LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN, May 22, 2023

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Monday, May 22, 2023
Eight irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
Lithuanian PM says she'll quit if parlt refuses to back snap election
Azerbaijan's president to pay official visit to Lithuania
Lithuania must decide on cabinet, snap election after NATO summit – Liberals
Lithuanian foreign minister to meet with EU counterparts in Brussels
Lithuania defense minister to meet with Northern Group counterparts
Lithuania reports 9 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
NATO air policing jets to train in Lithuania's coastal area
Lithuania's Klaipeda LNG terminal to boost anti-drone protection
NATO jets in Baltics scrambled twice over Russian aircraft last week
Lithuanian formin calls on EU counterparts to speed up Belarus sanction adoption
Lithuanian president hopes to work with Baku to prevent Russia's sanctions circumvention
HU-LCD leader suggests holding early parlt election in September
New batch of 50 JLTVs arrives in Lithuania
Lithuania's ruling block agrees to remove civil union bill from parlt agenda – elder
Lithuanian PM accepts educmin's resignation
Lithuania's ruling block removes civil union bill from parlt agenda – elder (expands)
Dual citizenship referendum should be postponed in unstable situation – Lithuanian MP
Lithuanian PM says Azerbaijan' has role in securing implementation of Russia sanctions
Sanction exemptions not right way to address food security issues – Lithuanian formin
Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, May 23, 2023

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Monday, May 22, 2023

VILNIUS, May 2, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Monday, May 22, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to meet with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev at 9:30 a.m., to be followed by the two leaders' statements to the press at 11:10 a.m.; to attend the opening of Lithuania-Azerbaijan Business Forum at 2 p.m.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to meet with Slovakia's ambassador Branislav Pavlovic at 2 p.m.

FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to attend a meeting of the EU's Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vertimų skyrius

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

VILNIUS, May 22, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away eight migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Monday morning.

Latvia reported 19 attempts at illegal border crossings on Sunday, and 81 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Saturday, according to the latest available information.

A total of 1,079 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year. Over 11,200 irregular migrants were turned away in 2022.

Lithuanian border guards have prevented around 20,400 people from crossing in from Belarus since August 3, 2021, when they were given the right to turn away irregular migrants. The number includes repeated attempts by the same people to cross the border.

The SBGS says that illegal migration to Lithuania and the EU is being facilitated by Belarusian officials.

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

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

Lithuanian PM says she'll quit if parlt refuses to back snap election

VILNIUS, May 22, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte has said she will hand in her resignation if the parliament does not support the conservatives' proposal to call an early parliamentary election.

"If the Seimas does not find the will to reset itself, given that it is apparently very difficult to find white, fluffy and righteous people in this story who can judge others, (...) I will simply submit my resignation, which means that the government will step down after the NATO summit," the LRT news website quoted her as telling journalists in Klaipeda on Sunday.

Simonyte said that she would announce in the coming days her decision on Education Minister Jurgita Siugzdiniene, who handed in her resignation last week.

The prime minister also said that the ruling coalition parties had met to discuss the political crisis, adding that a more detailed statement on that would be issued on Monday.

In effort to deal with the emerging political crisis over the non-transparent use of funds by some municipal politicians, the presidium of the conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats on Friday proposed to initiate the parliament's resolution to call an early general election.

If the initiative is not supported, it is proposed to consider the resignation of Prime Minister Simonyte's Cabinet.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

Azerbaijan's president to pay official visit to Lithuania

VILNIUS, May 22, BNS – Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev is to arrive in Lithuania for an official visit on Monday.

The Lithuanian and Azerbaijani leaders will discuss bilateral cooperation in the economic, innovation and environmental fields, the security situation in the South Caucasus and the impact of Russia's war in Ukraine on the region, the Gitanas Nauseda's office has said.

Aliyev and Nauseda will also open a Lithuanian-Azerbaijani business forum.

The Lithuanian president paid a visit to Azerbaijan in May 2022.

