanctions: asset freezes and sectoral restrictions.

In both cases, the lists of sanctioned individuals and companies would be drawn up by the Cabinet.

According to the Foreign Ministry, these restrictive measures would be used only in exceptional circumstances, as a last resort, if the EU suspended sanctions on Russia and Belarus or if member states failed to reach an agreement on extending them.

Vilnius wants other EU members bordering Russia or Belarus to adopt similar national measures in such a case. This would prevent goods from the two countries from entering the bloc by land and increase trade costs.

The EU has adopted 17 sanctions packages against Russia since February 24, 2022, when Moscow launched its large-scale invasion of Ukraine. These sanctions target both specific individuals and the Kremlin's economic sectors and companies.

Lithuania has also imposed its national sanctions on Russian and Belarusian citizens. These include entry restrictions, limits on issuing residence permits, and additional security checks for those arriving from outside the EU. Russian and Belarusian citizens are also prohibited from bringing or taking Ukrainian hryvnias into or out of Lithuania, and the import of agricultural products and feed originating from Russia or Belarus is banned.

Russian citizens without residence permits are also barred from purchasing real estate in Lithuania.

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SocDems continue to top Lithuania's party rankings, followed by conservatives – poll

VILNIUS, Jun 12, BNS – The ruling Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) continues to top Lithuania's political party rankings, followed by the opposition Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats (HU–LCD) in second place, according to the latest Spinter Tyrimai opinion poll published by Delfi on Thursday.

Some 13.5 percent of respondents said in May they would vote for the LSDP and 12.5 percent supported the conservative HU–LCD, down from 14.5 percent and 12.7 percent, respectively, in April.

Next in the rankings are the ruling Democrats "For Lithuania" with 7.5 percent support (down from 9.3 percent in April), the opposition Liberal Movement with 6.3 percent (6.2 percent), the ruling Nemunas Dawn party with 5.5 percent (6.5 percent), and the opposition Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union with 5.4 percent (6.9 percent).

The Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania–Christian Families Alliance, the Freedom Party, and other parties would fail to cross the 5 percent threshold required to enter parliament through the multi-member constituency.

In the representative survey commissioned by Delfi, Spinter Tyrimai polled 1,015 people online and by phone between May 18 and 26. The poll has a margin of error of 3.1 percent.

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Lithuania plans to sign double taxation avoidance treaty with Vietnam

VILNIUS, Jun 12, BNS – Lithuania is planning to sign a treaty with Vietnam to avoid double taxation on income.

Deputy Finance Minister Janus Kizenevic signed a letter of intent during his visit to Vietnam, the Finance Ministry said in a press release on Thursday.

"In our search for new markets, we have to facilitate the first steps for businesses so that, at least in the initial stage of setting up and developing operations in Vietnam, they can avoid additional costs and bureaucratic hurdles," it quoted Kizenevic as saying.

"Discovering new markets is particularly important in today's dynamic and challenging geopolitical environment," he added.

According to the ministry, the essence of the treaty is to establish rules for sharing taxation rights, eliminating double taxation and cooperating in the field of taxation, thus ensuring legal clarity regarding how income earned by residents and companies of Lithuania and Vietnam is taxed.

As part of President Gitanas Nauseda's delegation, the deputy minister also attended a meeting with Vietnamese President Luong Cuong, held bilateral talks with Vietnam's deputy finance minister and took part in a panel discussion on innovation and digitalization.

Lithuania began stepping up ties with Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam, a few years ago in a bid to reduce its dependence on China.

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Lithuanian parlt postpones debate on natl sanctions against Russia and Belarus

VILNIUS, Jun 12, BNS – Lithuanian lawmakers on Thursday postponed the debate on the government's proposal to provide for the possibility to introduce national economic sanctions against Russia and Belarus, which was scheduled to start on today.

"The tabling of the bill has been postponed because we need to look into the comments of the Seimas lawyers," Orinta Leipute, a Social Democrat deputy speaker of the Seimas, told BNS.

The amendments to the Law on Restrictive Measures Due to Military Aggression Against Ukraine were initiated by the Foreign Ministry and have been approved by the Cabinet.

The bill would authorize the Lithuanian government to impose two types of sanctions: asset freezes and sectoral restrictions.

In both cases, the lists of sanctioned individuals and companies would be drawn up by the Cabinet.

Russian citizens without residence permits are also barred from purchasing real estate in Lithuania.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 239 64 16, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuania to sign technical assistance deal with IMF to cut VAT gap – finmin

VILNIUS, Jun 12, BNS – Lithuania is set to sign a technical assistance agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) aimed at reducing the country's value-added tax (VAT) gap, Finance Minister Rimantas Sadzius said on Thursday.

"We're in serious talks with IMF experts. We'll sign a technical assistance agreement. They'll analyze what we have here in Lithuania and propose measures that have proven effective in other countries, including Poland," Sadzius told the political group of the Farmers, Greens and Christian Families Union in the parliament.

