LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN, June 5, 2024

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 5, 2024
Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
Some 21,500 Lithuanians vote on 1st day of early voting in EU parliament elections
Conference in Klaipeda to kick off largest ever BALTOPS military exercise
If Garsu Pasaulis deemed unreliable, we’ll look for other passport production options – PM (media)
Three Lithuanian universities rise in global rankings
Lithuanian parlt committee calls for EU sanctions against Georgia, more visits
Lithuania to contribute to school, rehabilitation center reconstruction in Ukraine
EU leaders must agree on start of Ukraine, Moldova accession talks – Lithuanian president
Krisciunas proposed for Lithuania's ambassador to OECD, Stanyte-Tolockiene to Ukraine
Lithuania's Vilpra reroutes air conditioner exports to Kyrgyzstan via Latvia (media)
Russia still has significant maritime capabilities – BALTOPS commander
Lithuania provides EUR 100,000 in humanitarian aid to flood-hit Armenia
Lithuanian govt in favor of female quota for listed companies
Lithuania plans to sign contracts for additional air defense systems in summer – minister
BALTOPS'24 to focus on landing operations – commander
No obstacles for BRELL exit in February 2025 – Lithuanian minister

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 5, 2024

VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 5, 2024.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to attend a reception on the occasion of Denmark's Constitution Day at 4 p.m.

JUSTICE MINISTER Ewelina Dobrowolska to meet with Polish Foreign Vice Minister Henryka Moscicka-Dendys at 3.15 p.m.

INTERIOR MINISTER Agne Bilotaite attending the 8th European Civil Protection Forum in Brussels.

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Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus

VILNIUS, Jun 05, 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 three attempts at illegal border crossings on Tuesday, and 181 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Monday, according to the latest available information.

A total of 226 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year.

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

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

Lithuanian border guards have prevented a total of almost 22,000 people from crossing in from Belarus since August 3, 2021, when they were given the right to turn away irregular migrants. The number includes repeated attempts by the same people to cross the border.

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Some 21,500 Lithuanians vote on 1st day of early voting in EU parliament elections

VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS – Some 21,500 people, or 0.9 percent of all eligible voters, cast their ballots on the first day of early voting in Lithuania's European Parliament elections on Tuesday, according to figures from the Central Electoral Commission (CEC).

This is slightly up from around 18,000, or 0.74 percent, on the first day of advance voting in the previous European Parliament elections five years ago. However, the early voting period lasted five days back then, compared to three days now.

Early voting will continue until Thursday evening. Voters can vote at any early voting location between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Candidates fielded by 14 political parties and one coalition are vying for Lithuania's 11 seats in the European Parliament.

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Conference in Klaipeda to kick off largest ever BALTOPS military exercise

KLAIPEDA, Lithuania, Jun 05, BNS – A pre-sail conference in the Lithuanian port city of Klaipeda on Wednesday is kicking off Baltic Operations 2024 (BALTOPS 24), the largest military exercise ever held in the Baltic Sea.

The Lithuanian Armed Forces said in a press release on Tuesday that more than 30 Allied warships, manned by over 4,000 seamen, marines, navy aviation and other navy specialist personnel, were expected to arrive in Klaipeda in the run-up to the exercise.

"Representatives of the training audience will stay in Klaipeda on June 4 through 7 to take part in the Pre-Sail Conference for the second time hosted by the Lithuanian Navy," the military said.

The conference will take place at the city's Svyturio Arena, with Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas, Chief of Defense Valdemaras Rupsys, and Thomas Edwards Ishee, the BALTOPS 24 commander, to give speeches and comments to the media.

"This is an event where the final touches are put on a long planning process that has lasted probably a year," Lithuanian Naval Force Commander Giedrius Premeneckas told reporters earlier.

"Tasks are assigned to ship commanders and smaller tactical units, which is what is happening in Klaipeda now," he added.

The Armed Forces said in the press release that the exercise "will hone amphibious landing, fire support, anti-submarine warfare aircraft defense, mine hunting and sweeping, surface and underwater drone, and other operations".

According to Premeneckas, one of the strategic goals of the exercise is to "demonstrate NATO unity and the resolve to counter any aggressors."

The tactical phase in the Baltic Sea on June 7-22 will involve two Lithuanian Navy ships, the mine countermeasures vessel Skalvis and the patrol vessel Aukstaitis, and the Baltic Naval Squadron (BALTRON) under the command of Karolis Lileikis of the Lithuanian Navy.

This year will mark the first time Sweden, which has taken part in BALTOPS since 1990, will participate in the exercise as a NATO member nation.

BALTOPS is organized by the US Naval Forces Europe and Africa, and the US Sixth Fleet, with command and control provided by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO).

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If Garsu Pasaulis deemed unreliable, we’ll look for other passport production options – PM (media)

VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS – If Garsu Pasaulis, a Lithuanian company that produces Lithuanian passport forms and was linked to an oligarch close to the Minsk regime, is declared unreliable, other passport production options would be considered, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte has told the 15min news website as the country's State Security Department is looking into media reports on the company's possible links with Minsk.

"All measures have now been taken to verify the credibility of this company. As the Interior Ministry has informed, the interior minister has once again asked the SSD to reassess the company's credibility in terms of threats to national security, even though the company has a SSD-issued service provider's security certificate. In addition, the company is also being checked by the Financial Crime Investigation Service," Simonyte said in a statement released by the government's press service.

"If the company is found unreliable, other possibilities for the production of personal documents will be sought," the statement reads.

According to 15min, the FCIS is also currently conducting a probe into possible links between Garsu Pasaulis and Minsk, and the Seimas Committee on National Security and Defense is expected to consider the situation during closed-door meetings.

15min reported last week that in 2011, the company that owned Garsu Pasaulis and Golograficheskaya Industriya, a hologram maker with a monopoly in Belarus, set up a joint company in Lithuania, GP Holographics, and t supplied Garsu Pasaulis with holographic film used in the production of third party documents.

Viktor Shevtsov, dubbed as Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenk's "wallet", is one of the shareholders of Golograficheskaya Industriya.

15min also reported that Garsu Pasaulis would produce alternative passports designed by the Belarusian opposition, and that this company was proposed by a Belarusian who used to work for the interior system in Minsk. Mikita Zabuga, a Belarusian citizen who has asylum in Lithuania, suggested that the Belarusian opposition should work with Garsu Pasaulis.