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

Lithuania must decide on cabinet, snap election after NATO summit – Liberals

VILNIUS, May 22, BNS – The Lithuanian parliament must put off its decisions on confidence in the Cabinet and an early general election until after July 11 to ensure political stability in the run up to NATO's summit in Vilnius and amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, the board of the Liberal Movement, the conservatives' ruling coalition partner, decided on Saturday.

The Liberals agree that Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte's Cabinet should submit itself to a vote of confidence in the parliament, but they do not think that a snap election would solve the problem, the party said in a statement.

"We did not agree with the position of the conservatives' presidium and their scenario," Eugenijus Gentvilas, a member of the board, told BNS. "We see it as an attempt to turn individual cases into collective responsibility and lay the blame on the Seimas."

"We keep saying that we have to be very careful as the NATO summit is approaching and the war in Ukraine is ongoing. Now is probably not the best time to lose the government or to have a caretaker government and start campaigning for an election," he said.

Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, speaker of the parliament and chairwoman of the Liberal Movement, cautioned against hasty decisions.

"We do not rule out the idea of an early election, but in my opinion, these steps should be discussed after the NATO summit, the most important political event of the year," Cmilyte-Nielsen said in the statement.

"It would be irresponsible to turn this gathering into a hostage of domestic politics or an element of an election campaign," she added.

In effort to deal with an emerging political crisis over the non-transparent use of funds by some municipal politicians, the presidium of the conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats on Friday proposed to initiate an early general election and to consider the Cabinet's resignation if the parliament does not back the initiative.

Vilnius will host the NATO summit on July 11-12.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

Lithuanian foreign minister to meet with EU counterparts in Brussels

VILNIUS, May 22, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis is taking part in a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels on Monday.

The meeting will focus on "Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the Horn of Africa, and the Western Balkans," the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said in a press release.

"Ministers will also touch on topical foreign policy issues: Central Asia, Tunisia and the latest developments from high-level meetings with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan," it said.

"EU foreign ministers will discuss the situation in Ukraine, further EU military support for Ukraine, including further supplies of ammunition to Ukraine and the financing of the EU’s training mission, the future process of EU sanctions against Russia, as well as Russia's accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the crime of aggression," the ministry said.

"Ministers will also exchange views on the situation in the Horn of Africa region, paying particular attention to the ongoing military conflict in Sudan, and discuss possible EU action and increased engagement in the region."

On Monday, the bloc's foreign ministers are also scheduled to hold an informal discussion with their Western Balkan counterparts "on the resilience, security, strengthening economy and energy independence of the region and its societies," according to the press release.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

Lithuania defense minister to meet with Northern Group counterparts

VILNIUS, May 22, BNS – Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas is taking part in a meeting of the Northern Group's defense ministers in Warsaw on Monday.

The ministers will discuss the security situation in the Baltic Sea and North Atlantic regions, Russia's war against Ukraine, and preparations for the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry has said in a press release.

The Northern Group's meetings bring together top defense officials from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom to discuss common interests.

The Northern Group complements Lithuania's other bilateral and multilateral defense cooperation formats, according to the press release.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

Lithuania reports 9 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths

VILNIUS, May 22, BNS – Lithuania has recorded nine new coronavirus infections and no deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Monday morning.

The 14-day primary infection rate has edged down to 33.4 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 9.8 percent.

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals now stands at 64, including two ICU cases.

The daily number of new coronavirus cases remains well below the peak of over 14,000 reached in early February 2022.

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

Some 69.8 percent of people in the country have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab so far.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 08, Vilnius newsroom

NATO air policing jets to train in Lithuania's coastal area

VILNIUS, May 22, BNS – NATO's air policing fighter jets will conduct training flights in Lithuania's coastal area on Monday, the military said.

The joint training event will involve the Romanian and Portuguese Air Forces' F-16 fighters, which are currently carrying out NATO's Baltic air policing mission, the Lithuanian Armed Forces said in a press release.