The IMF would advise Lithuania on how to better tackle the shadow economy, narrow the VAT gap and improve tax administration.

Sadzius told BNS after the meeting that the VAT gap is costing the state budget hundreds of millions of euros every year.

The minister believes the IMF's support will be effective, noting that the institution has already helped a number of other countries deal with similar issues.

He expects the agreement to be signed in the near future.

The minister also pointed out that the European Commission reviewed the government's initial tax reform package, which included a different version of the real estate tax.

"The package was found acceptable (by the Commission), but the real estate tax proposal was different," he said.

At the time, the government proposed taxing not only second and additional properties but also people's primary homes, setting a non-taxable property value threshold.

However, the ruling coalition later agreed not to tax primary homes, a move backed this week by the parliamentary Committee on Budget and Finance.

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Vilnius BC Wolves wants to suspend activities, asks LKL to suspend its license

VILNIUS, Jun 12, BNS – BC Wolves Twinesbet, a Vilnius basketball club founded and owned by businessman Gediminas Ziemelis, intends to suspend its activities for two years and has asked the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) to revoke its license.

The businessman said in a statement issued on Thursday by Avia Solutions Group, an aviation group he owns, that the club "might continue to operate in a slightly different format" in the future.

"Wolves had all the potential to become a strong basketball club representing the capital city and delighting the basketball community. I had a vision to create a professional basketball club that would increase the popularity and visibility of Vilnius not only on the national level but also on the international level. However, I have to admit that this project has failed to achieve its sporting goals, which has automatic influence on its commercial goals," Ziemelis said.

In his words, the new gambling restrictions, which will come into force in July and significantly reduce the revenue of the Twinsbet brand, also contributed to this decision.

"Therefore, we have to put an end to the club's activities," Ziemelis explained.

Last year, Nese, the owner of the online entertainment brand Twinsbet, became one of the main sponsors and partners of BC Wolves Twinesbet. The name was also used in the club's name and was given to the Avia Solutions Group Arena in Vilnius.

According to Ziemelis, BC Wolves Twinesbet's annual budget exceeds 5 million euros, and more than 15 million euros in working capital has been directly invested into the basketball club over the last three years.

The decision regarding the club was also driven by changes in European basketball and the small size of the Lithuanian market: "There is no economic logic in growing several international teams".

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HU-LCD vow to table their own bill on possible economic sanctions against Russia, Belarus

VILNIUS, Jun 12, BNS – As Lithuania's ruling bloc keeps postponing the submission of the bill on possible national economic sanctions against Russia and Belarus, the opposition conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats vow to put the issue on the opposition agenda.

"We will register this bill in our name and put it on the opposition agenda on Tuesday," Laurynas Kasciunas, the HU-LCD leader, told reporters at the Seimas on Thursday.

In his words, the government's bill will be taken as a basis, slightly improved and registered by the HU-LCD.

According to Statute of the Seimas, the ruling bloc has no right to remove bill from the opposition agenda.

Kasciunas says that since the bill on national economic sanctions was proposed by the government and the ruling block subsequently removed it from the parliamentary agenda, "clearly, something wrong within the ruling majority”.

"We are ready to lend a helping hand on national issues, such as sanctions, restrictive measures, and to help the foreign minister to maintain his authority," he said.

Earlier in the day, Lithuanian lawmakers on postponed the debate on the government's proposal to provide for the possibility to introduce national economic sanctions against Russia and Belarus, which was scheduled to start on today.

The amendments to the Law on Restrictive Measures Due to Military Aggression Against Ukraine were initiated by the Foreign Ministry and have been approved by the Cabinet.

The bill would authorize the Lithuanian government to impose two types of sanctions: asset freezes and sectoral restrictions.

In both cases, the lists of sanctioned individuals and companies would be drawn up by the Cabinet.

Russian citizens without residence permits are also barred from purchasing real estate in Lithuania.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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No point for Lithuania to impose sanctions against Russia, Belarus alone – PM

VILNIUS, Jun 12, BNS – If the European Union fails to extend its economic sanctions against Russia and Belarus and if there's no regional agreement on the issue, it does not make sense for Lithuania to impose such sanctions alone, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas says.

"We need a regional solution on sectoral sanctions. If we have no regional solution, sectoral sanctions do not make sense," the prime minister told reporters at the Seimas on Thursday.

In such a case, he added, such sanctions would be ineffective, would generate economic damage and would not produce the desired result.

"This is why we need to agree on them, or at least to discuss them, if there are circumstances where countries in the region are willing to accept sectoral restrictions," he said.

If the EU fails to extend its economic sanctions and Lithuania fails to reach an agreement with its neighbors on their application, Lithuania would not impose the restrictions alone, Paluckas said.