Ana Janauskiene, head of Garsu Pasaulis, told 15min that all ties with GP Holographics were severed in 2022 after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine when all shares were sold and no orders were made.

15min found that, Garsu Pasaulis sold its shares in GP Holographics to Shevtsov via an intermediary. Nevertheless, Garsu Pasaulis and GP Holographics still share the same address in Vilnius and the same administrator and accountant.

Shevtsov now owns 70 percent of GP Holographics. Another 10 percent belong to Golograficheskaya Industriya and its CEO Alexander Babarenko has a 15 percent stake.

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Three Lithuanian universities rise in global rankings

VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS – Vilnius University (VU) has climbed 34 positions to rank 439th in QS World University Rankings 2025, and Vytautas Magnus University (VDU) and Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) have also improved their standings.

"I am pleased to see that we have made significant progress in graduate employability indicators and scored exceptionally highly in the faculty-student ratio," VU Rector Rimvydas Petrauskas said in a press release.

VU slid to number 473 in last year's QS world rankings, from 400 the previous year.

VU's graduate employability indicator improved significantly, rising 220 positions to 105th place compared to last year, according to the press release.

VDU and KTU also saw slight increases in their rankings compared to last year. VDU is now ranked 741-750, up from 801-850 last year, and KTU is placed 751-760, up from 801-850.

"We are extremely pleased with this ranking. Global competition among universities is growing dramatically, and this year, the QS ranking has been given to many more institutions than last year, which is why VDU's rise in the ranking is a very significant achievement," VDU Rector Juozas Augutis said in a press release.

However, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (Vilnius TECH) has dropped in the rankings, from 801-850 last year to 851-900 this year.

Mykolas Romeris University maintains the same position and is ranked among the top 1001–1200 universities in the world.

The QS World University Rankings assess higher education institutions based on the following eight criteria: academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, faculty student ratio, international faculty ratio, international research network, international students ratio, and sustainability.

This year's QS rankings evaluated 5,663 institutions from 106 countries, with 21 institutions ranked for the first time.

As usual, the top-ranked universities are from the US and the UK: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, Oxford University, Harvard University, Cambridge University, and Stanford University.

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Lithuanian parlt committee calls for EU sanctions against Georgia, more visits

VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS – The Lithuanian Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs has called for EU sanctions against Georgia, adding that EU politicians should be encouraged to visit the country.

"The committee called for an unequivocal response to the retaliatory measures imposed by the United States i.e. sanctions, and to seek those sanctions in Brussels," Zygimantas Pavilionis, the committee chair, told journalists on Wednesday.

The committee made such a decision after it was briefed by Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis on the situation in Georgia on Wednesday.

In May, Georgia adopted a "foreign influence" law despite mass protests and calls from foreign countries to repeal it. The new legislation drew strong reactions from the West, including Lithuania. The law was signed on Monday by the country's Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili.

The law requires non-governmental organizations and media outlets that receive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as "agents of foreign influence".

For his part, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced in May visa restrictions for "individuals who are responsible for or complicit in undermining democracy in Georgia".

"We called for continued visits. The Georgian government (...) is doing its utmost to make sure that no one pays attention to what is actually being achieved by these measures. (The goal is – BNS) to close most NGOs, to clean up the space before the election and then to have an election they want. Well, this should not be allowed," Pavilionis said.

Georgia will elect a new parliament in October.

Having visited Tbilisi in May together with his Baltic and Icelandic counterparts, Landsbergis told journalists that the adoption of the "foreign influence" law was an extremely serious violation, adding that the EU must send a "clear signal" that Georgia's path to the EU is blocked.

"I told you about the mood in the EU and what position we could take. (...) A report was presented to EU ministers on how the passed law and the veto affects Georgia's EU path. So, a single provision, and out of the nine recommendations that are conditional on the granting of candidate status, three of them are violated by one law and one third is violated by one law," the minister said.

In May, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili vetoed the "foreign influence" law, but her veto was overridden by the parliament.

Critics have condemned the law, saying it is similar to the one in Russia and aimed at silencing critics of Moscow. Brussels argues that the law is incompatible with Georgia's long-standing ambition to become an EU member.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said last week that the EU and its member states were "considering all options to react to these developments".

Pavilionis points out that not everyone in Brussels wants to see the deteriorating situation in Georgia.

Fr his part, Landsbergis notes that Hungary has for the time being suspended "any assessment of the situation".

"All we can do now is to put the words of Europe in Borrell's mouth. But there is no European word. So I think that any sanctions or anything like that, if there was a political attempt to assess the situation, they would be blocked," the foreign minister said.

Hungary itself has encouraged other EU member states to adopt "foreign influence" legislation similar to the one in Georgia

The ruling Georgian Dream party is increasingly being accused of steering the country away from a Western trajectory towards Russia. However, the party, in power since 2012, claims to be committed to Georgia's European goals and defends the law as an effort to increase the transparency of NGO funding.

Many NGOs in Georgia have vowed to resist and oppose the law.

Activists, independent journalists and opposition politicians in Georgia have accused the government of a concerted campaign of violence and threats against NGO leaders.

"There have been multiple violations of human rights. Numerous people, both from opposition and NGOs, the media, have been subjected to physical violence, harassment, and their family members are still being harassed. This is again a gross violation of human rights which could be condemned by the EU," Landsbergis said.

"The political processes taking place in the parliament are one path, but next to that there are people on the streets who face violence, and that violence, for example, I probably don't have that information, but I wouldn't be very surprised that somebody is ordering it. The EU has instruments to track and find people and they could be put on the sanction list," he noted.

For their part, the opposition parties in Georgia on Monday started signing up to a pro-European political platform.

Pavilionis also called on Lithuania President Gitanas Nauseda to take initiative and express solidarity with the Georgian president.

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Lithuania to contribute to school, rehabilitation center reconstruction in Ukraine

VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS –Lithuania will contribute to the rebuilding of another school in Ukraine and the reconstruction of several rehabilitation centers after the Baltic country's government approved the implementation of these projects and allocated almost 11.4 million euros.

The reconstruction of a school in Mykolaiv will require 2.7 million euros, half of which will be provided by Lithuania. The other part of the money will come from the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania, Arturas Zarnovskis, head of the Co-Create Future of Ukraine program, told BNS, adding that 18 months will be need to rebuild the school.