The public may see and hear the fighter aircraft, which will fly at low altitude and release flares over the Baltic Sea, they said.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 08, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuania's Klaipeda LNG terminal to boost anti-drone protection

KLAIPEDA, Lithuania, May 22, BNS – Klaipedos Nafta (Klaipeda Oil, KN), Lithuania's Klaipeda-based state-owned oil and LNG terminal operator, will install additional anti-drone protection to be used at the FSRU Independence due to the ongoing war in Ukraine and the geopolitical turmoil.

The company says the system it's now looking for will be only part of a series of measures to increase the terminal's security.

"We have also assessed the need for additional physical security measures to complement the measures taken by the security authorities, and in this context, we are starting the procurement of technical equipment for anti-drone protection and it will complement the existing infrastructure," KN told BNS.

The system will have to work by analyzing incoming radio signals and will have to be able to block drones from using certain frequency channels. The protection will have to be activated when a drone appears in the surveillance area.

The decision to step up security was made in response to the existing geopolitical turmoil caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the company said.

Officers from the Public Security Service and other national security institutions are protecting the LNG terminal since the launch of its operations.

The terminal's operator KN is a company of strategic importance for Lithuania's national security.

By Valdas Pryšmantas

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

NATO jets in Baltics scrambled twice over Russian aircraft last week

VILNIUS, May 22, BNS – NATO's fighter jets policing Baltic airspace were last week scrambled twice to intercept Russian aircraft flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea in violation of flight rules, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

On Thursday, NATO jets took off to identify two SU-27 fighters flying in international space from Russia's Kaliningrad region and back.

On Friday, NATO jets were scrambled to identify a TU-134UBL flying in international airspace from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia.

The Russian aircraft were flying without flight plans and their onboard transponders were off. They were not in contract with the regional traffic control center.

The NATO Baltic Air Policing mission is carried out from air bases in Lithuania and Estonia.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 08, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuanian formin calls on EU counterparts to speed up Belarus sanction adoption

VILNIUS, May 22, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis urged his counterparts during the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on Monday to speed up the adoption of sanctions for Belarus, separating the issue from the amendment of the existing sanctions.

"For almost six months, we have not adopted any Belarusian sanction package because together with the sanction package, there's a request made by member states requesting to remove some of the sanctions together, adding some, remove a lot, and I am talking about Belarusian potash company Belaruskali," Landsbergis told reporters in Brussels.

"I think it is unacceptable to have these two things connected. I will be asking today to separate the two issues and go ahead with the Belarusian sanction package, if we are seriously supporting Belarusian opposition," Lithuania's top diplomat said.

In his words, the block cannot drag on with the introduction of sanctions for Belarus as it's a matter of credibility.

"The sanction package is worth about 200 million euros, and the derogation package is worth about 8 billion euros, so you can imagine the difference between two issues. The package itself on Belarus is mostly about the circumvention," the minister said.

Last week, G7 leaders agreed on new sanctions for Russia, aimed at preventing the evasion of the existing sanctions, and they include punitive measures for entities shipping materials to the war front, and also measures to limit Russia's access to their economies.

For its part, Brussels proposed an 11th package of sanctions in early May, aimed at reducing potential sanction evasion. With this package, EU member states wants to restrict the re-exports to Russia of sensitive technology that can be used on the battlefield, such as microchips, via third countries.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 645 093 86, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuanian president hopes to work with Baku to prevent Russia's sanctions circumvention

VILNIUS, May 22, BNS - Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has urged Azerbaijan to work together to prevent Russia from circumventing the existing international sanctions.

"In the context of Russia's brutal war against Ukraine, our partnership takes on a new meaning and light," the Lithuanian presidents told reporters on Monday. "We must work together to prevent Russia's circumvention of sanctions and support Ukraine until its victory."

He made the remarks after his meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Vilnius on Monday.

