LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, July 3, 2025
2. Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus for 4th straight day
3. Three politicians vie for Lithuanian Liberal Movement leadership
4. FM slams anti-Israeli posters placed at Lithuania's Holocaust memorial
5. Lithuanian PM: military intelligence chief could be appointed by government resolution
6. Experts miss purpose of tax reform in Lithuania, see personal income tax collection risks
7. Police checking circumstances behind anti-Israel posters at Lithuania's Holocaust memorial
8. Political parties in Lithuania to get more money from personal income tax
9. Lithuanians mostly choose Blue/Yellow, 2 charity foundations to donate part of income tax
10. Lithuania plans memorial for fallen US troops as president bestows awards
11. First Russian citizen loses residence permit in Lithuania due to too frequent trips home
12. Regulator cannot confirm whether Russian-language radio drowned out Lithuanian broadcasts
13. 8 out of 10 Lithuanians consider climate change to be serious problem – Eurobarometer
14. One flight from Vilnius canceled so far amid strike in France – Lithuanian Airports
15. German president to pay official visit to Lithuania, participate in State Day events
16. Prosecutors want EUR 10,000 fine for Lithuanian MEP Grazulis in LGBTIQ+ case
17. UN concerned about Lithuania, several other countries withdrawing from Ottawa Convention
18. Food watchdog corruption case reaches court in Lithuania
19. Lithuania takes delivery of new Polish Grom missiles
20. CEO of company co-owned by Lithuania's PM denies having trade ties with Russia
21. Lithuania's LTOU weighs Latvia's formal offer to acquire airBaltic stake
22. The Netherlands takes over command of NFIU in Lithuania
23. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, July 4, 2025
24. Lithuania records its highest air temperature in six years

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, July 3, 2025

VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, July 3, 2025:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to attend the opening ceremony of the XII World Lithuanian sports games in Palanga at 6 p.m.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Saulius Skvernelis to attend the opening ceremony of the XII World Lithuanian sports games in Palanga at 6 p.m.

SEIMAS to host a meeting between members of the parliamentary Provisional Group for Friendship Relations with Democratic Forces of Belarus and representatives of the Belarusian opposition at 11 a.m.

INTERIOR MINISTER Vladislav Kondratovic to continue his working visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Montenegro.

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Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus for 4th straight day

VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS – Lithuanian border guards recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally for the fourth day in a row on Wednesday, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Thursday morning.

Latvia reported 26 illegal border crossing attempts on Wednesday. Poland denied entry to 103 irregular migrants on Tuesday, according to the latest available information.

Lithuania has barred 890 irregular migrants from entering from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year, after turning away 1,002 in 2024.

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

Lithuanian border guards have prevented around 23,800 people from crossing illegally from Belarus since the start of the migration crisis triggered by the neighboring country. The number includes repeated attempts by the same people to cross the border.

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Three politicians vie for Lithuanian Liberal Movement leadership

VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS – Three politicians plan to run for the leadership of the Lithuanian opposition Liberal Movement, including the party’s current leader, Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, MP and former culture minister Simonas Kairys, and Plunge District Mayor Audrius Klisonis.

The three candidates notified the party's board of their intentions on Wednesday night.

The divisions of the Liberal Movement had nominated a total of five candidates for the party chairmanship.

Direct election of the new chair of the party will be held electronically on September 8-12. The second round, if necessary, is scheduled for September 18-20.

All party members will be eligible to vote.

The leader of the Liberal Movement is elected for a two-year term. The number of terms is not limited.

Former European chess champion Cmilyte-Nielsen has led the party since 2019.

The Liberal Movement currently has 12 seats in the Lithuanian Seimas.

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FM slams anti-Israeli posters placed at Lithuania's Holocaust memorial

VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys slammed the placing of posters with anti-Israel slogans at the memorial to Holocaust victims in Paneriai, a suburb of Vilnius, saying that disrespecting this site is inhumane and illegal.

“There is a time and place for everything. Paneriai Memorial is an eternal place of remembrance for 70,000 victims of the Holocaust. It is inhumane and illegal to desecrate this site. Bring your protests to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs instead,” the Lithuanian top diplomat said in an X post on Wednesday.

The anti-Israeli posters placed at the memorial were also condemned by Hadas Wittenberg Silverstein, Israel's ambassador to Lithuania.

“There are no limits to cynicism,” the ambassador said in an X post.

“Placing anti-Israel signs at Ponar Holocaust memorial – the very site where tens of thousands of Jews were murdered – is a moral disgrace. Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people. To hijack a place of memory and mourning for political provocation is unacceptable! I trust the authorities will respond firmly to this desecration,” she wrote.

Photos shared by Wittenberg Silverstein show posters placed next to the memorial with slogans such as “Sanctions against Israel” and “Never again for anyone #FreePalestine”.

Several dozen people staged a protest against Israel's policy outside the Foreign Ministry in central Vilnius on Tuesday as Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar visited Lithuania.

Similar posters could be seen during the protest.

Saar's visit to Lithuania came amid tensions in the Middle East as the Jewish state continues its attacks in the Gaza Strip following a ceasefire agreed between Israel and Iran earlier this month, ending 12 days of fighting between the two countries.

According to Budrys, Lithuania's position has been and will remain that relations with Israel are valuable and necessary for the European Union.

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Lithuanian PM: military intelligence chief could be appointed by government resolution

VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS – It might be worth considering changing the procedure for appointing the head of military intelligence in the future, Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has said.

Currently, the director of the country's Second Investigation Department under the Defense Ministry – Lithuania's military intelligence service – is appointed by the defense minister alone.

However, according to the prime minister, this could be done by a government resolution.

“Speaking about the future, with regard to the appointment of persons to positions in general, it might be possible to consider changing the procedure so that it would not be a unilateral decision by the minister, but perhaps a government resolution,” Paluckas told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Thursday.

Discussions about military intelligence leadership were sparked by Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene’s decision in June to dismiss military intelligence chief Elegijus Paulavicius from his post and move him to the Defense Ministry's temporary reserve of professional military service personnel, even though his term was due to end in August.

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

According to Sakaliene, the situation in the department deteriorated after she refused to appoint Paulavicius for a second term.

The Lithuanian Seimas Committee on National Security and Defense on Friday questioned the lawfulness of the dismissal of Colonel Paulavicius as head of the country's Second Investigation Department under the Defense Ministry and decided to ask the Defense Ministry for all related documents.

Paluckas said he viewed the dismissal of the military intelligence chief as “more of an emotional escalation rather than a violation.”

According to the prime minister, the minister could have made more effort to convince Paulavicius to continue working in the national defense system in other positions. He has written a request to be discharged to the reserve.

According to media sources, Colonel Mindaugas Mazonas, former commander of Lithuania's Special Operations Forces, is expected to be appointed head of the Second Investigation Department in August, succeeding Paulavicius.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said earlier this week that the military intelligence chief was dismissed due to a clash between “two people's emotions”, and added that he himself had no complaints about the colonel.

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Experts miss purpose of tax reform in Lithuania, see personal income tax collection risks

VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS - With Lithuania's Finance Ministry forecasting that the latest tax reform will add around 340 million euros to the Defense Fund next year and more than 500 million euros in each of the following years, experts say the biggest deviation from the forecasts will come from changes in the personal income tax as they could lead to people changing their behavior in order to evade higher taxes.

Some economists and financiers interviewed by BNS point out that the pension reform will have a significant, but short-term effect, by boosting consumption, and will also have a positive impact on gross domestic product growth.

SEB Bank economist Tadas Povilauskas says that the most significant deviation from the government's forecast will come from the collection of personal income tax as this will be determined mainly by people's actions.

"We have more risks with the personal income tax as there is a lot of scope and willingness for people to look for ways to reduce the amount of the tax they pay," the economist told BNS.

Daiva Cibiriene, president of the Lithuanian Association of Accountants and Auditors, notes that some people may change the form of their activities to avoid higher taxes. It is likely that there will be more people who will choose to work with business licenses or set up a small partnership instead of having an individual activity certificate, she said.

"It will not be the case that 100 percent of the population will remain in the same tax payment scheme as in 2025, if their taxes are increased in 2026. (...) There is a possibility that there will be attempts to hide income or to move it, to change the nature of it," she told BNS. "We may see tax evasion cases, and we could see large sums."

However, Cibiriene, points out, the real situation will become clear in 2027 when people file their income tax returns, and then it will be clear how their tax payments have changed.

As for the changes to the corporate tax, Povilauskas says that there are fewer questions about it and that it is likely to raise 135 million euros next year, although there may be some fluctuations.

Meanwhile, Algirdas Bartkus, an economist at Vilnius University, says one of the risks is that foreign investors may choose other countries because of the higher corporate tax.

"Corporate taxes do not play a decisive role in choosing a country to invest in, but when an investor chooses between two or three countries that are equally good, they will make their decision based on where the taxes are the lowest," Bartkus told BNS.

"There are certain risks also because some people who have assets in Lithuania will not disappear, they will pay taxes, but other people, representatives of free professions, programmers, may think why they are here in Lithuania," he added.