10 million euros have also been earmarked for the reconstruction of rehabilitation centers, and the work is planned to be completed within two years.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte announced Lithuania's plans to carry out these projects in April when Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal visited Vilnius.

Amid Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine, Lithuania has been regularly contributing to Ukraine's reconstruction, providing military and humanitarian aid. According to the Finance Ministry, Lithuania has already provided assistance to Ukraine that amounts to 1.5 percent of the country's GDP.

By Augustas Stankevičius

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EU leaders must agree on start of Ukraine, Moldova accession talks – Lithuanian president

VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS – EU leaders must agree on the start of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova at their summit in late June, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda told European Council President Charles Michel on Wednesday.

In their phone conversation, Nauseda said the European Council meeting is "the right moment that will allow the European integration process of Ukraine and Moldova to proceed in a timely and smooth manner", thus it is necessary to find a consensus on this issue, the Lithuanian president's office said in a press release.

The two officials also discussed preparations for the European Council's meetings, this week's European Parliament elections, and the EU's new political cycle.

Nauseda said the new political cycle should bring even more certainty, unity, and the ability to effectively represent the EU's interests on the global stage, adding that efforts must continue to strengthen the bloc's defense industry, economic resilience and competitiveness.

In December, the EU took the important step of agreeing to open negotiations on the accession of Ukraine and Moldova to the 27-member bloc. Several EU countries in late May called for the talks to begin in June, but Hungary is threatening to obstruct this process.

For the negotiations to actually start, the bloc's member states still have to sign a formal framework for the process, proposed in March by Brussels.

Ukraine applied to join the EU shortly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.

The EU granted official candidate status to Ukraine and Moldova in June 2022, and is now urging both countries to speed up procedures to bring them closer to joining the bloc.

However, the process of necessary reforms is likely to take years before they can finally become EU members.

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Krisciunas proposed for Lithuania's ambassador to OECD, Stanyte-Tolockiene to Ukraine

VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS – The Lithuanian Cabinet proposes that President Gitanas Nauseda appoint Rolandas Krisciunas, first deputy chancellor of the government, as ambassador to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and Inga Stanyte-Tolockiene as ambassador to Ukraine.

Deputy Foreign Minister Egidijus Meilunas is nominated as ambassador to Canada, and Darius Vitkauskas as ambassador to Georgia.

Three of the diplomats would take up their duties in August: Vitkauskas on the 6th, Stanyte-Tolockiene on the 19th, and Krisciunas on the 26th. Meilunas would assume his new role on December 9.

Prior to his appointment to his current position of first deputy chancellor in August 2021, Krisciunas worked as an advisor to Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte on foreign policy and EU issues.

His past career includes positions as Lithuania's ambassador to the US, and deputy finance minister and deputy foreign minister.

Stanyte-Tolockiene is currently serving as the Foreign Ministry's policy director responsible for coordinating the implementation of Lithuania's key foreign policy issues.

She has in the past served as Lithuania's ambassador to Armenia and as minister counsellor at Lithuania's Permanent Representation to the European Union.

Vitkauskas is currently director of the Foreign Ministry's Eastern Neighborhood Policy Department. He has in the past headed Lithuania's Consulate General in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Meilunas has held the post of foreign vice-minister since 2020. He has in the past served as Lithuania's ambassador to Poland, Japan and Ireland.

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

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Lithuania's Vilpra reroutes air conditioner exports to Kyrgyzstan via Latvia (media)

VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS – Vilpra, a heating systems trading and installation group controlled by the family of Lithuania's former presidential candidate Ignas Vegele, is exporting air conditioners to Kyrgyzstan via Latvia after Lithuanian customs officials refused to clear the shipments, according to a joint investigation by Siena (Wall), Laisves TV and Latvia's Re:Baltic.

It was reported earlier that Vilpra may have been circumventing EU sanctions against Russia and Belarus by exporting air conditioners to Kyrgyzstan.

The Lithuanian Customs Department has confirmed to Siena that it blocked Vilpra's air conditioner shipment to Kyrgyzstan in June 2023, citing sanctions control as the reason.

The department has also confirmed that its inspection of Vilpra, which began in April, is ongoing.

Information obtained by Re:Baltica shows that the export of air conditioners to Kyrgyzstan was redirected through the Latvian border and was developed by SIA Vilpra, the group's Latvian company. he total export volume last year and this year exceeded 600,000 euros.

Latvia's Vilpra has confirmed to the journalists that it exports air conditioners to Kyrgyzstan and that it has declarations signed by its customers stating that the goods are not destined for the Russian or Belarusian markets.

Vegele said after the first round of the presidential election that he had lost some votes following the journalists' first investigation into the export of air conditioners to Kyrgyzstan, and that he was considering taking legal action.

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Russia still has significant maritime capabilities – BALTOPS commander

KLAIPEDA, Lithuania, Jun 05, BNS - Russia has significant maritime capabilitie, Thomas Edwards Ishee, commander of Exercise BALTOPS 24, says, adding that the lessons learned from the Russia-Ukraine war are important for deterrence in the Baltic Sea.

"My assessment is that Russia still does have some significant capability in the maritime. And certainly in anti-access and area denial they are a capable nation that has these capabilities," the United States Navy vice admiral told a press conference in Klaipeda on Wednesday.

This, he said, is something that NATO allies need to be concerned about as they work to defend the Alliance as a whole, including the recently acceded Finland and Sweden that share much of the Baltic Sea coast.

"It plays in to how we would defend all of the Baltic nations that are NATO nations in the region.

The specific capabilities I won't get into but we're very much aware of what is going on in the Black Sea, in the war between Russia and Ukraine," he said.

"Seeing some of the developments that had happened in the Black Sea both on the Russian side and the Ukrainian side, and making sure that we understand those lessons, we're prepared to defend those threats, should they be used in the Baltic Sea," the BALTOPS 24 commander said.

BALTOPS 24, the largest military exercise ever held in the Baltic Sea, starts with a pre-sail conference taking place on Wednesday and Thursday at the Svyturys Arena. This is the second time the event has been organized in Lithuania.

According to the military, 30 allied ships are currently moored in Klaipeda, and their number may change before the exercise starts. They are manned by over 4,000 sailors, marines, naval aviators and other naval specialists.