Nauseda said he sees "even more positive dynamics" in relations between the two countries, adding that last year's energy cooperation agreement signed between the European Union and Baku "has helped the EU to secure its winter energy supplies".

"We need to make use of the cooperation opportunities offered by the Eastern Partnership policy and look for ways to deepen our strategic partnership," the Lithuanian president said.

In his words, during Aliyev's visit, the two countries signed agreements on closer cooperation in the areas of environment, youth affairs and law enforcement.

For his part, Aliyev said he hoped that in the coming years "the economy and trade will be the areas where the biggest progress will be made".

"I am grateful to Lithuania for its support in cooperation with the EU," the Azerbaijani president said.

The two leaders also discussed regional issues and energy.

Nauseda visited Azerbaijan in May 2022.

In early May, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov visited Vilnius, and Nauseda said at the time that Lithuania was interested in expanding cooperation with Azerbaijan in the areas of the economy, education, innovations, IT etc.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 08, Vilnius newsroom

HU-LCD leader suggests holding early parlt election in September

VILNIUS, May 22, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, who leads the ruling conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats, has proposed holding an early parliamentary election in September.

In his letter sent on Monday to the leaders of parliamentary parties, the HU-LCD leader invites them to meet on Tuesday in the parliament to discuss the possibility of a snap election.

"In my opinion, we could make a decision on an early election in the Seimas in the next few weeks and hold the election in September," the letter reads.

In the letter, Landsbergis also thanks "the representatives of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Unions and the Democrats "For Lithuania" who have already publicly expressed their support and determination to vote for an early Seimas election".

The early election bill is expected to be registered over the upcoming weeks and a vote on it would be held by the end of the parliamentary session.

"The vote should take place no later than the end of the session," he said.

Last week, the HU-LCD presidium proposed to initiate an early Seimas election to resolve the political crisis caused by the non-transparent use of funds by local government politicians.

If this initiative is not supported, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte has already said she will resign.

"The prime minister said so, and I support her," Landsbergis said.

The HU-LCD presidium was convened after Education, Science and Sport Jurgita Siugzdiniene handed in her resignation letter to the prime minister amid public doubts whether she transparently used 13,800 euros in public money when she served as a Kaunas councilor 2019-2020.

By Augustas Stankevičius, Milena Andrukaitytė

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

New batch of 50 JLTVs arrives in Lithuania

VILNIUS, May 22, BNS – A new batch of 50 US-made Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV) arrived in Lithuania last week.

The Lithuanian Armed Forces will now have 150 JLTVs in total, the Defense Ministry said in a press release on Monday.

Under a 145-million-euro contract signed in 2019, a total of 200 JLTVs are to be delivered to Lithuania by the end of this year.

Next year, deliveries of JLTVs, manufactured by US Oshkosh Defense, will start under a contract signed in 2022 for the procurement of an additional 300 units.

This will bring the Lithuanian Armed Forces' total fleet of JLTVs to 500 units.

The deal's final value will stand at around 334 million euros, with around five percent coming from US assistance funds.

The JLTV is an advanced all-terrain vehicle with a high level of crew protection, according to the ministry.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 645 093 86, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuania's ruling block agrees to remove civil union bill from parlt agenda – elder

VILNIUS, May 22, BNS –The elders of the political groups representing the ruling-block parties in the Lithuanian Seimas have agreed to remove the civil union bill from the parliament's Tuesday's agenda.

"We have agreed to remove the bill from tomorrow's agenda, that issue will be discussed at some other time when we agree," Vytautas Mitalas, the elder of the Freedom Party political group, told reporters on Monday after elders' meeting with Speaker of the Seimas Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen.

He did no elaborate on the reasons behind the move and could not say when the bill would be put back on the agenda.

"That is what we agreed," the MP said.

The ruling block had earlier agreed to discuss the bill on Tuesday and it was put on the parliament agenda.