The amendments to the Law on Restrictive Measures Due to Military Aggression Against Ukraine were initiated by the Foreign Ministry and have been approved by the Cabinet.

The bill would authorize the Lithuanian government to impose two types of sanctions: asset freezes and sectoral restrictions.

In both cases, the lists of sanctioned individuals and companies would be drawn up by the Cabinet.

Russian citizens without residence permits are also barred from purchasing real estate in Lithuania.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Lithuanian parlt orders audit on Ignitis Group's offshore wind farm project

VILNIUS, Jun 12, BNS – Lithuania's parliament on Thursday tasked the National Audit Office to carry out an audit by mid-November on the involvement of state-owned companies in the implementation of the Curonian Nord wind farm project in the Baltic Sea.

79 lawmakers voted in favor of the audit, 20 were against and ten abstained.

Such an audit on the first 700 MW wind farm project in the Baltic Sea, which is being carried out by Ignitis Group in partnership with a foreign partner, was demanded by the parliamentary Committee on Audit, led by members of the Nemunas Dawn party, as well as the Commission for Energy and Sustainable Development.

The auditors will assess the justification and legality of the use of funds allocated to the project, the sharing of risks between the project partners and its impact on the interests of the state.

In its annual report in February, the energy group acknowledged that delays in large-scale electrolysis or green hydrogen projects in Europe and the Baltic states, and the resulting reduction in its ability to secure long-term power sales contracts, could make it difficult to finance the 700 MW offshore wind farm it is developing for around 3 billion euros.

As a result, the project's commercial launch, now scheduled for 2030, could be delayed by up to five years, and the project could not be completed until around 2035.

In 2023, Ignitis Renewables, a subsidiary of Ignitis Group, together with its partner Ocean Winds, a global offshore wind farm developer, won the tender to develop Lithuania's first offshore wind farm without state aid.

The companies paid a 20-million-euro fee to the state for the right to develop the farm, and a further 30 million euros has been spent on seabed research, studies and staff salaries.

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FM says he has no info on possible transfer of Lithuanians from US to Guantanamo

VILNIUS, Jun 12, BNS – Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said on Thursday that he has no information about any Lithuanians who may have sought help over their possible transfer from the United States, where they are staying illegally, to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba.

"I have no confirmation that any of our citizens could be there," he added.

Citing sources, Politico and The Washington Post reported that the US government is considering sending irregular migrants, including people from friendly European countries, to Guantanamo.

According to the reports, the migrants would be held there temporarily before being deported to their countries of origin.

The White House denied the reports on Wednesday, calling them fake news.

In January, US President Donald Trump ordered the preparation of a 30,000-person "migrant facility" at the Guantanamo base, which is best known as a detention center for terror suspects.

The Guantanamo prison was opened in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States and has been used to indefinitely hold detainees captured during wars and later operations.

Conditions at Guantanamo have been widely criticized by human rights groups. UN experts have called it a site of "unparalleled notoriety."

Migrants have also been held at Guantanamo.

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, June 13, 2025

VILNIUS, Jun 13, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Friday, June 13, 2025:

INTERIOR MINISTER Vladislav Kondratovic to attend a meeting of EU justice and home affairs ministers in Luxembourg.

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Jul 24 2025

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
Every euro spent in Ukraine counters Russia's goals – Lithuanian foreign minister
GPS jamming will persist as long as Russia's war continues – Lithuanian parlt speaker
Lithuanian parlt likely to decide on partnership legislation this year – vice-speaker
Lithuanian parlt to hold unscheduled sitting on tax reform on Monday
Different standards should apply to artists in Lithuania's monument debate – parlt speaker
Bears become more frequent visitors in Lithuania as population recovers - BNS THEME
Four artillery shell replicas stolen from Kaunas fort museum
We succeeded in presenting Lithuania as thinking about more than just war – president
Lithuanian ethics watchdog finds Jonava mayor in conflict of interest over TV purchase
We're in Leopard tank assembly talks with various companies – Lithuanian defmin
Lithuanian cabinet clears kamikaze drone, anti-tank mine purchases without public tender
Scale of Russia's interference with GPS signals is expanding – Lithuanian vicemin
Lithuanian president urges not rush to conclusions on PM's ability to continue working
Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, June 12, 2025

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 11, 2025

VILNIUS, Jun 11, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 11, 2025:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to continue his visit to Japan.

SOCIAL SECURITY AND LABOR MINISTER Inga Ruginiene to meet with Sirpa Rautio, director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, at 11 a.m.

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Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus

VILNIUS, Jun 11, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally in the past 24 hours, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Wednesday morning.

Latvia reported 59 illegal border crossing attempts on Tuesday. Poland denied entry to 120 irregular migrants on Monday, according to the latest available information.