The active phase at sea will take place on June 7-20.

BALTOPS is organized by the US Naval Forces Europe and Africa, and the US Sixth Fleet, with command and control provided by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO).

By Dominykas Biržietis

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Lithuania provides EUR 100,000 in humanitarian aid to flood-hit Armenia

VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS – The Lithuanian government on Wednesday allocated 100,000 euros in humanitarian aid to flood-hit Armenia.

The funds are being provided from the government's reserve in response to a request for assistance from Yerevan.

Floods in northern Armenia in late May damaged roads and bridges, claiming at least two lives and forcing the evacuation of around 200 people.

Several bridges and part of a key road linking the mountainous Caucasus country with Georgia collapsed as the River Debed spilled over its banks.

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Lithuanian govt in favor of female quota for listed companies

VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS - The Lithuanian government on Wednesday backs plans to ensure that women held at least a third of senior positions at listed companies by July 2026.

According to the Social Security and Labor Ministry, the amendments to the Law on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men are aimed at increasing the number of female executives.

"In Lithuania, we have the leading numbers of women scientists and engineers, but the number of women in management positions, on boards and as directors is below the EU average," said Minister Monika Navickiene said at a government meeting.

Under the proposal, 33-49 percent of members of management and supervisory bodies of large listed companies should be women, and women should also fill 33-49 percent of positions of executives, board members and members of Supervisory Councils.

According to the ministry, data from the European Institute for Gender Equality shows that the share of women on the boards of the largest listed companies in the EU-27 is 33 percent, compared to 25 percent in Lithuania.

This new initiative proposes transposing the provisions of the EU Directive on Women on Boards into national law, the ministry said.

The amendments will still need parliamentary approval.

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuania plans to sign contracts for additional air defense systems in summer – minister

VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS – Lithuania is planning to conclude this summer contracts for the purchase of additional medium- and short-range air defense systems, Defense Minister Laurynas Kasciunas said on Wednesday.

"Together with the prime minister, we are now looking for all possible ways to make decisions over the summer on contracting these systems," Kasciunas told reporters after presenting planned new arms acquisitions to the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense.

"We are talking about an additional medium-range air defense system, a short-range air defense system and certain mechanization processes so that all of this can be included in the contract," the minister said.

"I believe we are going to have good news in early July," he added.

Kasciunas said in May that Lithuania was considering acquiring Iris-T medium-range air defense systems from Germany.

The minister said on Wednesday that he also briefed the parliamentary committee on the architecture of the division being developed in Lithuania and efforts to "make it heavier", as well as the layers of air defense that are planned to be reinforced.

Draft amendments to the Law on the Principled Structure of the Armed Forces, which passed the first reading in the parliament on Tuesday, call for expanding the military structure to create new units – an infantry division and a tank battalion.

"Tanks are moving on schedule. I mean they are now in the consultation processes and then we will see how we align in time with our budgetary possibilities," the minister said.

Lithuania plans to buy Leopard 2 tanks for the development of the division, but wants to do so in stages to able to speed up the acquisition of air defense weapons.

By Paulius Perminas

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BALTOPS'24 to focus on landing operations – commander

KLAIPEDA, Lithuania, Jun 05, BNS –The BALTOPS'24 military exercise in the Baltic Sea will focus on landing operations and will take place mainly in the central part of the sea.

"Amphibious operations are going to be our main focus in this BALTOPS. I think there's a great opportunity to learn and relearn a lot about this war-fighting domain," Thomas Edwards Ishee, a US Navy vice admiral and the BALTOPS'24 commander, told a press conference in Klaipeda on Wednesday.

In his words, work related to mine counter-measures, air defense, medical response, multi-domain combined and joint operations, and the protection of vital sea links of communication will continue. The operations will take place throughout the Baltic region, especially in the deep part of the Baltic Sea, primarily its central part, and a little bit in its western and eastern sides.

"There will be a lot of air defense exercises, a lot of anti-surface exercises, some anti-submarine exercises, some amphibious operations when we will actually put some forces ashore in various places and we have several amphibious task groups that are participating in this," Ishee said, adding that there will be some call for fire operations.

He also pointed out that Sweden and Finland, which have recently joined NATO, have been BALTOPS partners in for decades, so "their participation this year is about the same as it was last year, maybe it's a bit more this year as allies".

His position was echoed by Deputy Commander of the Swedish Navy Colonel Adam Camel,, stating that Sweden has been a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace program since 1994.

"We're already quite integrated within the NATO, but if you're not part of the Alliance than you can't make the last step, you see. We have been very well welcomed and we do feel like a member of the Alliance, I would say," he said.

BALTOPS'24, the largest military exercise ever held in the Baltic Sea, starts with a pre-sail conference taking place on Wednesday and Thursday at the Svyturys Arena. This is the second time the event has been organized in Lithuania.

The active phase at sea will take place on June 7-20.

BALTOPS'24 is organized by the US Naval Forces Europe and Africa, and the US Sixth Fleet, with command and control provided by Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO).

By Dominykas Biržietis

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No obstacles for BRELL exit in February 2025 – Lithuanian minister

VILNIUS, Jun 05, BNS – There are no more obstacles for the Baltic states to synchronize their energy system with that of continental Europe in February 2025 and to notify Russia and Belarus in August of the termination of the BRELL agreement, Lithuanian Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys says.

"The progress is certainly the right one, the pace is the right one, and we do not see any major obstacles to sending a letter in early August so we can start the BRELL exit in February, first, the test (of isolated operation - BNS) and then the connection to the continental European grid," Kreivys told BNS after a meeting of the Lithuanian government's synchronization commission on Wednesday.

In his words, the content of the letter on the non-renewal of the BRELL contract has already been agreed between the Baltic TSOs and they will decide on the exact date of its dispatch: "The TSO agreement is in place, the documents have been prepared, we don't see any problems."

Under the terms of the BRELL contract, notice of non-renewal must be given by August 7, six months before the disconnection from the Russian IPS/UPS electricity system and the planned synchronization.

"There is no reason why synchronization could not take place early next year. (...) We do not see any problems with the implementation of the technical projects in any of the countries," Kreivys said.

In August 2023, the Baltic prime ministers signed a declaration committing to synchronize the Baltic electricity grids with Western Europe by February 2025. The commitment was confirmed in December in a declaration signed by the European Commission and the Baltic and Polish ministers in charge of energy.