The parliamentary Committee on Legal issues had approved the bill in September, but it has not been brought to the plenary chamber for discussion so far as the ruling parties have so far failed to obtain the required number of votes.

The Seimas had also been scheduled to discuss on Tuesday an alternative bill drafted by politicians opposed to same-sex partnerships, and this bill would introduce the concept of "close relationship" in the Civil Code. The Committee on Legal Affairs has, however, proposed to reject this bill.

Members of the ruling block say the civil union bill has been drafted as a compromise after the civil partnership bill was rejected by the Seimas in 2021.

In Lithuania, civil partnerships are currently not legal for either male-female or same-sex couples. Previous attempts in the parliament to legalize them have failed.

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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

Lithuanian PM accepts educmin's resignation

VILNIUS, May 22, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte on Monday accepted Education, Science and Sport Minister Jurgita Siugzdiniene's resignation and handed it over to President Gitanas Nauseda.

"I regret the fact I was not able to persuade the Minister to continue working until the end of the the XVII government's mandate, but I am well aware of how difficult it is to continue working when a large part of the time has to be devoted to explanations often demanded by those who would not be themselves capable of responding to similar or much more serious questions," the prime minister said in a statement.

The prime minister alo said she would not look for Siugzdiniene's replacement, adding that Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska would step in and be acting education minister.

"I have already informed the president that if the Seimas does not decide on calling a snap election before the end of the session, I will submit my resignation to the president after the NATO summit, which would also mean the resignation of the entire government. Therefore, no candidate for the position of education, science and sport minister will be presented to the president. Therefore, Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska is proposed to temporarily hold the position until the end of the government's mandate," Simonyte said.

The prime minister also reiterated that she had "not the slightest opportunity to question" Siugzdiniene's decency.

"To condemn a politician for not having shown in the past a great deal of care and almost supernatural foresight with regard to the rules, which do not require detailed payments, is perhaps only the right of those who can explain every liter of fuel or every repair themselves," Simonyte said.

Last week, the HU-LCD presidium proposed to initiate an early Seimas election to resolve the political crisis caused by the non-transparent use of funds by local government politicians.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

Lithuania's ruling block removes civil union bill from parlt agenda – elder (expands)

VILNIUS, May 22, BNS – The elders of the political groups representing the ruling-block parties in the Lithuanian Seimas have agreed to remove the civil union bill from the parliament's Tuesday's agenda.

Speaking after the meting, Speaker of the Seimas Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, confirmed that the decision was made due to a lack of votes.

"The agenda has been adjusted to take into account how busy the period is and the number of votes," Cmilyte-Nielsen told reporters on Monday.

The Seimas leader regretted the fact that the lack of votes in favor of the legalization of civil unions "is more chronic" and teetering on the brink.

"It is a more chronic shortage of votes, as sad as it is to say, but we have never had majority support for partnerships or civil unions, and the issue has always teetered on the 50-50 line," she said.

Asked whether the civil union bill could still be tabled during the ongoing spring session, the parliamentary leader said "it might come back".

The ruling block had earlier agreed to discuss the bill on Tuesday and it was put on the parliament agenda.

Members of the ruling block say the civil union bill has been drafted as a compromise after the civil partnership bill was rejected by the Seimas in 2021.

In Lithuania, civil partnerships are currently not legal for either male-female or same-sex couples. Previous attempts in the parliament to legalize them have failed.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 08, Vilnius newsroom

Dual citizenship referendum should be postponed in unstable situation – Lithuanian MP

VILNIUS, May 22, BNS - The decision on holding a multiple citizenship referendum in Lithuania should be postponed due to the unstable existing political situation in the country, says MP Dalia Asanaviciute who leads the referendum working group.

"I suggest a pause until the situation stabilizes and it becomes clear whether we are going to have a snap election or whether the government will resign, or whether the situation will remain as it is now and we will be able to go back to the final approval in the Seimas," the lawmaker told BNS on Monday.

The Seimas had planned to approve the date for the referendum on Tuesday but the draft resolution was removed from the agenda on Monday.