Lithuania has barred a total of 857 irregular migrants from entering from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year, after turning away 1,002 in 2024

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

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Every euro spent in Ukraine counters Russia's goals – Lithuanian foreign minister

VILNIUS, Jun 11, BNS – Every Western euro spent in Ukraine to support its war effort is a form of resistance to Russia's objectives, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said as he continued his visit to the war-ravaged country on Tuesday.

Budrys visited Odesa on Tuesday together with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha, according to the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry.

"Every euro spent here is highly meaningful because it enables people to stay. Otherwise, they would leave their cities and move elsewhere – which is exactly what Russia wants, to push people out," Lithuania's top diplomat said in a press release.

In Odesa, the ministers visited a maternity hospital hit by Russian attacks the previous night, as well as Molodizhne Lyceum, which is equipped with a bomb shelter built using funds from Lithuania, Ireland and the European Union.

Molodizhne Lyceum is one of six EU-funded facilities aimed at ensuring children in high-risk areas can continue their education in safe conditions.

These facilities are located in underground shelters protected from bomb blasts and radiation. Around 5,000 children currently study in them. Similar centers have been set up in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv and Mykolaiv regions.

Lithuania has committed to providing at least 0.25 percent of its GDP to support Ukraine annually.

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GPS jamming will persist as long as Russia's war continues – Lithuanian parlt speaker

VILNIUS, Jun 11, BNS – Recent GPS signal disruptions affecting aircraft and ships near the Lithuanian seaport of Klaipeda are linked to Russia's efforts to shield its Kaliningrad exclave from potential airstrikes, Saulius Skvernelis, the speaker of the Lithuanian parliament, said on Tuesday.

Skvernelis warned that this problem will persist across the region as long as the Kremlin continues its war in Ukraine.

"This is related to the war in Ukraine. The Russians are protecting the Kaliningrad region from potential air attacks. This is not specifically intended to disrupt or harm our aircraft flying to Lithuania. It's just that the protection zone extends beyond the Kaliningrad region's borders, and the threat, the interference, is affecting our territory as well," the speaker told an LRT TV program.

"This is all part of the war and as long as Russia keeps fighting, we're going to have this problem,” he added.

Thirteen EU member states have called on the European Commission to respond to interference with Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) in EU countries.

In their joint letter to the Commission, the countries stressed that GNSS interference cases are not random incidents but systematic and deliberate action by the Russian and Belarusian regimes aimed at destabilizing regional infrastructure, especially in the transport sector, the Lithuanian Transport Ministry said on Tuesday.

"We can appeal to all EU countries and any institution, but it won't help as long as Russia uses this kind of electronic protection for its military sites to defend itself against Ukrainian strikes," Skvernelis said.

"We must force Russia to end the war and then this problem will simply go away," he added.

Data from Lithuania's flight management company Oro Navigacija (Air Navigation) show that the number of GPS interference reports from aircrews surged tenfold in January year-on-year, but declined in March.

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Lithuanian parlt likely to decide on partnership legislation this year – vice-speaker

VILNIUS, Jun 11, BNS – The Seimas is expected to pass legislation on partnerships this year, Juozas Olekas, the first deputy speaker of the Lithuanian parliament, said on Wednesday.

"I can't say for sure whether we'll manage to do it by the end of the spring session or in the fall, but I believe we should resolve this issue this year," the Social Democrat told Ziniu Radijas.

The Constitutional Court ruled in April that the institution of partnership, as now defined in the Civil Code, is unconstitutional because it only provides for a union between a man and a woman and does not recognize same-sex relationships.

It also ruled as unconstitutional the Civil Code provision stating that the legal regulation of cohabitation outside of marriage only takes effect once a separate law regulating the registration of partnerships comes into force.

Olekas said the Seimas is ready to take action to comply with the court's ruling.

"We're ready, of course. We have a court decision, and we have to make sure people can formalize their relationships. I believe the amendments will be tabled and put to a vote," he said.

The Civil Code has provided for different-sex partnerships for 24 years, but the parliament has yet to adopt a law setting out the details. The Constitutional Court described this as an intolerable situation.

Several attempts have been made in the parliament to grant legal recognition to gender-neutral partnerships, but none have succeeded.

In the previous legislative term, two bills were introduced to regulate partnerships between both different-sex and same-sex couples: the Law on Civil Union and amendments to the Civil Code introducing the concept of a "close relationship."

Under the civil union bill, partners would jointly own shared property, with the option to agree on a different property regime. They would also inherit from each other under the law without paying inheritance tax, be able to act on each other's behalf and in each other’s interests, represent each other in healthcare matters, and access each other's medical information.

The bill also states that "partners must be loyal to each other and show mutual respect, provide moral and material support, and, depending on their means, contribute to their shared life or meet each other's needs."

Meanwhile, a more conservative proposal by MP Paulius Saudargas of the Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats would introduce the concept of a "close relationship" to regulate economic relations between individuals. It does not link such a relationship to life as a couple.