Earlier, synchronization with Europe was scheduled for the end of 2025.

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Jun 18 2024

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
Lithuanian PM vows to nominate candidate for educmin next week
Ruling coalition in agreement on key parts of Defense Fund – Lithuanian PM
Lithuanian MPs to vote on expanding credibility criteria for NATO procurement
Mediaskopas to present study on Russian propaganda coverage of Lithuanian energy sector
Almost 1,500 foreigners lose residence permits in Lithuania in May
European TSOs positive about Baltics' preparedness for synchronization – Lithuanian PM
Inspectors get into Russian businessman Borisov's suspected firing range near Trakai
MET Group confirms plans to buy controlling stake in Lithuania's Achema Group
Jehovah's Witnesses fail to get state recognition in Lithuania
Lithuania's public broadcaster LRT's director to be elected by open ballot – Seimas
Baltic energy in Kremlin's propaganda spotlight – Mediaskopas
MET Group confirms plans to buy controlling stake in Lithuania's Achema Group (further expands)
Lithuanian parlt ratifies CoE Convention on Manipulation of Sports Competitions
Lithuanian president nominates Vaiksnoras for chief of defense
Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, June 7, 2024

Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus

VILNIUS, Jun 06, 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 Thursday morning.

Latvia reported 16 attempts at illegal border crossings on Wednesday, and 251 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Tuesday, according to the latest available information.

A total of 226 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year.

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

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

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Lithuanian PM vows to nominate candidate for educmin next week

VILNIUS, Jun 06, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte vows to submit the nomination of a new education minister to the president next week, but says it is not a matter of high priority.

"I think I will be ready to present it next week, but I don't think it is a very critical issue," she told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Thursday.

On Tuesday, the prime minister met with President Gitanas Nauseda for the first time since the presidential election.

Nauseda told the LRT's Dienos Tema last week it could be difficult to find a candidate for education minister who would only work for a few months before a new government is formed in the fall after the Seimas election.

Simonyte has voiced a similar position in the past.

Lithuania has not had a permanent education minister since April when Gintautas Jakstas stepped down following disagreements with the prime minister's team on how to deal with the problems of intermediate exams for 11th graders.

Social Security and Labor Minister Monika Navickiene is not an acting education minister.

Ministers in Lithuania are appointed by the president on the prime minister's nomination.

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Ruling coalition in agreement on key parts of Defense Fund – Lithuanian PM

VILNIUS, Jun 06, BNS – The ruling coalition is in agreement on the government's key proposals on ways to increase national defense funding, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte. For her part, Speaker of the Seimas Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen says the Defense Fund package contains many measures that have not been agreed upon within the coalition.

"There may be some individual elements, but they are certainly not essential. The essential elements that have been agreed upon are the change in the corporate income tax and the change in excise duties. Those changes are included as the main ones," Simonyte told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Thursday.

Cmilyte-Nielsen, the leader of the Liberal Movement, part of the ruling bloc, said on Wednesday that "it would have been simpler" for the government "to present only those measures of the Defense Fund package that had been agreed by the coalition" as they would have to be adopted during the ongoing parliament session, which ends in June. The package contains many measures that have not been agreed in the coalition, she said.

According to the prime minister, there are "some disputes" among the coalition partners regarding the government's proposal to take 25 million euros each year from the share of the personal income tax given to municipalities and spend it on civil protection, but these disagreements can be resolved.

"I don't think these disputes are dramatic," the prime minister said. "We will probably have discussions to see what else can be changed as there were some other suggestions from individual colleagues during the Cabinet meeting. Let's move the debate to the Committee on Budget and Finance and hopefully find an optimal solution there."

The government, which is asking the parliament to discuss the package as a matter of urgency, is proposing raising raise additional funds for defense by increasing the corporate tax rate by 1 percent from the existing 15 percent, and also upping the existing reduced corporate tax rate for small companies by 1 percentage point to 6 percent, scrapping special corporate tax breaks for the insurance and health sectors, and removing the limitation of car deductions linked to greenery.

In addition, it is proposing getting back to government's previous initiative to more than halve the annual income threshold for those with a business license from 45,000 to 20,000 euros. Those earning more than 20,000 euros would be required to register a sole proprietorship, with no change in the latter's taxation.

Moreover, the plan is to raise excise duties on alcohol and tobacco over the upcoming three years, and also introduce a 6 percent (5 percent excise duty and 1 percent VAT) "defense component" per liter of all types of fuel.

The government is also proposing borrowing through defense bonds and notes from natural persons and legal entities but the cost of borrowing must not exceed 2 percent.

Also, it is proposed to allocate 25 million euros from the share of residential income tax received by local municipalities to civil protection.

The Defense Fund would also include the existing temporary bank solidarity levy, which was extended for another years on Thursday.

The package also includes a proposal to introduce a 10 percent contribution on insurance contracts without applying it to life insurance and civil liability insurance of natural persons.

For the full Defense Fund package to enter into force in January, it needs to be adopted by the Seimas at least half a year earlier, i.e., during the current session.

According to the Finance Ministry, once adopted by the parliament, the changes could result in additional revenue for the state budget of 297.8 million euros in 2025, 421.2 million euros in 2026 and 436.5 million euros in 2027.

Lithuania aims to increase its defense funding to 3 percent of GDP to step up the establishment of an army division, to accommodate the German brigade assigned to Lithuania, and to prepare for the universal conscription.

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Lithuanian MPs to vote on expanding credibility criteria for NATO procurement

VILNIUS, Jun 06, BNS – The Lithuanian parliament is expected to decide on Thursday whether to uphold President Gitanas Nauseda's veto and expand the criteria for declarations of assurance for NATO procurement.

The parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense approved Nauseda's proposals on the eve of the vote.

The president suggests including a condition that a declaration of assurance is issued only if the company seeking to participate in NATO tenders or persons related to it have not been found in violation of international sanctions or restrictive measures in the last three years.

"The president's proposed wording would cover all cases where legal entities, their managers or chief accountants have violated international sanctions," Simonas Mirksys, an advisor in the president's legal team, told the committee on Wednesday.

The parliament last month amended the Framework Law on the Issuance of Declarations of Assurance to Legal Entities to Participate in NATO Tenders to clarify the criteria for issuing such declarations.