Asanaviciute says this doesn't mean there will be no referendum, but more clarity is needed for its organization as the existing working group for the referendum is mad made of Seimas members, representatives of the Office of the Government, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Central Electoral Commission.

"We want to wait to be sure we have the will to carry out the referendum and to do it properly, and only then we can expect success and then we can come back to the issue. According to the law, we still have time to do that," the MP said, pointing out that inadequate preparation led to the failure of the 2019 citizenship referendum.

"In 2019, the funding was allocated just over a month before the referendum and communication only started at that time. If the same thing happens again, if the plan of our working group, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the CEC is not followed, if there's no proper supervision, we will have the same result as in 2019," Asanaviciute said.

The plan is to hold a mandatory referendum on the legalization of multiple citizenship on 12, 2024. One final vote is needed in the Seimas to hold the referendum together with the first round of the presidential election.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 10, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuanian PM says Azerbaijan' has role in securing implementation of Russia sanctions

VILNIUS, May 22, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte met with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Vilnius on Monday and said she sees Azerbaijan's important role in ensuring effective implementation of sanctions for Russia.

"The consequences of Russia's war against Ukraine, as well as the threat they pose, are global. Achieving peace requires not only comprehensive support for Ukraine but also effective implementation of sanctions, leaving as few loopholes as possible to circumvent sanctions as the aggressor country is actively seeking to do so. Azerbaijan's role in this area is also very important," the prime minister was quoted as saying in a statement released by her press service.

The prime minister and the Azerbaijani president also discussed Russia's war against Ukraine, the security situation in the South Caucasus, bilateral cooperation between Lithuania and Azerbaijan, and the prospect of peace talks between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

Russia is not interested in resolving conflicts in any region, the Lithuanian prime minister said, but it's rather interested in escalation and destabilization in order to gain leverage and benefits.

When discussing the security situation in the South Caucasus, Simonyte underlined that Lithuania supports a peaceful, sustainable and comprehensive settlement of the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict by means of diplomatic means, as well as supports the EU's efforts to contribute to ensuring security and stability in the region.

Armenia and neighboring Azerbaijan have been at loggerheads over territory for decades.

Ethnic Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh split off from Azerbaijan after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Around 30,000 lives have been lost so far during this simmering conflict that included two wars in the 1990s and 2020.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 08, Vilnius newsroom

Sanction exemptions not right way to address food security issues – Lithuanian formin

VILNIUS, May 22, BNS – Softening sanctions for Belarus or any exemptions from them would not be the right way to address food security issues, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis says.

"Sanction exemptions and the softening of sanctions is not the right way to address food security issues. We must not succumb to false narratives that world food shortages are caused by sanctions against fertilizer companies. This is not true," Landsbergis said in a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry on Monday after his meeting in Brussels with European Commissioner for International Partnership Jutta Urpilainen, held to discuss sanctions for Belarus.

Also on Monday, the foreign minister also met with EC Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis to discuss Ukrainian grain exports.

"The European Union must continue to do its utmost to open up even more supply routes for Ukrainian grain," Lithuania's top diplomat said.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 08, Vilnius newsroom

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, May 23, 2023

VILNIUS, May 23, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Tuesday, May 23, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to attend a church service for late former First Lady Alma Adamkiene at 12.30 p.m.; to attend Adamkiene's funeral in Kaunas at 4 p.m.

NATIONAL DEFENSE MINISTER Arvydas Anusauskas to meet with the chief of defense at 8.30 a.m.; to attend a meting at the Presidential Palace at 1 p.m.

CULTURE MINISTER Simonas Kairys to pay a working visit to Krakow to meet with the Polish and Ukrainian culture ministers.