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Lithuanian parlt to hold unscheduled sitting on tax reform on Monday

VILNIUS, Jun 11, BNS – The Seimas of Lithuania will hold an unscheduled plenary session on Monday, June 16, in order to adopt amendments to the existing tax laws in time, the Board of the Seimas decided on Wednesday.

"We have four laws and so many different proposals to change them that the consideration phase will certainly take some time. In order to maintain the time limits between the consideration stage and the adoption stage, a certain number of hours is foreseen, and we don't want the session on Thursday (June 12 - BNS) to end at night and to avoid another an overnight tax reform," Speaker of the Seimas Saulius Skvernelis said during the board meeting. "We have very serious issues, therefore, I think the members of the Seimas should consider them responsibly and without fatigue."

Part of the government's reform package is scheduled to be adopted on Tuesday, June 13, and another part will be adopted on Thursday, June 19.

As BNS reported earlier, the ruling bloc aims to adopt the tax changes by July so that they can enter into force from next year.

The proposed package of tax changes is expected to add around 280 million euros to the state budget next year and 552 million euros in 2027. The bulk of this money is to be spent on national defense after the State Defense Council decided in January to increase defense spending to by 12-13 billion euros by 2030, bringing it to 5-6 percent of GDP.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Different standards should apply to artists in Lithuania's monument debate – parlt speaker

VILNIUS, Jun 11, BNS – Saulius Skvernelis, the speaker of the Lithuanian parliament, believes that when considering the removal of monuments to artists such as poet Salomeja Neris, different evaluation criteria should apply than those used for Soviet-era political figures.

"I would certainly not support such a primitive interpretation of the law, like, 'Oh, it's the Soviet era, and if someone was somehow linked to the system, we must now tear it all down.' There were figures who consciously acted against the state at the time, and I believe artists and cultural figures should be judged by different criteria," Skvernelis told an LRT TV program on Tuesday.

"I really wouldn't support (removing the monument to Neris). (...) I understand removing monuments put up for repressive regime structures or certain (political) figures – that's obvious and hardly up for debate. But many prominent cultural and artistic figures, including poets, were caught up in that meat grinder," the speaker said.

"I wouldn't want to see us start persecuting people who were perhaps formally part of the delegation that brought Stalin's sun back to Lithuania, but as a poet, I think we remember her work, and it's even sung during the Song Festival," he said.

The so-called Desovietization Commission recommended last August that the Vilnius city municipality remove the monument to Neris. That recommendation was later formalized by Arunas Bubnys, head of the Genocide and Resistance Research Center of Lithuania.

The commission found that Neris was active in the occupying political structures and participated in decision-making that contributed to the entrenchment of Soviet rule in Lithuania.

Neris, along with other writers, created poetry and prose that glorified the Soviet regime. In 1940, she traveled to Moscow as a delegate of the People's Seimas to request Lithuania’s admission into the Soviet Union.

The decision to take down the monument has been challenged in the Regional Administrative Court by the poet’s granddaughter, Salomeja Bucaitė, and the Lithuanian Association of Artists.

In protest against the planned removal, poetry readings were held at the monument a few weeks ago.

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Bears become more frequent visitors in Lithuania as population recovers - BNS THEME

VILNIUS, Jun 11, BNS - Lithuanian border guards spotted more brown bears in the first five months of this year than they did in the same period last year, and experts says it has to do with the installation of an extensive monitoring system and the recovery of a permanent population of these animals.

The State Border Guard Service says border guards have recently seen brown bears on several occasions in or near the districts of Varena, Svencionys and Vilnius. Giedrius Misutis, spokesman for the SBGS, told BNS that bears have been seen at least five times at the Belarusian border this year, mostly in May. Last year, border guards recorded two such cases in the first five months, but there could have been more.

The SBGS does not keep official statistics on bear sightings but shares information on these animals' migration because it is of interest to the public.

"It would be very difficult to say how accurate the numbers are because the appearance of a bear is not the same as the appearance of an illegal migrant as the latter is included in the statistics, is recorded and documented (...) Its very interesting as people are taking a lot about these bears now," Misutis said.

According to the unofficial bear map of the Lithuanian Hunters and Fishermen Society, bears have been video-recorded 17 times in Lithuania so far this year, and people have also found their tracks or excrement. Last year, bears or signs of their presence were recorded 19 times.

Linas Balciauskas, of the State Nature Research Center, says the frequent sightings of bears have to do with the recovery of a small population of bears permanently living in Lithuania.

"Bears have finally returned to Lithuania. Right now, nobody can say exactly how many there are, but there are between five and ten. Now we can say that it is a permanent population," the expert told BNS, adding that Lithuania has quite suitable conditions for brown bears to live.

Approached by BNS, the Environment Ministry said there's currently no evidence that bear activity in Lithuania poses a direct threat to biodiversity or human safety.