However, Nauseda vetoed the amendments, saying that they limit the possibility of banning entities that have violated international sanctions from bidding for NATO contracts.

The president noted that the declaration of assurance is an important document that confirms the financial, technical, professional, and security reliability of a legal entity seeking to participate in NATO tenders.

However, the amendments "essentially narrow the grounds on which a declaration of assurance can be withheld from entities that have violated international sanctions", the president's office has said in a press release.

The declaration of assurance confirms the financial, technical, professional and security credibility of a legal entity, allowing it to participate in NATO tenders. These declarations can only be issued to legal entities that meet strict reliability criteria, including impeccable reputation, transparent operations, and loyalty to Lithuania.

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Mediaskopas to present study on Russian propaganda coverage of Lithuanian energy sector

VILNIUS, Jun 06, BNS – Mediaskopas, a media monitoring company, is to present on Thursday a study analyzing Russian propaganda reports on Lithuania's energy independence efforts.

Mediaskopas says it selected and analyzed 3,760 reports from Russian news websites between January 2021 and April 2024, which mentioned Lithuania and the other two Baltic countries in the context of energy issues.

"The study identified five narratives developed in the Russian media over the last three years," the company said in a press release.

"The reports consistently push the idea that the Baltic countries themselves are to blame for the surge in electricity and gas prices in 2022 due to their decision to withdraw from Russia's sphere of influence and synchronize their electrical systems with Western Europe," it said.

According to Mediaskopas, the Kremlin is trying to undermine confidence in green energy by claiming that it "will not save" the Baltic states.

The reports also portray Baltic politicians as implementing Washington's agenda and aiming to "impoverish their citizens and ruin businesses." This image stands in contrast to that of a "wealthy, generous Russia that has only benefited from Western sanctions against it".

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Almost 1,500 foreigners lose residence permits in Lithuania in May

VILNIUS, Jun 06, BNS – Some 1,483 foreigners were stripped of their Lithuanian residence permits by the country's Migration Department in May, mainly due to the failure to conclude or termination of an employment contract, the Interior Ministry said on Thursday.

12 persons lost their residence permits due to threats to state security or public order.

The Migration Department refused to issue or change temporary residence permits for 484 persons, including 31 cases having to do with threats to national security. In addition, 1,216 foreigners were refused entry to Lithuania.

As a result of identified abuses of immigration procedures, 42 companies are currently not allowed to provide mediation letters for the entry of foreigners, the ministry said.

The authorities checked 1,471 foreign nationals as part of tighter migration controls in May. Border guards carried out 61 inspections in May, 12 of which were carried out jointly with the police, the Migration Department, the State Labor Inspectorate and the State Tax Inspectorate.

During the inspections, 17 persons were found in breach of the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens.

A further 14 persons from Belarus, Pakistan, Georgia, Ukraine and other countries were sanctioned under the administrative procedure.

Currently, 219,506 foreigners have valid residence permits in Lithuania, including 115,790 temporary residence permits issued on the basis of employment.

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European TSOs positive about Baltics' preparedness for synchronization – Lithuanian PM

VILNIUS, Jun 06, BNS – With the Baltic states set to announce in August their plans to exit the common energy system with Russia and Belarus next February and connect to Western Europe, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte says that the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) has given positive feedback on the preparations.

"Coordination is ongoing with ENTSO-E because we not only want to join, but we need to be accepted. That preparedness is also considered good," Simonyte, who heads the government's commission overseeing the synchronization with the Continental European grid, told the Ziniu Radijas radio station on Thursday.

Lithuanian Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys has told BNS recently that there are no more obstacles for the Baltic countries to synchronize their power grids with the Continental European system early next year and to notify Moscow by August 7 of their withdrawal from the so-called BRELL ring, which also includes Belarus.

Simonyte said that the process is going "very much according to plan", with the necessary grid development projects being implemented without delays.

"There are many projects that are important for synchronization, and they being implemented on schedule," the prime minister told the radio station.

"I believe we are on the right track and will be able to make all the necessary decisions on time," she added.

Under the terms of the BRELL contract, notice of non-renewal must be given by August 7, six months before the synchronization and disconnection from the Russian IPS/UPS electricity system.

Earlier, synchronization with Europe was scheduled for the end of 2025.

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Inspectors get into Russian businessman Borisov's suspected firing range near Trakai

VILNIUS, Jun 06, BNS - Building inspectors on Thursday entered a building in Lithuania's Trakai District, belonging to Russian businessman Yuri Borisov, where an underground firing range is allegedly located.

The State Territorial Planning and Construction Inspectorate plans to order the company managing the building to demolish it next week.

"The management of Geovika complied with the mandatory order…, we entered the building an measured it," Albertas Stanislovaitis, the head of the STPCI, told journalists on Thursday.

The building watchdog ordered Geovika to excavate the building by June 6, show it to the inspectors and submit all documents related to its construction.

"There is a 320 meter-long, concrete, two-meter high and two meter-wide structure underground. It is an elongated concrete structure that Geovika will have to legalize or demolish," Stanislovaitis said.

Back in 2016, the Environment Ministry said the STPCI had found an illegal underground structure in Trakai Distict, presumably a shooting range, on one of the plots of land owned by a company linked to Borisov. The latter was then obliged to demolish it by mid-May 2017.

The STPCI then turned to Vilnius Regional Court where in 2019 it failed to prove that Borisov had illegally installed an underground firing range in Trakai District.

The area in question is managed by Geovika, a company linked to Borisov. Its representatives say Irina and Yuri Borisov, the former owners of the plots in the villages of Vainiai and Zerebenai, did the construction work there.

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MET Group confirms plans to buy controlling stake in Lithuania's Achema Group

Updated version: updates throughout

VILNIUS, Jun 06, BNS - MET Group, a-Swiss-based energy company, has confirmed its plans to acquire a controlling stake in Achema Group, one of Lithuania's largest business groups.

MET Group will buy a 54.07 percent stake in the Lithuanian group, the company said on Thursday.

Such a stake is owned by Lyda Lubiene, Achema Group's main shareholder, and he daughter Viktorija Lubyte.

"We want a new prosperous era for Achema, and we are committed to developing solutions that are acceptable to all the stakeholders, based on a partnership philosophy," Benjamin Lakatos, chairman and CEO of MET Group, said in a statement.