HEALTH MINISTER Arunas Dulkys to attend the 76th World Health Assembly in Geneva

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

May 23 2023

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, May 17, 2023
Foreign ambassadors to Lithuania call for equal rights for LGBTQI+ people
Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
Lithuanian president, at CoE summit, calls for addressing Ukraine's reconstruction
Lithuania reports 64 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
NATO's new Baltic defense plans to be presented to Lithuanian parlt committee
Lithuania protests to Russia over removal of monuments to deportees in Siberia
Lithuanian MPs to undergo civil resistance, mobilization training
Financial institutions must move faster to block funds supporting war – Lithuanian PM
Intl demining operations to clear seabed underway in Baltic Sea
Lithuanian police to monitor public places, Internet during the Euroleague Final Four
Suspicious transaction reports doubled in Lithuania last year – service
Lithuanian MPs say new Baltic defense plans 'look very optimistic'
Belarusian N-plant's 2nd unit has no impact on Lithuanian system – minister
Speed of response a key component of Baltic defense plans – Lithuanian defense chief
Lithuanian govt may scrap subsidies for electricity prices, but extend those for gas
Baltics to increase NATO Air Policing Mission hosting costs
Ukrainian children from Bucha to come to Lithuania's Palanga this summer – mayor
Equipment for Russian warships may have been transported via Lithuania (media)

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, May 17, 2023

VILNIUS, May 17, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, May 17, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda is attending a Council of Europe summit in Reykjavik.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen's interview with Rai News 24 at 10 a.m.

Members of the parliamentary Committee on Culture to meet with members of the Check Republic's Standing Senate Commission on Media at 10 a.m.

CULTURE MINISTER Simonas Kairys is attending a meeting of EU culture ministers in Brussels.

DEFENSE MINISTER Arvydas Anusauskas to attend a meeting of Baltic defense ministers in Latvia.

JUSTICE MINISTER Ewelina Dobrowolska to attend a reception at the Norwegian Embassy at 8.30 p.m., held to mark Norway's Constitution Day

FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to continue his visit to Japan.

OTHER EVENTS

Tibet supporters to stage a piquet outside the Chinese Embassy at noon to protest against political crackdown in Tibet, Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

Foreign ambassadors to Lithuania call for equal rights for LGBTQI+ people

VILNIUS, May 17, BNS – More than 20 countries' ambassadors to Lithuania on Wednesday issued a statement to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), calling for ensuring equal rights for LGBTQI+ persons and legally recognizing their partnerships.

"We express our solidarity with the LGBTQI+ community and believe that every individual – in our own countries, in Lithuania, and beyond – has the right to live with dignity and respect, free from discrimination and violence. A right that unfortunately is not always secure," they said.

The statement expresses support for efforts in Lithuania and the European Union to build a society "where human rights are universal, diversity is celebrated and embraced, and every individual is able to live and love with dignity and respect".

"We recognize that despite the hard work of people and organizations committed to achieving equal rights for all people, the LGBTQI+ community in Lithuania, as in our own and many other countries continues to face significant barriers to full inclusion and acceptance in society."

The statement, published by the US embassy, was signed by the ambassadors of 22 countries, including Israel, Estonia and Germany.

The diplomats say they "support efforts to ensure that LGBTQI+ individuals have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else, including access to appropriate and affirming healthcare, education, employment, property rights, and housing".

"We believe families are defined by love and come in many different forms, yet all deserve universal protections under the law. While fully respecting the democratic process in the Seimas, we look forward to the passage of legislation that will establish civil unions," they said.

Lithuania's ruling bloc has drafted and tabled a bill aimed at legally regulating relations between same-sex partners. The draft Law on Civil Union has been discussed by the parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs, but has not been submitted to the full Seimas for consideration.

Currently, Lithuanian laws do not recognize either opposite-sex or same-sex civil partnerships. Several previous attempts to legalize civil partnerships fell through at an early stage of the parliamentary process.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 645 093 86, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus

VILNIUS, May 17, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Wednesday morning.

Latvia reported 110 attempts at illegal border crossings on Tuesday, and 108 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Monday, according to the latest available information.