In June, Lithuanian lawmakers adopted amendments to the personal income tax, corporate income tax, real estate tax, introduced the so-called sugar tax and taxed non-life insurance contracts as well as adjusted some value added tax exemptions.

The amendments have already been signed into law by President Gitanas Nauseda.

Previously, the ministry estimated that the adoption of all tax changes would generate an additional 346 million euros for national defense in 2026 and around 509 million euros annually in 2027 and subsequent years.

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Police checking circumstances behind anti-Israel posters at Lithuania's Holocaust memorial

VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS – The police have not yet launched an investigation into posters with anti-Israeli slogans placed at the memorial to Holocaust victims in Paneriai, a suburb of Vilnius, and are checking the circumstances, the Vilnius County Police told BNS.

“No investigation has been launched yet,” Vilnius County Police spokeswoman Loreta Kairiene told BNS on Thursday.

According to her, the director of the Paneriai Memorial Museum reported about the posters.

“He ... will review all the [video surveillance] recordings. If any violations are found, he will contact the police,” Kairiene said.

“But there is nothing offensive there. The only slogan was ‘Sanctions against Israel’,” she added.

Israeli Ambassador to Lithuania Hadas Wittenberg Silverstein and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys posted on X about the anti-Israeli posters placed at the memorial, expressing their strong disapproval of such behavior.

Photos shared by Wittenberg Silverstein show posters placed next to the memorial with slogans such as “Sanctions against Israel” and “Never again for anyone #FreePalestine”.

Several dozen people staged a protest against Israel's policy outside the Foreign Ministry in central Vilnius on Tuesday as Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar visited Lithuania.

Similar posters could be seen during the protest.

However, according to the police, the incident in Paneriai is not currently linked to the participants of that protest.

By Karolina Ambrazaitytė

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Political parties in Lithuania to get more money from personal income tax

VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS – The opposition conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats, the Freedom Party and the Liberal Movement in Lithuania will receive the biggest share of the personal income tax paid last year, according to the latest data published by the State Tax Inspectorate on Thursday.

In total, the parties will receive 2.7 million euros from their share of the personal income tax, compared to 1.9 million euros they received last year.

The HU-LCD will receive 939,600 euros this year, up from 661,000 euros last year), as 15,300 people transferred up to 0.6 percent of their personal income tax to the party.

The Freedom Party will receive 261,500 euros, up from 253,000 euros last year, from more than 5,400 euros, and the Liberal Movement will receive 250,000 euros, up from 177,000 euros, from 4,600 euros.

The ruling Lithuanian Social Democratic Party will receive over 215,000 euros from 5,800 people , compared to 197,000 euros last year.

The National Alliance will receive 163,000 euros, up from 143,000 euros last year.

The Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance is the only party that will receive less funding. This year, it will receive 140,500 euros from almost 6,000 people. Last year, it received 146,000 euros.

The Democrats "For Lithuania" will receive 106,000 euros, up from 70,000 last year), the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union will get 75,000, up from 67,000 euros, and the Lithuanian Green Party will get almost 56,000 euros, up from 41,000 euros.

The Nemunas Dawn party, part of the ruling bloc, founded last year, was supported by 1,100 people and will get 32,500 euros.

In Lithuania, residents can give up to 1.2 percent of their share of the personal income tax to non-governmental organizations, artists and other beneficiaries, and up to a further 0.6 percent to political parties, or trade unions or their associations.

Almost half a million people have transferred their share of the tax paid to some organization. Last year, this amounted to around 31.1 million euros.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Lithuanians mostly choose Blue/Yellow, 2 charity foundations to donate part of income tax

VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS – Blue/Yellow, a non-governmental organization (NGO) supporting Ukraine, the Rimantas Kaukenas Charitable Foundation, and the Support and Charity Foundation Mamu Unija (Mothers’ Union) have emerged as the top beneficiaries of donations made by Lithuanians from the income tax they paid for 2024.

According to data released on Thursday by the State Tax Inspectorate (STI), Lithuanian residents have been even more active this year than last year in supporting the NGO providing military and humanitarian aid to Ukrainians.

This year, 33,700 people have donated 2.7 million euros to Blue/Yellow. Last year, the NGO received 2.14 million euros from 28,000 Lithuania’s residents.

The Rimantas Kaukenas Charitable Foundation – a non-profit charity that provides help to seriously ill children – has also garnered significantly more support than in previous years: this year, it will receive 1.17 million euros from 19,000 people whereas last year, around 10,000 people donated part of their income tax to the organization, with the total amount reaching 622,000 euros.

Some 15,600 people have donated 917,000 euros to the support and charity fund Mamu Unija this year, up from 670,000 euros last year.

Savanoriai Vaikams (Volunteers for Children), a volunteer NGO, will receive 773,000 euros (up from 432,000 euros last year), Penkta koja (Fifth Leg), a volunteer organization providing assistance to homeless animals, will be allocated 498,000 euros (up from 377,000 euros), and the Order of Malta Relief Organization – 460,000 euros (up from 392,000 euros).

SOS Gyvunai (SOS Animals), a charity/NGO engaged in animal welfare and rescue, will receive 368,000 euros (up from 218,000 euros last year), and the Support Foundation Geru Darbu Dirbtuves (Workshop for Good Deeds) will get 351,000 euros (up from 202,000 euros).

Laisves TV, founded by social activist Andrius Tapinas, will receive 341,000 euros (up from 331,000 euros), while Tiesa Yra Svarbu (Truth Is Important), an NGO founded by blogger Skirmantas Malinauskas, will receive 329,000 euros.

Individuals in Lithuania can donate up to 1.2 percent of their paid personal income tax to NGOs, artists and other eligible beneficiaries, in addition to up to 0.6 percent to political parties, and up to 0.6 percent to trade unions or trade union associations.

The STI reported on Thursday that it was beginning to transfer the donations made by Lithuanians from the income tax. By November 15, it plans to transfer more than 34 million euros to all beneficiaries – approximately 15,700 individuals and legal entities.

This year, nearly half a million residents have donated part of their income tax paid for 2024.

Last year, this amount reached approximately 31.1 million euros.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Lithuania plans memorial for fallen US troops as president bestows awards

VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS – The local authorities decided on Thursday to erect a memorial for four fallen US troops at the site of their death at the Pabrade training area as President Gitanas Nauseda bestows state awards on them posthumously.

The Municipal Council of Svencionys District unanimously approved the memorial plan, with Mayor Rimantas Klipcius saying that discussions on the nature of the memorial will continue.

"Various discussions will continue and the councilors will be kept informed of the progress of this process and, if any changes are needed, additional requests will be made to the council," the mayor said.

The municipal budget for the design and installation of the memorial will amount to 10,000 euros.

The local authorities have also approached the Ministry of National Defense, the US Embassy, the government and the Lithuanian Armed Forces to help find the most appropriate way of honoring the memory of the US troops and contribute financially.

Meanwhile, President Gitanas Nauseda has decided to posthumously award the fallen US soldiers, the presidential office told BNS today, adding that the US soldiers have been awarded medals of the Order of the Cross of Vytis for their merits in strengthening the national defense system, exceptional devotion to duty and self-sacrifice in the performance of their duties during the NATO-allied exercises.

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

"According to our information, the relatives of the US servicemen who died in Lithuania will come to receive the awards on July 6," the office told BNS.

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

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

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

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

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First Russian citizen loses residence permit in Lithuania due to too frequent trips home

VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS – The first Russian citizen has lost his temporary residence permit in Lithuania due to too frequent trips to Russia and Belarus, the Migration Department reported on Thursday, adding that 30 more cases are under investigation.

Since new restrictions took effect in early May, in particular the rule that Russian citizens are set to lose their residence permits in Lithuania if they travel to Russia or Belarus more than once within a three-month period without an objective reason, 34 individuals have been identified who may have violated this legislative provision.

The law provides for the possibility of revoking temporary residence permits issued to Russian citizens if they have traveled to Russia or Belarus more than once in the last three calendar months.

According to the Migration Department, the first such permit has already been revoked.

Procedures have been initiated to revoke the temporary residence permits of another 30 Russian citizens, with the officials in charge currently clarifying additional circumstances and awaiting explanations from the Russian citizens concerned.

Restrictions on crossing the border do not apply to those traveling for objective reasons or to crew members working for companies engaged in international freight or passenger transport to or from EU member states, or transiting through Lithuania.

According to the Migration Department, the aforementioned persons did not qualify for this exemption.

According to its data, since the ban came into force, 292 Russian citizens have crossed the state border into Russia or Belarus more than once in May, but most of them are covered by the exemptions provided for in the law.

The Seimas introduced this national sanction in response to warnings from intelligence agencies that persons traveling to Russia and Belarus pose a risk of being recruited there.

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Regulator cannot confirm whether Russian-language radio drowned out Lithuanian broadcasts

VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS – The Communications Regulatory Authority (RRT) has completed its probe into an incident recorded in southern Lithuania on Wednesday, where a car radio receiver would only pick up a radio broadcast in the Russian language, but was unable to confirm whether the person who reported the incident provided accurate information.