To close the transaction, customary due diligence and regulatory approvals are required. Additionally, MET plans to reach an agreement with the minority shareholders.

"As a result, a longer process involving several legal and procedural steps is expected," the statement reads.

Citing unnamed sources, the Lithuanian delfi.lt news website reported in May that Lubiene would sell the controlling stake to MET Group. MET Group was reportedly more interested in Klasco, the largest stevedoring company in Klaipeda, rather then in the fertilizer business.

Lubiene owns 41.59 percent of Achema Group, her daughter has a 12.47 percent stake, and the rest is owns by 13 naturals persons.

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Jehovah's Witnesses fail to get state recognition in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Jun 06, BNS – Lithuanian lawmakers on Thursday denied state recognition to the Lithuanian Jehovah's Witnesses Religious Community after 88 MPs voted for such a decision, two were against and three abstained.

According to the Seimas, this community does not comply with the Constitution and the law's requirement that its teachings and rituals be in accordance with the law and integrity.

The resolution says that Jehovah's Witnesses' religious teaching prohibiting blood transfusions is incompatible with the constitutional right to life of a human being and the right to state guaranteed medical aid.

It also says that Jehovah's Witnesses' religious teaching prohibiting participation in the defense of the state with weapons or contribution to the defense of the state by non-military means, including military or alternative national defense service, encourages non-compliance with the Constitution and its requirements to defend the state against a foreign armed attack.

The resolution was drafted based on the conclusions of the Justice Ministry and experts.

The religious community, for its part, believes that it meets the requirements of the law and that the Justice Ministry's conclusions about its activities are untrue.

Before the vote, Jean-Benoit Smolarek, a representative of the community, told BNS that amendments to the Law on National Conscription are already being discussed in Parliament, which would provide for alternative civilian service.

"This measure, which stems from an obligation imposed on Lithuania by the European Court of Human Rights (Teliatnikov v. Lithuania, June 7, 2022, No. 51914/19), essentially refutes the Justice Ministry's argument that refusal to perform military service on the grounds of religious beliefs is unconstitutional," he said.

In his words, the European Court of Human Rights has repeatedly declared that the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses, including those relating to the choice of medical treatment, are protected by the fundamental right to freedom of religion guaranteed by the Constitution and the European Convention, and, therefore, "these beliefs are in accordance with the law and are compatible with the values protected by the Constitution".

The community submitted its application for the status of a state recognized religion to the parliament back in 2017.

Under the Law on Religious Communities and Associations, non-traditional religious associations can be recognized by the state as part of Lithuania's historical, spiritual, and social heritage if they have public support and their teachings and rites do not contradict the law and morality.

State recognition means that the state supports the spiritual, cultural, and social heritage of the religious associations.

Jehovah's Witnesses' activities in the territory of present-day Lithuania started in the Klaipeda Region, or Memel Territory, back in 1912.

According to the 2021 census, 2,118 individuals, or 0.075 percent of Lithuania's population, identified themselves as adherents of this religion.

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Lithuania's public broadcaster LRT's director to be elected by open ballot – Seimas

VILNIUS, Jun 06, BNS - The Seimas of Lithuania on Thursday adopted amendments stating that the Council of the Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) will elect the public broadcaster's director general by an open ballot.

Under the old procedure, the LRT director is elected if at least seven of the 12 members of the Council vote for the candidate during a secret ballot.

The LRT Council is made up of 12 well-known public, scientific and cultural figures. Four members are appointed at different times by the president and the Seimas, and one member each is appointed by the Research Council of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Education Council, the Lithuanian Art Creators' Association and the Lithuanian Bishops' Conference.

The amendments also stipulate that Council members will have to resign from their positions in municipal councils and the European Parliament, and that mayors, the inspector of journalist Ethics, and members of the Ethics Commission for Public Information will not be allowed to become members of the Council.

Last year, the LRT Council managed to elect the director general after three attempts, sparking criticism. Culture Minister Simonas Kairys said at the time he would resign if the Council failed to appoint the director general after the third attempt.

Monika Garbaciauskaite-Budriene was then re-elected for her second term.

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Baltic energy in Kremlin's propaganda spotlight – Mediaskopas

VILNIUS, Jun 06, BNS – The energy sector in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia is constantly in the Kremlin's propaganda spotlight, Aidas Petrosius, head of business development at Mediaskopas said on Thursday while presenting the media monitoring company's study on Russian electronic media.

"Every economic difficulty (in the Baltic countries) or political disagreement is exploited and blown out of proportion," he said.

Mediaskopas selected and analyzed 3,760 reports from Russian news websites between January 2021 and April 2024, which mentioned Lithuania and the other two Baltic countries in the context of energy issues.

According to Petrosius, the study shows that reports on events in Lithuania or in the Baltic countries are usually republished with a change of tone and no mention of the war in Ukraine.

For example, Delfi's report in 2022 that the energy crisis had made people feel worse off was exaggerated into "a much bigger news story that a famine was about to hit Lithuania".

Petrosius noted, however, that out of nearly 4,000 reports analyzed, only 200 were identified as complete disinformation, but these spread much more widely.

"In other words, I assume that when the Kremlin wants disinformation to spread, it employs all methods," he said.

The study identified five narratives developed in the Russian media over the last three years.

Of these, three are more targeted at internal audiences, claiming that Lithuania is one of the main instigators of the dismantling of the energy system shared with Russia and Belarus, of the so-called BRELL ring, that it and other countries are suffering direct losses as a result of their anti-Russian policies and that Russia still has leverage to punish the Baltic states for hostile decisions.

The remaining two narratives are aimed at external audiences, claiming that the Baltic countries' energy policies are driven by political motives that go beyond economic logic and that consumers in these countries are paying dearly for politicians' decisions, which are causing energy prices to keep rising.

Russian influence behind failure of European Energy's green fuel plans

Economist Marius Dubnikovas highlighted the impact of Russian propaganda on Lithuania, citing as an example local opposition to plans by Denmark's renewable energy company European Energy to build a hydrogen and methanol plant Darbenai, in the western district of Kretinga.

"I'm afraid we've lost it (the investment), because the process isn't developing there," Dubnikovas said.

"Hopefully, it will turn around, but we see that countries compete for such factories. If we start to show indecision and allow ourselves to reject or even doubt a 400-million-euro investment, which is twice the amount of 200 million euros that is usually invested in Lithuania a year, then any state would do anything to take such producers in," he said.