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Four artillery shell replicas stolen from Kaunas fort museum

VILNIUS, Jun 11, BNS – Several replicas of artillery shells were reported stolen from the Kaunas Ninth Fort Museum on Tuesday, the Police Department said Wednesday.

Around 11 a.m., it was discovered that four replicas of artillery gun shells had been taken from the museum after a padlock had been broken.

The loss is valued at 700 euros. Police have launched a pre-trial investigation into the theft.

Marius Peciulis, the museum's director, told BNS that the stolen replicas were displayed in the exhibition area of the fort building. They are not valuable artifacts but replicas made within the last decade.

"In this case, the stolen items don't represent a significant loss for us as a museum," Peciulis said. "No actual exhibits went missing."

"The main concern for us is the break-in itself, which shows we're facing a certain level of provocation and an attempt to enter the museum. It's forcing us to rethink our security protocols," he added.

Peciulis said the museum is cooperating with police and hopes the investigation will reveal the burglars' identities and motives.

"The museum has video surveillance and an alarm system, and all relevant information has been passed to the police," he added.

The director declined to say whether the cameras captured any suspects, citing the ongoing investigation as the reason.

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We succeeded in presenting Lithuania as thinking about more than just war – president

VILNIUS, Jun 11, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says his visit to Japan has succeeded in presenting Lithuania as a country that is not only thinking about war, but also as a country that is developing and is investment-friendly.

"I think we have managed to, first of all, present Lithuania in such a way that it does not give the impression that we are only thinking about war. That we are building, we are moving forward at a fast pace, we are creating an investment-friendly environment. And that we are, of course, taking care of our security," the president said in a video comment released by his press service on Wednesday.

"And there are already good points of contact between our business and Japanese business," he added.

Nauseda noted that the science forum he opened on Tuesday at Waseda University in Tokyo was not about what might happen, but about the results of joint scientific projects, including in the field of fighting cancer, which have been ongoing for several years.

"So we have that cooperation and I very much hope that this top-level visit will help even more, give some additional impetus to our moving forward," the Lithuanian leader said.

On Wednesday, Nauseda visited the Expo 2025 international exhibition in Osaka where he toured the Lithuanian and Japanese pavilions.

"I know that our pavilion is popular, and is highly ranked, but more importantly, it seems to me that people take away a good understanding of our country from our pavilion," the president said.

As BNS reported earlier, at Waseda University in Tokyo on Tuesday, Nauseda addressed the participants of the Lithuanian-Japanese Science Forum and participated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the national archives of both countries.

"I believe this will open up opportunities not only to exchange documents, but also for research groups to go to Japan, or for Japanese groups to come to Lithuania because we have interesting, wonderful documents both here and in Lithuania," Nauseda said.

During his visit, he also met with Emperor Naruhito of Japan, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and participated in the Lithuania-Japan Business Forum.

After these meetings and events, Nauseda said that security issues in the Far East and Europe are closely interlinked, and he urged Japanese entrepreneurs to get involved in strategic projects and to enter the smart technology market in Lithuania.

By Dominykas Biržietis

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Lithuanian ethics watchdog finds Jonava mayor in conflict of interest over TV purchase

VILNIUS, Jun 11, BNS – Jonava Mayor Mindaugas Sinkevicius placed himself in a conflict of interest when he used funds allocated for council member activities to buy two TV sets and pay for communication services, the Chief Official Ethics Commission ruled on Wednesday.

"The decision was unanimous," Gediminas Sakalauskas, the commission's chairman, said during the sitting.

The ethics watchdog took up the matter following a referral from the Prosecutor General's Office in late March. Earlier that month, a court acquitted Sinkevicius in a related criminal case.

The Supreme Court of Lithuania dropped the so-called "receipt case" against the politician, ruling that while he had committed a violation when spending funds allocated for office-related expenses, it did not warrant criminal liability.

Before the trial began, Sinkevicius repaid 4,015 euros to the municipal budget. He claimed that the use of municipal funds to pay his personal Telia Lietuva bills was accidental and described it as a human error.

By law, the ethics watchdog can only investigate actions committed within the past three years, so it reviewed the factual circumstances dating from March 14, 2022.

The criminal investigation, and the information it gathered about Sinkevicius, covered the previous municipal council term from 2019 to 2023.

Following the favorable Supreme Court ruling, Sinkevicius returned to his post as mayor of Jonava.

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We're in Leopard tank assembly talks with various companies – Lithuanian defmin

VILNIUS, Jun 11, BNS – Lithuania is in talks with various companies regarding the possibility of assembling German Leopard tanks in Lithuania and the number of potential assemblers will be expanded, Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene said on Wednesday after Lithuania Defense Services, a company based in Lithuania's central Jonava District, said yesterday it's in talks to assembly these tanks.