The authority plans to continue its investigation and pay closer attention to border regions.

“We conducted radio monitoring twice at different times in the area indicated by the person who reported the incident, but did not detect any interference or illegal broadcasting. Based on this, the RRT cannot confirm the accuracy of the information provided by the caller,” Jorune Mikulenaite-Bausiene, head of the electronic communications resource management group at the authority, said in a comment to BNS on Thursday.

“We will check the border areas more closely,” Olga Malaskeviciene, head of communications at RRT, told BNS.

According to Mikulenaite-Bausiene, the RRT is checking reports from residents about similar incidents.

She also urged people “not to give in to provocations” and to critically evaluate information in order to protect themselves from the spread of falsehoods.

On Wednesday, the RRT confirmed that it had received a report from a driver traveling from Alytus to Varena that Lithuanian radio stations had been drowned out by a Russian-language radio broadcast.

The authority told BNS later that day that it had not detected any interference, adding that this could have been caused by either broadcast disruptions or equipment malfunction.

According to the authority, hot weather cannot be ruled out as a cause, either, as sometimes, especially on very hot days, radio wave propagation anomalies can occur, causing signals to travel very long distances.

A video posted on Facebook by online TV presenter Ruta Janutiene showed a driver selecting various Lithuanian radio stations on his car's display, but a poor-quality sound of a Russian radio broadcast could only be heard instead of the expected stations.

By Lukas Juozapaitis

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8 out of 10 Lithuanians consider climate change to be serious problem – Eurobarometer

VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS - Eight out of ten people in Lithuania and across the European Union believe that climate change is a serious problem, according to a new Eurobarometer survey published on Wednesday.

Seven out of ten also agree that the economic damage caused by climate change far outweighs the investment needed to move to a climate-neutral economy.

According to the survey, 79 percent of Lithuanians and 85 percent of EU citizens agree that tackling climate change should be a priority in order to improve public health and quality of life.

Similarly, 75 percent of people in Lithuania and 83 percent of people across the EU agree that being better prepared for the negative impacts of climate change will improve the lives of EU citizens.

European citizens are also feeling the impact of climate change in their daily lives: on average, almost four out of ten Europeans (38 percent) and more than three out of ten Lithuanians (32 percent) feel personally exposed to risks and threats related to the environment and climate change. In eight member states - mostly in Southern Europe, but also in Poland and Hungary - more than half feel this way.

Almost nine out of ten Lithuanians (89 percent in Lithuania, 88 percent in the EU) think it is important for the EU to take action to increase the share of renewable energy, and as many as 90 percent of respondents in Lithuania think it is important for the EU to take action to increase energy efficiency, for example by encouraging people to improve the insulation of their homes, to install solar panels, or to buy electric cars.

Also, 75 percent of Europeans and 66 percent of respondents in Lithuania think that reducing fossil fuel imports will increase energy security and benefit the EU economy.

70 percent of respondents in Lithuania and 77 percent in the EU agree that innovation will be encouraged in the fight against climate change. More than eight out of ten Europeans agree that European companies should be given more support to compete in the global market for clean technologies.

According to the survey, the vast majority of EU (92 percent) and Lithuanian (90 percent) citizens are taking action themselves and choosing sustainability in their daily lives. However, when asked who can best fight climate change, only 32 percent of respondents in Lithuania and 28 percent in the EU think they can best make a difference through personal action.

Lithuanian citizens indicated that businesses and industry (58 percent in Lithuania and the EU), the European Union (52 percent in Lithuania, 59 percent in the EU) and national governments (51 percent in Lithuania, 66 percent in the EU) are best placed to tackle climate change.

44 percent of respondents in Lithuania and the EU believe that regional and local authorities are also in a position to take climate action.

The Eurobarometer survey on climate change was carried out between February 18 and March 10 in all 27 EU member states. A total of 26,319 EU citizens were directly interviewed, including 1,014 in Lithuania.

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One flight from Vilnius canceled so far amid strike in France – Lithuanian Airports

VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS – Only one flight – a flight by Latvian airline airBaltic between Vilnius and Paris scheduled for Friday – has been canceled in Lithuania so far amid air traffic controllers’ strike in France, (Lithuanian Airports, or LTOU), the airport operator in Lithuania, said on Thursday.

“Only one flight has been canceled so far – a flight [by airBaltic] scheduled for tomorrow,” LTOU spokesman Tadas Vasiliauskas told BNS.

“All other flights [between Lithuania and France] today and tomorrow should take place as scheduled, according to the information we have at this time,” he added.

Vasiliauskas was unable to confirm whether the flight had been canceled due to the strike in France and suggested contacting airBaltic.

Latvia’s airBaltic and Ryanair operate flights between the capitals of France and Lithuania.

French air traffic controllers launched a two-day strike on Thursday to demand better working conditions, disrupting travel for tens of thousands of people at the start of a summer holiday season.

The strike affected air traffic across Western Europe.

Irish no-frills carrier Ryanair said on Thursday it was forced to cancel 170 flights, affecting 30,000 passengers.

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German president to pay official visit to Lithuania, participate in State Day events

VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS – German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will arrive on an official visit to Lithuania on Sunday and will participate in State Day celebrations with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda as well as visit the Curonian Spit resort of Nida, the presidential office said in a press release on Thursday.

On July 6, the leaders of the two countries will take part in events marking State Day (the Day of the Coronation of King Mindaugas) and National Anthem Day: the state flag raising ceremony in Daukantas Square and a solemn Holy Mass at Vilnius Cathedral Basilica.

This will be followed by an official welcoming ceremony for the German president and a joint press conference.

In the evening, Nauseda and Steinmeier will attend a national anthem singing event near the Neris riverbank.

On Monday, the presidents will visit the Old Town of Klaipeda, then travel to Nida hosting cultural events dedicated to the 150th birth anniversaries of Thomas Mann, a German novelist and the Nobel Prize in Literature laureate, and Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis, Lithuania's most renowned composer and painter.

Vilnius and Berlin have been actively cooperating in defense since 2017, when Germany took the lead of NATO's multinational battalion stationed in Lithuania.

Earlier this year, Germany officially inaugurated its 45th Armored Brigade Lithuania. Around 5,000 German troops are expected to be deployed in Lithuania by 2027.

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Prosecutors want EUR 10,000 fine for Lithuanian MEP Grazulis in LGBTIQ+ case

VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS – Prosecutors in Lithuania want MEP Petras Grazulis to be found guilty of publicly ridiculing and expressing contempt for the LGBTIQ+ community and wants him to be fined 10,000 euros.

"We have examined the case in which Grazulis is accused of expressing contempt for the LGBTIQ+ community," prosecutor Jurgita Jasiuniene said during her closing statement on Thursday.

Under the Criminal Code, incitement against any national, racial, ethnic, religious or other group of people is punishable by a fine in the form of public works or a fine, or a restriction of liberty, or arrest, or imprisonment for up to three years.

"The objectives of the punishment will be achieved by imposing a lighter penalty, i.e. a fine of 10,000 euros," she said.

The Vilnius Regional Court continues to hear Grazulis case after the European Parliament stripped him of his legal immunity in May.

On May 26, 2022, after the Lithuanian parliament gave its initial backing to a civil union bill recognizing same-sex unions, Grazulis met several representatives of the LGBTIQ community as he was leaving the plenary session hall, called them degenerates spreading STDs, and said they should get treatment.

According to prosecutors, evidence collected during the investigation indicates that Grazulis acted with direct intent, fully aware that his comments were being filmed, broadcast, and reported in the media.

Five individuals have been recognized as victims in the criminal case.

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UN concerned about Lithuania, several other countries withdrawing from Ottawa Convention

VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS – The United Nations (UN) human rights chief has expressed serious concern over the decision by several countries, including Lithuania, to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention prohibiting the use, stockpiling and production of anti-personnel mines.

“I am gravely alarmed by the steps taken or being considered by Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine to withdraw from the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction,” Volker Turk said in a statement published on Wednesday.

According to him, the Convention, with over 160 state parties, is a crucial tool in “responding to the devastating impact of anti-personnel mines on civilians”.

“These weapons kill and maim civilians and combatants indiscriminately and affect people's freedom of movement, access to agricultural land, and right to development, even decades after the end of hostilities,” Turk pointed out.

According to him, the persistent and long-term risks of serious harm to civilians, including children, caused by these weapons far outweigh any military advantage that could be obtained by their use.

“Like other international humanitarian law treaties, the Ottawa Convention was principally designed to govern the conduct of parties to armed conflicts. Adhering to them in times of peace only to withdraw from them in times of war or for newly invoked national security considerations seriously undermines the framework of international humanitarian law,” the UN human rights chief noted.

He also called on all states that had not yet ratified or acceded to the Ottawa Convention to do so as soon as possible and said that countries should refrain from leaving any international humanitarian law treaty, and should immediately suspend any withdrawal process that might be underway.

Last week, Lithuania officially handed over its formal notice on its withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention to the United Nations Secretary-General.