According to the economist, energy is one of the Kremlin propagandists' main targets because it brings significant security to Lithuania and reduces dependence on Russia.

"If we have our own production, we are more secure just because of logistics. We don't need to import something; we have it here locally. The same goes for electricity and green energy. Why are they targeting green energy? Because we produce it here; we don't need to import it," he said.

Dubnikovas noted, however, that Russia has already lost the energy war.

"Gas costs almost the same as it did ten years ago, and there is practically no Russian gas in Europe anymore. Russia has lost this war," he said.

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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MET Group confirms plans to buy controlling stake in Lithuania's Achema Group (further expands)

(updates throughout)

VILNIUS, Jun 06, BNS - MET Group, a Swiss-based energy company, has confirmed its plans to acquire a controlling stake in Achema Group, one of Lithuania's largest business groups.

MET Group on Thursday announced "interest to acquire 54.07 percent of the shares" in the Lithuanian group. Such a stake is currently held by Lyda Lubiene and her daughter Viktorija Lubyte.

The Swiss company also says it will seek an agreement with minority shareholders to buy their shares as well.

"We want a new prosperous era for Achema, and we are committed to developing solutions that are acceptable to all the stakeholders, based on a partnership philosophy," MET Group Chairman and CEO Benjamin Lakatos said in a statement.

"We don't yet understand the legal nuances of the acquisition; we didn't want to spoil the election for you; we waited," the Vz.lt business news website quoted Lakatos as telling Lithuanian journalists at the company's headquarters in Switzerland.

"Minority shareholders have the right of first refusal; we know that some may have already expressed interest, so we're waiting. The biggest mistake we can make is to buy and become hated shareholders," he said.

Lakatos said that a dialogue with Achema Group's minority shareholders will be established.

According to the CEO, fertilizer manufacturers in Europe are experiencing numerous problems and facing difficult times.

"Only 10 percent of LNG is produced in Europe. When gas prices are high, fertilizer manufacturers suffer; when prices are low, fertilizers can be produced cheaply. The key is to expand our value chain and create a fertilizer trading platform," he told Lithuanian journalists.

In the statement, MET described Achema Group as "the ideal partner for its growth".

"Achema is an outstanding company, with an experienced management and skilled employees – a company that perfectly fits into MET's value chain," it said.

MET said in the statement that the transaction is subject to customary due diligence and regular approvals.

"Further updates will be provided as the process advances," it said.

Citing unnamed sources, the Lithuanian news website Delfi reported in May that Lubiene would sell the controlling stake to MET Group and that the Swiss-based group's main interest was not in the fertilizer business but in Klasco, the largest stevedoring company in Klaipeda.

Achema, the group's fertilizer factory in Jonava, and Klasco, its stevedoring business in the port of Klaipeda, are currently facing challenging times.

Achemos Group has reported 17.05 million euros in consolidated net losses for 2023, versus 73.07 million euros in net profits in 2022. It paid out 24.358 million euros as dividends to shareholders last year.

Achema Group brings together around 40 companies engaged in fertilizer production, agribusiness, cargo and logistics, energy, gas production, and trade in the Baltic states, Poland, Germany, France, Belgium, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Croatia.

Lubiene owns 41.59 percent of Achema Group, her daughter has a 12.47 percent stake, and the remaining shares are held by 13 private individuals.

The Lithuanian business daily Verslo Zinios has reported that MET Group is linked to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and controversial Russian business people.

MET Group supplies natural gas and electricity. The group is headquartered in Switzerland and is present in 15 countries, mainly in Europe but also in Singapore and Turkey.

The group has reported selling 88 billion cubic meters of gas and 68 terawatt-hours of electricity, and generating 24.5 billion euros in consolidated revenue last year.

MET is 90 percent owned by its employees and 10 percent by Keppel Infrastructure, a subsidiary of Singapore-listed Keppel Corporation.

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Lithuanian parlt ratifies CoE Convention on Manipulation of Sports Competitions

VILNIUS, Jun 06, BNS - The Seimas of Lithuania on Thursday ratified the Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sports Competitions after 107 lawmakers voted in favor and one was against.

By ratifying the convention, Lithuania has legally completed the integration of the international instrument into national law and declared its intention to combat threats to the integrity and unpredictability of sport, the Seimas said.

The Council of Europe Convention on the Manipulation of Sporting Competitions, or the Makolin Convention, is the first international instrument to regulate manipulation in sport.

According to the Education, Science and Sport Ministry, the document focuses on international cooperation and prevention measures, risk assessment and management, exchange of information, protection of personal data, cooperation between law enforcement authorities, and the establishment of liability (criminal and administrative).

Following the ratification of this convention, the Lithuanian Anti-Doping Agency will carry out preventive informational and educational activities, draw up guidance and model documents for sports federations, assist sports organizations in conducting internal investigations into possible cases of manipulation of sports competitions, and carry out international cooperation, if necessary.

According to the ministry, the focus will be on collecting, analyzing, processing and promptly communicating information to stakeholders.

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Lithuanian president nominates Vaiksnoras for chief of defense

VILNIUS, Jun 06, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has officially proposed dismissing General Valdemaras Rupsys as the country's chief of defense once his term expires, and has nominated Brigadier General Raimundas Vaiksnoras as Rupsys' replacement.

Under the president's proposal, Rupsys would be dismissed as of July 23, and Vaiksnoras would assume is new position on July 24.

According to the Constitution, the president appoints and dismisses the chief of defense with the Seimas' approval. In Lithuania, the chief of defense is appointed for five years.

Vaiksnoras is currently serving as deputy chief of staff for military training at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE).

His has in the past served as commander of the Lithuanian Land Force, the force's deputy chief of staff for operations, chief of the Operations Department at the Defense Staff, and commander of the Iron Wolf brigade.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, June 7, 2024

VILNIUS, Jun 06, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Friday, June 7, 2024.

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to receive the certificate of his re-election as Lithuania's president at 10 a.m.

CULTURE MINISTER Simonas Kairys to attend an international conference on rebuilding Ukraine's culture sector in Vilnius at 9 a.m.

JUSTICE MINISTER Ewelina Dobrowolska to attend a reception at the Norwegian Embassy in Lithuania at 6 p.m.

By Vilmantas Venckūnas

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Jun 18 2024

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