"Negotiations are underway, we have no final decisions on which company it will be, and it would probably be very incorrect to comment on this in public," Sakaliene told BNS, asked to confirm that negotiations are underway with LDS.

The minister refrained to disclose the number of companies the state is negotiating with.

Speaking on Tuesday, Vilius Semeska, a board member at LDS, told the public broadcaster LRT that there are specific plans on how to develop the necessary infrastructure to assemble tanks, but "we just need to agree with the government and the Defense Ministry".

"Negotiations are currently taking place at a fairly high level," he added.

"The fact that this company shows proactivity and willingness to participate, and has some capacity already in place, is very positive and will be discussed during the negotiations," Sakaliene noted. "We will certainly expand the cluster meant for the assembly, production and servicing of heavy machinery, and we will look at how to do it most efficiently, so as to ensure that the production process is ensured, speeded up, or, at least, not slowed down, and that our industry's interests are adequately represented."

The Jonava-based company offers services ranging from maintenance and repair of vehicle systems for the Lithuanian army and NATO allies to logistical support. It was founded in 2022 by two German arms manufacturers, Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.

In her recent interview with BNS, Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene said that Lithuania is in talks with Leopard manufacturers to have the German-made tanks it plans to acquire assembled in the country in cooperation with local businesses."

Lithuania plans to purchase a total of 44 Leopard tanks.

Sakaliene did not specify which companies might be involved in the assembly process.

Under the initial agreement, tanks for the first company are expected to arrive in Lithuania in 2029, with a full tank battalion to be formed by 2034.

According to the minister, an advance payment will be made in the coming months to speed up delivery.

Lithuania is pushing to accelerate the deliveries as part of its goal to develop a fully operational national division by 2030.

By Dominykas Biržietis

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Lithuanian cabinet clears kamikaze drone, anti-tank mine purchases without public tender

VILNIUS, Jun 11, BNS – The Lithuanian government on Wednesday gave the green light for skipping public tender procedures when procuring loitering munitions, also known as kamikaze drones, and anti-tank mines.

The Cabinet approved a resolution, drafted by the Defense Ministry, that exempts these purchases from the rules of the Law on Public Procurement in the Fields of Defense and Security.

This means the Defense Materiel Agency will be able to procure kamikaze drones and anti-tank mines without holding a public tender.

According to the ministry, this exemption is allowed under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which permits any member state to "take such measures as it considers necessary for the protection of the essential interests of its security which are connected with the production of or trade in arms, munitions and war material."

The ministry says the move aims to protect an essential national security interest – safeguarding state sovereignty, territorial integrity, the democratic constitutional order, peace, and a secure environment for the country's development – and to strengthen Lithuania's defense capabilities.

Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene says Lithuanian companies are capable of producing this type of weaponry and talks with them on procurement are already underway.

"I prefer not to name them now because, as we all understand, negotiations are a very sensitive process," she told reporters before the Cabinet meeting.

The minister added that details on purchasing kamikaze drones and mines, including when they will be delivered to the Lithuanian Armed Forces, will be known "in the near future."

"As for specific dates, the Defense Materiel Agency, which directly carries out most of our purchases in this field, will be able to provide information as soon as it can," she said.

The ministry said the government resolution aims to supply the Lithuanian Armed Forces with domestically produced military equipment and achieve operational drone capacity by 2027, as well as to encourage Lithuanian manufacturers to develop defense technology capabilities and create new, resilient and reliable supply chains.

In preparation for these purchases, the Defense Materiel Agency found that companies operating in Lithuania could produce goods meeting the Lithuanian Armed Forces' technical requirements.

The ministry noted that without this exemption, the agency would have to hold a tender open to many bidders, including foreign suppliers. As a result, it said, a foreign supplier offering a more economically advantageous bid could be selected, but essential national security interests and objectives would not be protected.

Moreover, without this exemption, it would be impossible to build and support the development, production, supply, maintenance, repair and spare parts capabilities for military equipment in Lithuania, or to ensure a continuous and timely supply of military equipment to both the Ukrainian and Lithuanian armed forces, according to the ministry.

Last week, the Cabinet allowed skipping public tender procedures when procuring unmanned aerial vehicles, counter-drone systems, optical surveillance equipment and laser target designators.

By Vilmantas Venckūnas

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Scale of Russia's interference with GPS signals is expanding – Lithuanian vicemin

VILNIUS, Jun 11, BNS - The scale of GPS signal interference caused by Russia is expanding, Lithuanian Defense Vice Minister Karolis Aleksa says.

"We are seeing active activity that has been going on for some time on the Russian side. (...). The only question is the extent of the impact. And it seems to be expanding, and that is why it is really important to react and to watch, to take preventive measures to prevent various incidents that would be really unwanted," he told journalists on Wednesday.