Commenting on the move, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said that Lithuania would take all necessary measures to defend the country and that its commitment to responsible defense and international humanitarian law remained firm.

In March, the defense ministers of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland issued a joint statement calling on their countries to exit the Ottawa Convention. They were later joined by Finland.

In late April, the Estonian government approved a proposal to withdraw from the convention, while the Latvian president signed into law a bill on the country's exit from the treaty. 

In early May, the Lithuanian parliament voted to exit the Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the use, stockpiling and production of anti-personnel mines. 

President Gitanas Nauseda called it a logical step and a show of leadership, while Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene said that Lithuania, together with its allies, plans to begin producing and purchasing such mines.

Leaving the convention would allow Lithuania to acquire, produce, stockpile, use, and transfer anti-personnel mines.

All European Union member states are currently parties to the Ottawa Convention, while China, Russia, the United States, India, and Pakistan are not.

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Food watchdog corruption case reaches court in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS – The case of corruption at Lithuania's State Food and Veterinary Service has been referred to the Vilnius Regional Court.

The suspects in this case include Mantas Staskevicius, the food watchdog's former director, Sigitas Siriukaitis, head of the service's Veterinary Medicines and Feed Division and the executives of two companies.

According to the law enforcement authorities, the data of the pre-trial investigation allows to reasonably claim that the former director demanded bribes from business entities to gain financial benefits for himself and other members of the organized group.

The charges relate to corruption offenses committed between 2021 and 2022, and the bribes amounted to almost 200,000 euros.

Staskevicius and Siriukaitis were detained in November 2022 during the suspected crime of handing over or accepting a bribe.

The accused in this case are facing prison sentences ranging from two to eight years.

Staskevicius was sacked by the government in November 2022.

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Lithuania takes delivery of new Polish Grom missiles

VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS – Polish-made Grom air defense missiles have been delivered to the Lithuanian Armed Forces' warehouses, the Defense Ministries said on Thursday.

Lithuania Poland's Mesko signed a missile contract worth 28 million euros with in 2023.

"The Grom is a man-portable anti-aircraft missile system manufactured in Poland. It is designed to destroy air targets with visual and infrared emissions, such as aircraft, helicopters, fighter jets or remotely piloted aircraft," the ministry said.

These missiles can destroy aerial targets from a standing or crouching position, from a trench, from a ship or from a slow-moving vehicle.

The Grom stands out for its mobility and its ability to be used to protect both infantry units and facilities from direct air attacks, the ministry pointed out.

As BNS reported earlier, in November last year, Lithuania, Poland, Estonia and Norway signed a letter of intent to acquire Polish-made Piorun short-range air defense systems.

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CEO of company co-owned by Lithuania's PM denies having trade ties with Russia

VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS – Following reports on social media that products manufactured by Emus, a company co-owned by Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, are still being sold online in Russia, Mindaugas Milasauskas, the company’s CEO, insists that Emus does not trade in Russia and says that the products found in a Russian online store are outdated, come from unsold old stock or simply have not been removed from the site.

“We recognize the product we manufacture in the photo posted on Facebook, but we categorically confirm that we have had no connection with the company that posted it since the second half of 2021,” Milasauskas said in a comment distributed to the media.

“It is likely that the said company has not removed Emus’ products from its web store, possibly because it had warehouse leftovers from the 2019-2021 period when it purchased the goods, or simply due to negligence, displaying the goods that it does not have in stock,” he said.

A photo from the Russian online store Energo Element showing a control unit made by Emus among the products sold by the site was shared on Facebook by TV presenter Rita Miliute earlier this week.

Emus CEO stressed that some of the products sold in Russia are outdated versions that are no longer manufactured.

“As soon as the war started, we officially cut ties with all Russian and Belarusian companies. I personally informed all Emus employees and partners about this,” Milasauskas said.

According to him, the company should also receive confirmation from customs that Emus has not exported any goods to Russia or Belarus since the end of February 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He added that in March of that year, Emus also rejected an offer from a Belarusian company to sell products to it through other countries.

Paluckas owns 51 percent of Emus' shares.

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Lithuania's LTOU weighs Latvia's formal offer to acquire airBaltic stake

VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS – Lietuvos Oro Uostai (Lithuanian Airports, LTOU), Lithuania's state-owned airport operator, has confirmed that it has received an offer from the Latvian government to acquire a stake in the Latvian national airline airBaltic, LTOU told BNS on Thursday, adding that an initial assessment of the bid is still underway. 

"We can confirm that LTOU has already received a more detailed offer for Lithuania to acquire shares in airBaltic. The initial analysis of the proposal is currently underway and we will present the results to the Transport and Communications Ministry," Tadas Vasiliauskas, a representative of LTOU, told BNS.

He refrained to disclose the specific conditions offered by the Latvian company.

Meanwhile, Estonia has already said it has no intention to buy a stake in airBaltic, but does not rule out dosing so later.

Estonian Infrastructure Minister Kuldar Leis said on Thursday that Latvia had offered Estonia to buy a stake on the same terms as it offered Lithuania and Germany's Lufthansa, which is up to 10 percent for 14 million euros.

According to Vasiliauskas, specific timelines regarding a decision and further comments on the possibility to acquire airBaltic shares could be provided by representatives of the Ministry of Transport and Communications or the government. 

Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas told BNS in June that LTOU would first have to assess Latvia's proposal and come to a conclusion on whether or not it was worth doing so. 

LTOU underlines that airBaltic has been Lithuania's strategically important air transport partner for many years, adding that it has recently expanded its operations and is one of the leading companies in terms of passenger traffic.

On June 18, the Latvian Ministry of Transport said it would send formal proposals to Lithuania and Estonia for their possible airBaltic shareholding, together with Lufthansa Group, ahead of the planned IPO expected later this year.

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The Netherlands takes over command of NFIU in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS - The Netherlands took over the command of the NATO Force Integration Unit in Lithuania on Thursday, the Defense Ministry said. 

During a change of command ceremony at Vilnius Town Hall, Danish Army Colonel Peter Nielsen officially handed over command of the unit to Dutch Army Colonel Merlein Heiliger.

Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene thanked Nielsen for his service, stressed that the unit, established a decade ago in response to Russia's aggression in Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea, is a clear signal that allies are ready to defend every inch of the Alliance.

"Today it is one of the most important pillars of our collective defense. The NATO Force Integration Unit in Lithuania is a real security guarantor, ensuring a rapid response, interoperability between countries and practical preparedness for any threat," she said.

"Lithuania remains firmly committed to strengthening NATO's collective defense, increasing military mobility, deepening cooperation with allies and investing in security as a key condition for our national freedom," Sakaliene underlined.

Colonel Nielsen has led the NFIU in Lithuania since 2021.

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, July 4, 2025

VILNIUS, Jul 04, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Friday, July 4, 2025:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to pay a working visit to Estonia.

CULTURE MINISTER Sarunas Sabutis to pay a working visit to Tallinn.

SOCIAL SECURITY AND LABOR MINISTER Inga Ruginiene to meet with ESFA representatives at 9 a.m; to met with Dutch Ambassador Jack Twiss Quarles van Ufford.

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Lithuania records its highest air temperature in six years

VILNIUS, Jul 03, BNS – Lithuania recorded its highest temperature in six years on Thursday as the mercury rose to 35.6C in the southern resort town of Druskininkai, the Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service said in a Facebook post.

The last time the 35-degree mark was crossed in Lithuania was on June 12, 2019, when the mercury jumped to 35.7 degrees in Kaisiadorys.

"Today, the highest air temperature in Lithuania over the last six years was recorded," the LHMT said in a statement.

The previous highest temperature on July 3 was recorded exactly ten years ago in Druskininkai when the temperature rose to 33.1 degrees.

This is the 19th record for the highest air temperature this year.

According to the LHMT, a total of 18 high temperature records were set in 2024, 16 in 2023, 13 in 2022 and six in 2021.

Temperatures are expected to drop significantly in Lithuania over the upcoming days.

 

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LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, July 2, 2025
2. Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
3. Lithuanian parlt's anti-corruption commission to hold meeting on PM's business ties
4. There's hope for Lithuania to have at least some of RRF millions unfrozen – Olekas
5. 6 out of 10 Lithuanians back full or partial state funding for abortion
6. Probe into desecration of partisan leader's monument completed in Lithuania
7. Forced to explain his old business dealings, Lithuania’s PM to take short vacation
8. FM: Lithuania will continue efforts to free all political prisoners in Belarus
9. Russia's GRU ordered desecration of Lithuanian partisan leader's monument – prosecutor (updates)
10. Hanner, BaltCap complete transaction for takeover of national stadium project in Vilnius
11. Lithuanian radio broadcasts drowned out by Russian-language radio in southern Lithuania
12. Govt gives nod to assessment of nuclear energy potential in Lithuania
13. Lithuania sends eight border guards to help Latvia protect its border with Belarus
14. Govt proposes Irnius as Lithuania's ambassador to Spain, Radikaite as ambassador to UK
15. Lithuanian FM to urge Europe to continue support as US suspends arms shipments to Ukraine
16. Lithuanian FM urges against politicizing border protection as Poland tightens controls
17. Lithuania's tax watchdog completes probe into PM's company, finds no irregularities
18. Lithuanian PM's adviser after tax watchdog’s probe: “Unfounded insinuations falling apart”
19. Lithuania's Special Investigation Service launches pre-trial probe into PM
20. Lithuanian PM’s adviser welcomes probe by Special Investigation Service
21. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, July 3, 2025
22. Govt takes break in deciding on postponing Lithuanian language requirement for Ukrainians

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, July 2, 2025

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, July 2, 2025:

THE PRESIDENT PALACE to host a press conference on childcare at 10 a.m., to be attended, among others, by Katarina Ivankovic Knezevic of the European Commission.

INTERIOR MINISTER Vladislav Kondratovic to continue his working visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Monetengro.

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Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus

VILNIUS, Jul 02, 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 85 illegal border crossing attempts on Tuesday. Poland denied entry to 111 irregular migrants on Monday, according to the latest available information.

Lithuania has barred 890 irregular migrants from entering from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year, after turning away 1,002 in 2024.

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

Lithuanian border guards have prevented around 23,800 people from crossing illegally from Belarus since the start of the migration crisis triggered by the neighboring country. The number includes repeated attempts by the same people to cross the border.

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Lithuanian parlt's anti-corruption commission to hold meeting on PM's business ties

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – The Lithuanian Seimas Anti-Corruption Commission is holding an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday to decide whether to start looking deeper into a business Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas owned more than a decade ago and his connections.

According to the commission's chair, Arvydas Anusauskas of the opposition conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats, the commission will have to decide whether or not to send questions to obtain additional information on the investigation carried out by the Siena Center for Investigative Journalism and Laisves TV.

"Since a pre-trial investigation has not been opened in this case, we can carry out our own investigation," he told BNS.

According to the latest investigation by Laisves TV and the Siena Center for Investigative Journalism, in 2013 Paluckas acquired and managed Sagerta, a recently established company that was carrying out the lake bed topography project MyLakeMap.

According to the investigation, the business was not a success, and the company was granted 180,000 euro in loans between 2013 and 2017, which the company eventually failed to pay.

The loans were allegedly given by Uni Trading, but the investigation has failed to establish who owned and managed the company. Neither Paluckas, nor Vilcinskas claimed to know this, although the latter represented Uni Trading's interests for some time, according to documents from Center of Registers.

Boh Vilcinskas and later Paluckas said that Uni Trading was in fact a shareholder in Sagerta from the first weeks of its operation, but due to a human error, this was not registered in the Center of Registers.

The investigators say that the management structure of Uni Trading - especially in the early years of the financing of Sagerta - raises many questions. At that time, the company was managed through another Lithuanian company, Amber Realty Investments, which in turn was controlled through a Cypriot company, Bitus Holdings Limited.

According to the investigation, Paluckas and Vilcinskas also had other links. In 2012, the politician purchased a 127 square meter apartment in Trinapolis Street in Vilnius from Verslo Investiciju Projektu Centras, a company headed by Vilcinskas.

According to the data Siena received from the Center of Registers to Sienai, the value of the transaction amounted to 223,000 euros. Both Vilcinskas and Paluckas claimed that the purchase was made using legitimate funds and a bank loan.

Moreover, in the summer of 2018, after Paluckas finally left Sagerta as a shareholder and became a vice mayor of Vilnius, the Vilnius authorities decided to take over the burnt-down Profsajungu Rumai (Trade Union Palace) in Vilnius for public purposes from VIPC Vilnius, a company linked to Vilcinskas, for almost 6 million euros.

The National Concert Hall is now being built in its place.

According to the investigation, in his written comments, Paluckas has repeatedly stated that he had no common business with Vilcinskas. The latter says that Paluckas is a family friend.

Following the latest journalistic investigation into Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, the Prosecutor General's Office announced on Monday that it had instructed the Special Investigation Service (SIS) to clarify the circumstances related to the prime minister's previous business activities and ties with business representatives.

In late May, Siena and Laisves TV reported that Garnis, a company co- owned by Paluckas, which plans to produce battery systems, had received a loan of 200,000 euros at a preferential interest rate from the national development bank ILTE.

Law enforcement authorities are now investigating whether the loan was obtained legitimately and whether it was used for its intended purpose.

After hearing the prime minister's explanations on the investigation, the opposition conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats and Liberal groups say he cannot in this position, adding that he "is under the shadow of possible corrupt transactions and connections, undeclared loans and conflicts of interest, and the risk of those connections to national security".

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There's hope for Lithuania to have at least some of RRF millions unfrozen – Olekas

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – There's hope that the European Commission will approve Lithuania's tax changes and unfreeze at least some of the 400 million euros in the Recovery and Resilience Facility funds that are currently frozen, Social Democrat Deputy Speaker of the Seimas Juozas Olekas says.

"We still have hope that the Finance Ministry will manage to renegotiate with the Commission so that we can receive at least part of the funds and use them for the benefit of the Lithuanian people,” he told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Wednesday.

The EC froze 400 million euros of the RRF funds pending Lithuania's adoption of tax changes, notably the introduction of a universal property tax.

According to Olekas, Lithuania could rely on the fact that the tax changes will strengthen the progressivity of taxes and increase funding for national defense.

"The tax environment for next year will be approached with a certain degree of satisfaction that there will be additional revenue for the state budget, especially that we will be able to finance our defense obligations," Olekas said.

Finance Minister Rimantas Sadzius said earlier that he expected the EC to unfreeze the RRF after assessing the allocation of a part of the revenue from the property tax to defense, as well as other changes such as the taxation of some insurance contracts.

Lithuania will receive about 0.5 billion euros in additional revenue after the adoption of tax amendments by the Seimas, which is a strong argument when talking to the European Commission about the frozen Recovery and Resilience Facility funds, presidential advisor Vaidas Augustinavicius said earlier.

In June, Lithuanian lawmakers adopted amendments to the personal income tax, corporate income tax, real estate tax, introduced the so-called sugar tax and taxed non-life insurance contracts. The changes were later signed by President Gitanas Nauseda.

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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6 out of 10 Lithuanians back full or partial state funding for abortion

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS - Six out of ten Lithuanians support full or partial funding of abortion services for women from the budget of the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund, according to a Vilmorus poll for BNS.

30.2 percent believe that abortion should be funded in all cases, while 32.4 percent say it should be funded only in exceptional cases, such as in the case of a pregnancy after rape or in the case of medical indications.

24.1 percent had no opinion on this issue. The rest were against.

Those under 40, people living in large cities, people with higher education and women are more in favor of the proposal. And respondents with lower levels of education, pensioners and those living in smaller towns and cities are more likely to be against.

In May, Lithuanian lawmakers took their first step towards allowing abortion by law and making the service free of charge.

Currently, abortion procedures are defined by the health minister's order.

The new bill states that that the law should define the abortion procedure and state that in the absence of medical indications, a pregnancy may be terminated up to the 12 weeks, and up to the 22 weeks in the case of medical indications.

A termination could also be carried out up to 22 weeks after rape or in the case of pregnancy resulting from incest.

The bill stipulates that abortion can be carried out surgically or medically, and that the service of medically assisted termination can be provided remotely at a pregnant woman's request.

The bill proposes that abortion services be provided free of charge to women, with the costs reimbursed by the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund.

One of the people behind the bill, Social Democrat Birute Vesaite, told BNS that the results of the survey reflect the changes taking place in society.

"When I look at the survey data, I see that there are changes in society itself. And I see that there is more support from the younger age group. It is good to see that there is a change in society," she said.

Meanwhile, Lina Sukyte-Korsake, who voted against the amendments, said that the attitudes of the people who took part in the survey might change if there was more information about the possible medical complications and other consequences of the procedure.

"Getting a service for free is a god thing. But they don't think about how the free service might turn out," she told BNS.

The survey results:

The Vilmorus survey asked respondents: Should or should not the state reimburse women for abortion services from the budget of the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund?

The answers:

1. Yes, it should – 30.2 percent.

2. No, it should not – 13.3 percent.

3. Should only in exceptional cases, e.g. in case of a pregnancy after rape or for medical indications – 32.4 percent

4. I have no opinion – 24.1 percent.

Vilmorus conducted a representative public opinion poll on behalf of BNS from June 11 to 22 and interviewed 1,000 people across the country. The maximum margin of error is 3.1 percent.

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Probe into desecration of partisan leader's monument completed in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – Lithuania's law enforcement authorities have completed the pre-trial investigation into the desecration of the monument of partisan leader Adolfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas in Merkine, Agne Pociute of the Kaunas Regional Prosecutor's Office told BNS on Wednesday.

The investigation has been completed on the grounds of aiding another state to act against the Republic of Lithuania, the destruction or damage of property and the desecration of a grave or other place of public veneration.

In January last year, the monument in Merkine, the southern district of Varena, was covered with paint, and the Alytus police launched a pre-trial investigation into the destruction of or damage to property.