According to Aleksa, one can look for various reasons for the increasing frequency of such interference, but they are also linked to Lithuania's activities in strengthening its defense and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"We can see that they really do not like what we are doing, strengthening our defense, and what the Ukrainians are doing, and Russia is also taking certain action by sending signals. And here it is really important to distinguish whether these are routine (signals - BNS), or whether they are really malicious. This is obviously closer to malicious and it certainly has the potential to cause a lot of damage," the vice minister pointed out.

For his part, Marius Cesnulevicius, the president's national security advisor, said earlier that the interference with GPS signals, which has hampered aircraft flights in recent months, has to do with Russia trying to defend itself from Ukraine's retaliatory strikes on its territory, and it is not specifically aimed at Lithuania.

Other countries in the region are also facing this problem, Cesnulevicius said.

Earlier this week, 13 EU member states, including Lithuania, called on the European Commission to respond to interference with Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) in EU countries.

The ministers for transport and digital affairs from the 13 countries sent a joint letter to the European Commission, urging immediate and coordinated action in response to interference with Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) originating from Russia and Belarus. Following Lithuania’s initiative, the letter also highlights the urgent need to accelerate the deployment of interference-resistant GNSS services, enhance the overall resilience of critical infrastructure, and strengthen safety and security across Europe.

Data from Lithuania's flight management company Oro Navigacija (Air Navigation) show that there were 440 reports on GPS interference in January, a tenfold increase from January 2024.

By Karolina Ambrazaitytė, Paulius Perminas

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Lithuanian president urges not rush to conclusions on PM's ability to continue working

VILNIUS, Jun 11, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda suggests not to "put the cart before the horse" and not to rush to conclusions on the Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas' ability to continue working after the country's Financial Crime Investigation Service launched a pre-trial probe into a soft loan granted to a company co-owned by the premier.

"I think that the more investigations, the better. Now it is important not to put the cart before the horse and to find out the real situation first after assessing all the circumstances, because I see a kind of haste, let's do something sooner, let's make some decisions sooner," the president said in a video comment released by the presidential press service on Wednesday.

"I do see the problem, I am certainly not ignoring it, there is a problem, it seems to me that the prime minister himself is well aware of it, but we need to dot the I's and cross the t's," he added.

The president is set to meet with the prime minister next week.

"I will want to discuss all the issues and hear his explanations, but the investigating authorities should have the final say. It would be great if this could be done as soon as possible," the president said. "Of course, I don't want to rush things as the most important thing is to have it done in a good way."

According to Nauseda, "hasty decisions today" regarding Paluckas' ability to continue working would inevitably mean that the reforms launched by the ruling bloc would either be halted or slowed down.

"We need to take a responsible approach to the governance of our country and not to make decisions with a hot head, but first let's look into all the circumstances," the president said.

On Tuesday, the FCIS launched a pre-trial investigation into a soft loan received by Garnis, a company co-owned by the prime minister, from the national development bank ILTE.

Paluckas is a shareholder in both Garnis and Emus.

ILTE said on Monday that the loan to Garnis followed the required procedures and that its internal review had not found any significant shortcomings.

However, the findings of the review recommended that the developers of financial instruments clarify how related parties are defined and include a requirement for actual capital increases before a financing agreement is signed.

ILTE CEO Dainius Vilcinskas said that no violations had been identified in how the soft loan granted to Garnis was used. Still, he said the development bank continues to cooperate with law enforcement.

The Special Investigation Service (SIS) has started looking into the circumstances following information about the soft loan granted to the company partly owned by Paluckas.

The prime minister previously said he was confident that after ILTE found no irregularities regarding the loan granted to his company, law enforcement agencies would not find any either.

The investigative journalism center Siena (Wall) and Laisves TV reported in late May that Garnis, which plans to produce battery systems, received a 200,000-euro soft loan from ILTE after Paluckas had already taken office.

The prime minister owns 49 percent of Garnis. In February and March, the government made several decisions related to ILTE with his participation.

Paluckas' conduct is also under review by the Chief Official Ethics Commission.

The prime minister denies any conflict of interest and says he is not involved in his companies' day-to-day operations.

He also owns 51 percent of another company, Emus, which would not have qualified for the loan because it has been operating for too long. Garnis would not have been eligible either if it had been formally part of the same company group as Emus.

Questions have also been raised publicly about whether Garnis was created as a front to obtain the loan and whether the company is using the funds as intended.

Among other things, Andrius Tapinas, a journalist and public figure, said he has correspondence between an unnamed company and representatives of Garnis and Emus, both partly owned by Paluckas.

According to Tapinas, the unnamed company was paid with funds from Garnis' soft loan from ILTE, but the goods were delivered to Emus, which was not eligible for the financing.

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, June 12, 2025

VILNIUS, Jun 12, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, June 12, 2025:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to pay a visit to Vietnam.

INTERIOR MINISTER Vladislav Kondratovic to attend a meeting of EU justice and home affairs ministers in Luxembourg.

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