Another monument to Ramanauskas-Vanagas in Bielenai, Lazdijai District, was also covered with paint in May 2023, and the police have not identified any suspects in these incidents.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said in March last year that attacks on symbols of Lithuania's statehood - flags and monuments - are planned and coordinated outside Lithuania and that such incidents could happen again.

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Forced to explain his old business dealings, Lithuania’s PM to take short vacation

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – Lithuania’s Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, who has recently been forced to explain his business dealings from more than a decade ago, is taking a short one-day vacation.

According to a presidential decree, the head of government will be on vacation on Friday, July 4.

He will be substituted by Finance Minister Rimantas Sadzius during that time.

According to the decree, the prime minister requested the vacation on Monday.

“It has been planned for a long time, he wants to rest with his family,” the prime minister's adviser Justinas Argustas told BNS on Wednesday.

On Sunday, the Siena Center for Investigative Journalism and Laisves TV published an investigation raising questions about Paluckas' business dealings from more than a decade ago, loans received and not repaid by a company he co-owned, and his links with businessman Darijus Vilcinskas.

Following this journalistic investigation, the Prosecutor General's Office announced on Monday that it had instructed the Special Investigation Service (SIS) to clarify the circumstances related to the prime minister's previous business activities and ties with business representatives.

A pre-trial investigation was opened earlier into possible credit fraud following reports that Garnis, a company co-owned by the prime minister received a soft loan from the national development bank ILTE.

The Seimas opposition maintains that Paluckas cannot continue as prime minister because of „the shadow of possible corrupt transactions and connections falling on him". The opposition conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats and the Liberals say undeclared loans, interests and connections could pose a risk to national security.

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FM: Lithuania will continue efforts to free all political prisoners in Belarus

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – Lithuania will continue its efforts to free all political prisoners in Belarus, Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys has said.

On Wednesday, he met with Belarusian democratic leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya in Vilnius and congratulated her husband Siarhei Tsikhanouski, who was released in late June.

During the meeting, they discussed the release of 14 political prisoners a couple of weeks ago.

According to a press release from the Foreign Ministry, Sviatlana and Siarhei Tsikhanouski thanked Lithuania for its principled position, which contributed to the recent release of the political prisoners and to the strengthening of Western political pressure on Belarus.

“A free, democratic neighboring Belarus that respects human rights is in Lithuania's best interest,” the minister emphasized.

According to Budrys, “as long as the criminal regime that has usurped power rules in the neighboring country, it is necessary to ensure the safety of Belarusian democratic forces and their families that have found refuge in Lithuania”.

The Lithuanian top diplomat noted that, although the release of Tsikhanouski is a significant step that gives hope to all unjustly persecuted dissidents, it is necessary to continue the fight for the unconditional release of all political prisoners.

According to Belarusian human rights defenders, more than 1,170 political prisoners are currently being held illegally in Belarusian prisons, and the actual number may be several times higher.

“Lithuania urges the international community to strengthen sanctions and pressure on the Belarusian regime until all political prisoners are released and real democratic reforms begin, as well as until this regime stops supporting the Kremlin regime, which is carrying out aggression against Ukraine and its people,” the ministry said in the press release.

Tsikhanouski, 46, was released on June 21 after spending five years in prison.

He had planned to run against Alexander Lukashenko, called Europe's last dictator, in the August 2020 presidential election, but was arrested and detained weeks before the vote. His wife, Sviatlana, then a political novice, ran in his place.

Tsikhanouski was sentenced in 2021 to 18 years in prison for "organizing riots" and "inciting hatred", and then to 18 months extra for "insubordination".

Belarus, ruled by Lukashenko since 1994, has outlawed all opposition movements and remains the only European country that retains the death penalty.

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Russia's GRU ordered desecration of Lithuanian partisan leader's monument – prosecutor (updates)

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS - Three foreigners, who acted on the orders of the Russian military intelligence GRU, have been accused of desecrating the monument to Adolfas Ramanauskas-Vanagas, a Lithuanian partisan leader, in Merkine, the southern district of Varena, the Kaunas Regional Prosecutor's Office said on Wednesday.

According to Rimas Bradunas, the chief prosecutor of the Kaunas Regional Prosecutor's Office, three foreign citizens - two persons with Estonian and Russian citizenship and a Russian citizen born in 1982, 1987 and 2005 - have been accused of desecrating the monument in January last year.

"The pre-trial investigation has established that these persons, acting in an organized group, in a group of accomplices, acted on the orders of the special services of the Russian Federation, specifically the GRU, with the aim of destabilizing the situation in the state,” the prosecutor told a press conference on Wednesday.

As BNS reported earlier, in January last year, the monument in Merkine, the southern district of Varena, was covered with paint, and the Alytus police launched a pre-trial investigation into the destruction of or damage to property.

By Dominykas Biržietis

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Hanner, BaltCap complete transaction for takeover of national stadium project in Vilnius

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – Lithuanian real estate development company Hanner, which is taking over the development of the national stadium in Vilnius, and investment company BaltCap have completed the transaction to take over the project concessionaire's shares, the Verslo Zinios news portal has reported.

Hanner Board Chairman Arvydas Avulis told the portal that on Wednesday, the buyer of the project will pay BaltCap 2.8 million euros – part of the 6-million-euro loan previously obtained by Vilniaus Daugiafunkcinis Kompleksas (Vilniaus Multifunctional Complex), the stadium project's concessionaire – and will buy 98 percent of shares in the concession company's shareholder Venetus Capital for one euro.

“Now we will provide Vilnius City Municipality [Administration] with all the necessary guarantees and letters confirming our financial capacity, as well as a letter of financing from the bank. The amendment to the concession agreement will then come into force after indexation, and we will acquire all the rights and obligations to implement this project,” Avulis told the news portal.

BNS reported on Monday that Hanner had also completed negotiations on the national stadium project in Vilnius with construction company Naresta, which will build the main stadium, two football pitches and install the main engineering networks in the entire territory for 70 million euros. 

According to Avulis, construction of the national stadium is set to resume within a week.

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Lithuanian radio broadcasts drowned out by Russian-language radio in southern Lithuania

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – A case was reported in southern Lithuania on Wednesday where a car radio receiver would only pick up a radio broadcast in the Russian language.

The Communications Regulatory Authority (RRT) confirmed this to BNS, saying that it had received a report from a driver traveling from Alytus to Varena that Lithuanian radio stations were drowned out by a Russian-language radio broadcast.

According to the authority, it is too early to say what caused the incident.

“The situation is known, it was reported by a person traveling in a car. At this time, we cannot say exactly why the radio receiver picked up a broadcast in Russian – it could have been caused by either broadcast disruptions or equipment malfunction. We need to find out more details,” Jorune Mikulenaite-Bausiene, head of the electronic communications resource management group at the authority, told BNS.

According to her, hot weather cannot be ruled out as a cause, either.

“Sometimes, especially on very hot days, radio wave propagation anomalies can occur, causing signals to travel very long distances,” she said.

The authority has launched an investigation, and RRT specialists have been dispatched to the scene.

A video posted on Facebook by online TV presenter Ruta Janutiene showed a driver selecting various Lithuanian radio stations on his car's display, but a poor-quality sound of a Russian radio broadcast could only be heard instead of the expected stations.

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Govt gives nod to assessment of nuclear energy potential in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – The Lithuanian government on Wednesday approved the Energy Ministry's proposal to assess the potential for developing nuclear energy in the country.

The ministry will set up a special working group for this purpose.

“We are essentially talking about small modular nuclear reactors,” Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas said at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

According to the ministry, taking into account the challenges of climate change and energy security, nuclear reactors with a capacity of 1.5 gigawatts (GW) could be installed in Lithuania.

It is estimated that electricity demand will grow in the future, potentially reaching 24 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2030, 48 TWh in 2040, and 74 TWh in 2050.

“In order to ensure adequate electricity generation capacity and reliable accessible power supply for electricity needs, it is necessary to consider new, clean, and controllable electricity generation capacities in Lithuania,” the ministry said.

Until 2010, Lithuania operated the Soviet-built Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant with Russian reactors, which Lithuania committed to closing when it joined the European Union. A subsequent referendum on the construction of a new nuclear power plant was unsuccessful.

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Lithuania sends eight border guards to help Latvia protect its border with Belarus

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS - Eight Lithuanian border guards are going to Latvia to help their counterparts secure Latvia's border with Belarus, the State Border Guard Service said on Wednesday.

"It is planned that this group of Lithuanian border guards will carry out border surveillance, prevention of illegal migration from Belarus and other actions related to the protection of the border in the most problematic sections, coordinated by their Latvian counterparts," the statement said.

The Lithuanian border guards will work on the Latvian border with Belarus for two weeks, and then further decisions on such assistance will be made depending on the situation on the Latvian-Belarusian border.

Eight Lithuanian police officers have already started working in Latvia.

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Govt proposes Irnius as Lithuania's ambassador to Spain, Radikaite as ambassador to UK

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – The Lithuanian government on Wednesday submitted to President Gitanas Nauseda the nominations of Tomas Irnius, Lithuania’s former consul in Valencia, as the country’s ambassador to Spain and permanent representative to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, and Asta Radikaite, Lithuania's incumbent ambassador to Denmark, as ambassador to the United Kingdom.

Irnius would start work on August 25, replacing Lyra Puisyte-Bostroem, who will hold these positions until August 22.

Irnius says that the current geopolitical reality is bringing countries back to defense cooperation.

"And it's really good. We know that Spain is actively involved in air policing missions, which is really encouraging because Spain's geopolitical situation is a bit different from ours," Irnius said.

Radikaite, who currently serves as ambassador to Denmark and Iceland, would begin her work as Lithuania's representative to the UK, Northern Ireland, and Portugal on August 8.

The ambassadorial position in London has been vacant since mid-April last year when then Ambassador Eitvydas Bajarunas, earlier accused of mobbing and abuse of office by embassy staff, was removed from office.

The Lithuanian Embassy in London is currently headed by temporary representative Lina Zigmantaite.

Radikaite has previously led the Foreign Ministry's European Union Department and worked as a counselor at the Lithuanian Embassy in France.

According to the diplomat, Lithuania's goal has always been the closest possible ties between the EU and the UK, which is particularly relevant in the current geopolitical situation.

The government is also proposing new ambassadors to Estonia and Turkey – Gitana Skripkaite and Marius Janukonis, respectively.

Skripkaite, a diplomat, would begin work in Tallinn on August 11, replacing Raimonda Murmokaite, who is being recalled on July 17.

Skripkaite says that the two Baltic states have close relations based on historical memory and shared values.

Janukonis, who previously served as Lithuania's ambassador to Ukraine, would take up his post in Turkey on September 15.

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

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Lithuanian FM to urge Europe to continue support as US suspends arms shipments to Ukraine

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS - Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys has vowed to urge European countries to continue their active support to Ukraine after the White House announced that the United States will suspend some arms supplies to Ukraine.

"Lithuania has supported, is supporting and will support Ukraine, and we will encourage others to do the same because it is the right thing to do, it makes sense in terms of our interests and in general, in terms of morality and on all other grounds. We will do so both as Lithuania, (...) and I will urge other partner countries and the European Union to do so at the next Foreign Affairs Council meeting," the minister told reporters on Wednesday.

The US announced on Tuesday that it was halting some important arms shipments to Ukraine, which the Biden administration had promised would be used to help Kyiv fight the Russian invasion.

The Pentagon says that stocks of some of the ammunition previously promised have become too low and that some planned shipments will not be sent, said one US official speaking on condition of anonymity, according to Politico, the first to report the suspension of military aid.

The US aid is critical, Lithuania's top diplomat said.

"The support that is being provided is extremely important, and we will continue to talk about it with the US that there are certain weapons systems, certain resources that Ukraine very much needs, in terms of air defense, in terms of missiles for the air defense system, and in terms of other areas as well," Budrys said.

Following the Washington reports, a senior source within the Ukrainian army said that the country would struggle to defend itself against attacking Russian forces without US assistance.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met Trump at the NATO summit in the Netherlands last week and appeared to receive a vague response from the US leader to a request for Patriot air defense systems.

By Paulius Perminas

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Lithuanian FM urges against politicizing border protection as Poland tightens controls

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – With Poland tightening controls at its borders with Lithuania and Germany, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys calls to avoid politicizing border protection measures.

“In this whole situation, and this is both my call and the call of Lithuania, we should avoid politicizing border protection measures in response to various political tensions, because this is not the right tool for that,” Budrys told reporters on Wednesday.

He noted that decisions on border controls are not solely national and are related to the Schengen agreements, which must be complied with.

“This is what we are already working on here and in Brussels, so that all procedures are followed and decisions are based on factual data and needs. They must be proportionate, precisely targeted, and not politically motivated,” the foreign minister said.

Asked whether he saw politicization in Warsaw's decision, Budrys said he wanted to “be sure that it is based on hard data, and not soft assumptions or some kind of internal situation”.

According to Budrys, the data shows that the number of migrants who have entered Lithuania and Poland illegally is growing. Yet the minister stressed that this is not related to Lithuania's border security problems, but to so-called secondary migration, when migrants reach Lithuania and Poland from Belarus via Latvia.

According to data released on Tuesday by the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service (SBGS), a total of 352 irregular migrants who entered Latvia from Belarus and then attempted to reach Western Europe via Lithuania and Poland were detained in the first half of 2025.

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

Poland said on Tuesday it would impose temporary checks from July 7 on its borders with Germany and Lithuania to stop irregular migrants crossing.

Meanwhile, the Lithuanian Interior Ministry said that eight Lithuanian border guards were going to Latvia to help their counterparts secure Latvia's border with Belarus. However, it did not specify what additional measures Poland intends to take.

By Dominykas Biržietis, Paulius Perminas

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Lithuania's tax watchdog completes probe into PM's company, finds no irregularities

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – Lithuania's State Tax Inspectorate has completed its checks of Garnis, a company co-owned by Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, and has not found any irregularities, the tax watchdog told BNS on Wednesday.

"Following swift checks of Garnis, the State Tax Inspectorate has found no tax violations," Ruta Asadauskaite, head of the Strategic Communication Unit at the State Tax Inspectorate, told BNS on Wednesday.

Checks of Garnis, which is 49-perent owned by Paluckas, was initiated by the tax watchdog in the middle of June following a request from Laurynas Kasciunas, chair of the opposition conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats.

"The swift inspection looked into whether the client had kept its accounts in compliance with all the requirements," Asadauskaite said, adding that the STI only checked the financial accounting procedures of Garnis, which did not include another company, Emus, also co-owned by Paluckas.

A journalistic investigation into the 200,000 euro soft loan granted to Garnis by the national development bank ILTE sparked theories that the money lent to Garnis might have flowed to Emus.

In May, the Siena Center for Investigative Journalism and Laisves TV reported that Garnis, which plans to produce battery systems, had received a soft loan from Paluckas while he was already Prime Minister.

Questions were then raised in the public domain as to whether Garnis had been set up as a sham in order to obtain the loan, and whether the company was using the loaned funds for their intended purpose.

The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) and the Financial Crimes Investigation Service (FICIS) are conducting a pre-trial investigation into possible credit fraud in this story.

Meanwhile, the Chief Official Ethics Commission is investigating whether Paluckas confused public and private interests when the prime minister made decisions related to ILTE despite the loan received by Garnis from the national development bank.

Last Sunday, the Siena Center for Investigative Journalism and Laisves TV published a follow-up to its investigation raising questions about Paluckas' business dealings from more than a decade ago, loans received and not repaid by a company he co-owned, and his links with businessman Darijus Vilcinskas.

By Lukas Juozapaitis

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Lithuanian PM's adviser after tax watchdog’s probe: “Unfounded insinuations falling apart”

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – Checks of Garnis, a company co-owned by Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, that have just been completed by Lithuania's State Tax Inspectorate (STI), which has found no irregularities, show that the prime minister's business is transparent and that critics are spreading “unfounded insinuations”, an adviser to Paluckas has said.

“Unfounded insinuations that were published about the companies in which the prime minister has shares are falling apart,” Justinas Argustas told BNS on Wednesday.

“As we can see, the checks have been completed and no irregularities have been found, so the doubts spread by our Conservative and Liberal opponents that something is wrong with the companies' finances have been dispelled,” he added.

The STI told BNS earlier on Wednesday that the tax watchdog had completed its checks of Garnis, a company co-owned by Paluckas, and had not found any irregularities.

According to the STI, the swift inspection looked into whether Garnis had kept its accounts in compliance with all the requirements.

Checks of Garnis, which is 49-perent owned by Paluckas, was initiated by the tax watchdog in the middle of June following a request from Laurynas Kasciunas, chair of the opposition conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats.

“It is obvious that fantasies and lies were being spread, a bubble is being blown up and a fuss is being made,” Argustas said.

The Siena Center for Investigative Journalism and Laisves TV reported in late May that Garnis, which plans to produce battery systems, received a 200,000-euro soft loan from the national development bank ILTE after Paluckas had already taken office as prime minister. 

The politician 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 formally been part of the same company group as Emus.

This has sparked public speculation that Garnis could have been created as a front to obtain the loan and doubts about whether the company is using the funds as intended. 

The European Public Prosecutor's Office and the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FCIS) are conducting a pre-trial investigation into possible credit fraud in this case.

Meanwhile, the Chief Official Ethics Commission is investigating whether Paluckas confused public and private interests when the prime minister made decisions related to ILTE despite the loan received by Garnis from the national development bank.

Last Sunday, the Siena Center for Investigative Journalism and Laisves TV published a follow-up to its investigation raising questions about Paluckas' business dealings from more than a decade ago, loans received and not repaid by a company he co-owned, and his links with businessman Darijus Vilcinskas.

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Lithuania's Special Investigation Service launches pre-trial probe into PM

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – Following the latest journalistic investigation raising questions about Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas' business dealings from more than a decade ago, loans received, and links with businessman Darijus Vilcinskas, Lithuania's Special Investigation Service (SIS) said on Wednesday that it had launched a pre-trial investigation.

The SIS, which began clarifying the circumstances surrounding these issues earlier this week, emphasizes that the pre-trial investigation has been launched because ten days – the time limit provided for in the law for clarifying circumstances – would not be sufficient to assess the information that has been published.

SIS spokesperson Renata Kebliene told BNS that the pre-trial investigation was launched under the article of the Criminal Code providing for liability for abuse of office.

“The Code of Criminal Procedure stipulates that the clarification of circumstances must be carried out within 10 days. Considering that it is not possible in this case to collect and analyze all the information necessary for an objective and comprehensive assessment within this time limit, further verification of the statements made and the circumstances referred to in the publications, which have caused a significant public reaction, will be carried out during the pre-trial investigation,” the SIS said in a press release.

“The pre-trial investigation has been launched to establish the facts and determine whether a criminal offense has been committed,” it added.

The investigation is being organized and led by the Organized Crime and Corruption Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General's Office.

Under the Criminal Code, “a civil servant or a person equivalent thereto who abuses his official position or exceeds his powers, where this incurs major damage to the State, the European Union, an international public organization, a legal or natural person, shall be punished by a fine or by arrest or by a custodial sentence for a term of up to five years”.

The Siena Center for Investigative Journalism and Laisves TV also reported in late May that Garnis, a company co-owned by the prime minister which plans to produce battery systems, received a 200,000-euro soft loan from the national development bank ILTE after Paluckas had already taken office as prime minister. 

The European Public Prosecutor's Office and the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FCIS) are conducting a pre-trial investigation into possible credit fraud in this case.

Meanwhile, the State Tax Inspectorate told BNS on Wednesday that it had completed its checks of Garnis’ accounts and had not found any irregularities.

In addition, the Chief Official Ethics Commission is investigating whether Paluckas confused public and private interests when the prime minister made decisions related to ILTE despite the loan received by Garnis from the national development bank.

The prime minister himself denies having done anything illegal, dismissing the journalistic investigations as unfounded accusations and saying he is awaiting the conclusions of the official probes.

By Saulius Jakučionis

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Lithuanian PM’s adviser welcomes probe by Special Investigation Service

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas’ adviser says he welcomes the decision of the Special Investigation Service (SIS) to launch a pre-trial investigation into the Lithuanian premier’s business dealings from more than a decade ago, loans received, and links with businessman Darijus Vilcinskas.

“It is good that professionals are taking on the investigation, I can only welcome this step. There have been many rumors and assumptions circulating in the public domain, so it is certainly good that the responsible institution will check what is fact and what is unfounded speculation,” Justinas Argustas told BNS on Wednesday.

“We have no doubt that the investigation will provide an objective answer and put an end to the discussions about what has been spread, because it is not headlines and speculation that will be assessed, but real facts... There can never be too much clarity and legal transparency, so let's wait and see,” he added.

The SIS said on Wednesday that it had launched a pre-trial investigation following the latest journalistic investigation.

The agency, which began clarifying the circumstances surrounding these issues earlier this week, emphasizes that the pre-trial investigation has been launched because ten days – the time limit provided for in the law for clarifying circumstances – would not be sufficient to assess the information that has been published.

SIS spokesperson Renata Kebliene told BNS that the pre-trial investigation was launched under the article of the Criminal Code providing for liability for abuse of office.

The investigation is being organized and led by the Organized Crime and Corruption Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General's Office.

Under the Criminal Code, “a civil servant or a person equivalent thereto who abuses his official position or exceeds his powers, where this incurs major damage to the State, the European Union, an international public organization, a legal or natural person, shall be punished by a fine or by arrest or by a custodial sentence for a term of up to five years”.

According to the latest investigation by Laisves TV and the Siena Center for Investigative Journalism, which was published late last week, in 2013, Paluckas acquired and managed Sagerta, a recently established company that was carrying out the lake bed topography project MyLakeMap.

The business was not a success, and the company was granted 180,000 euro in loans between 2013 and 2017, which the company eventually failed to pay back.

The loans were allegedly given by Uni Trading, a co-owner of Sagerta, but the investigation failed to establish who owned and managed the company. Neither Paluckas, nor Vilcinskas claimed to know this, although the latter represented Uni Trading's interests for some time, according to documents from Center of Registers.

According to the journalistic investigation, Paluckas and Vilcinskas also had other links. In 2012, the politician purchased a 127 square meter apartment in Trinapolis Street in Vilnius from Verslo Investiciju Projektu Centras, a company headed by Vilcinskas.

According to the data Siena received from the Center of Registers, the value of the transaction amounted to 223,000 euros. Paluckas claims he then purchased the apartment using proceeds from the sale of his previous property, as well as loans from natural persons and banks.

Moreover, in the summer of 2018, after Paluckas finally left Sagerta as a shareholder and became a vice mayor of Vilnius, the Vilnius authorities decided to take over the burnt-down Profsajungu Rumai (Trade Union Palace) in Vilnius for public purposes from VIPC Vilnius, a company linked to Vilcinskas, for almost 6 million euros.

The National Concert Hall is now being built in its place.

Vilcinskas explained to journalists that he was no longer involved in the management of VIPC Vilnius in any capacity that year and did not benefit from the decision to take over the building.

Paluckas and Vilcinskas are long-time family friends.

The Siena Center for Investigative Journalism and Laisves TV also reported in late May that Garnis, a company co-owned by the prime minister which plans to produce battery systems, received a 200,000-euro soft loan from the national development bank ILTE after Paluckas had already taken office as prime minister. 

The European Public Prosecutor's Office and the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FCIS) are conducting a pre-trial investigation into possible credit fraud in this case.

Meanwhile, the State Tax Inspectorate told BNS on Wednesday that it had completed its checks of Garnis’ accounts and had not found any irregularities.

In addition, the Chief Official Ethics Commission is investigating whether Paluckas confused public and private interests when the prime minister made decisions related to ILTE despite the loan received by Garnis from the national development bank.

The prime minister himself denies having done anything illegal, dismissing the journalistic investigations as unfounded accusations and saying he is awaiting the conclusions of the official probes.

By Vilmantas Venckūnas

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, July 3, 2025

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, July 3, 2025:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to attend the opening ceremony of the XII World Lithuanian sports games in Palanga at 6 p.m.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Saulius Skvernelis to attend the opening ceremony of the XII World Lithuanian sports games in Palanga at 6 p.m.

SEIMAS to host a meeting between members of the parliamentary Provisional Group for Friendship Relations with Democratic Forces of Belarus and representatives of the Belarusian opposition at 11 a.m.

INTERIOR MINISTER Vladislav Kondratovic to continue his working visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Kosovo and Montenegro.

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Govt takes break in deciding on postponing Lithuanian language requirement for Ukrainians

VILNIUS, Jul 02, BNS – The government on Wednesday took a break for the second time in deciding on a proposal to postpone for another year the requirement for Ukrainians granted asylum in Lithuania to be able to speak Lithuanian when they start working in the country.

According to the Education, Science and Sport Ministry and the Culture Ministry, the decision was postponed at the latter's initiative.

“The issue has been postponed due to technical details that need to be finalized,” the Culture Ministry said in a response sent to BNS.

The Ministries of Culture, Social Security and Labor, and the Interior, as well as the State Lithuanian Language Commission and the State Language Inspectorate have all said they do not support this initiative. The Justice Ministry also had some reservations.

Culture Minister Sarunas Birutis previously told BNS that the postponement of the requirement was not fully justified. According to him, state institutions should work hard to make it possible for Ukrainians to learn Lithuanian and pass the qualification requirements.

Under a draft government resolution submitted by the Education, Science and Sport Ministry, foreigners who have been granted temporary protection in Lithuania shall be exempted from the state language proficiency categories for recruitment for a period of four years from the date of granting of temporary protection.

“We intend to revisit the issue in the near future, once we receive the revised version from the Culture Ministry,” the ministry told BNS.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the Lithuanian government decided to grant temporary protection for one year to persons who had fled Ukraine. This protection is extended annually.

The Description of the Procedure for Determining Categories of Proficiency in the State Language and Their Application was amended at the time to stipulate that foreigners granted temporary protection in Lithuania are exempted from the state language proficiency categories for recruitment for a period of two years from the date of granting of temporary protection.

Early in 2024, this document was amended to specify a period of three years.

According to the ministry, there are practical problems with opportunities to learn Lithuanian and take state exams.

In order for a foreigner to obtain a certificate confirming their knowledge of the Lithuanian language, they must pass a state language exam.

For instance, last year, 890 people studied the language at the House of National Communities, of whom about 90 percent were Ukrainian citizens, but only 118 people who completed the courses passed the state exams.

“It should be noted that when checking whether employees have the required level of proficiency in the state language, the State Language Inspectorate does not check the fact of language proficiency, but the document confirming it. This means that even a foreigner who has completed language courses, learned the language, but failed the relevant exam and does not have a certificate ... must be punished by the inspectorate,” the Education, Science and Sport Ministry pointed out.

The ministry initially wanted to set a final deadline for the exemption – the end of 2028 – but abandoned this idea after comments from the authorities.

 

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