A total of 1,022 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year. Over 11,200 irregular migrants were turned away in 2022.

Lithuanian border guards have prevented over 20,400 people from crossing in from Belarus since August 3, 2021, when they were given the right to turn away irregular migrants. The number includes repeated attempts by the same people to cross the border.

The SBGS says that illegal migration to Lithuania and the EU is being facilitated by Belarusian officials.

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

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 645 093 86, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuanian president, at CoE summit, calls for addressing Ukraine's reconstruction

VILNIUS, May 17, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, who is taking part in the Council of Europe's summit in Reykjavik, has called for addressing the issue of Ukraine's reconstruction and for creating a legal framework to punish Russia, the aggressor, for its war crimes.

"The reconstruction of Ukraine cannot be put off until the end of the war. Reconstructing and rebuilding the country is a key factor for Ukraine's faster integration into the European Union," Nauseda said at the United for Ukraine debate on Tuesday evening.

"We need to see it as a coherent process. The start of accession negotiations this year would be a strong impetus for progress," he said.

Nauseda said that Russia's "brutal war has united Europe" and that the continent "has joined forces to defend freedom and democracy".

The president said after the meeting that he underlined the importance of creating legal mechanisms to punish the aggressor.

"In terms of military assistance, economic and financial support, Europe and the world as a whole have certainly done a lot to support Ukraine, but in terms of building the legal framework and in terms of accountability for war crimes and for crimes of aggression, we are lagging a little behind the progress that has been recorded in other areas," Nauseda said.

"Here in Reykjavik, we have a great opportunity to catch up," he said.

The president said that this mechanism should include a special tribunal and a damage register, adding that these steps are necessary to ensure that "the aggressor does not escape responsibility and does not go unpunished".

"This is important not only in the context of this war, but also when looking ahead to the future, so that new aggressors do not want to try our strength again and that they know that they will be punished, and that the punishment will be tough and severe enough," he said.

In early May, Lithuania joined a register being set up by the Council of Europe's members on the damage caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine

The register will be based in the Netherlands and will register evidence of damage and claims for damages or injuries. It is expected to be set up within a month.

Also, Ukraine, Lithuania and other countries in the region are seeking a special tribunal to investigate Russia's crimes of aggression, which would also be capable of holding the Kremlin's leadership accountable for war crimes in Ukraine.

Speaking about the prospects for peace talks, Nauseda said that they can only be held on terms acceptable to Ukraine and based on its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Russia was expelled from the Council of Europe in March 2022, a few weeks after it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. However, information has emerged recently that dozens of Russian citizens are still working in the human rights organization.

Founded back in 1949, the Council of Europe currently brings together 46 countries and aims to promote human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe.

Lithuania will take over the Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe next year.

Nauseda said that its priorities "will be focused on Ukraine and the development of freedom and democracy".

The president is wrapping up his visit to Iceland on Wednesday.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 645 093 86, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuania reports 64 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths

VILNIUS, May 17, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 64 new coronavirus infections and no deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Wednesday morning.

The 14-day primary infection rate has edged down to 36.5 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 10.3 percent.

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals now stands at 63, including three ICU cases.

The daily number of new coronavirus cases remains well below the peak of over 14,000 reached in early February 2022.

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

Some 69.8 percent of people in the country have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab so far.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

NATO's new Baltic defense plans to be presented to Lithuanian parlt committee

VILNIUS, May 17, BNS – NATO's new defense plans for the Baltic countries are to be presented at a closed meeting of Lithuania's parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense on Wednesday.

Chief of Defense Lieutenant General Valdemaras Rupsys is expected to take part in the presentation, according to Laurynas Kasciunas, the committee's chairman.

"The framework is very good, of a new generation, and the principle on which the plans have been developed is also very reasonable," Kasciunas told BNS, commenting on the plans.

The plans define "in how much time and what capability should come to help in a crisis", according to the MP.

"With the framework in place, the challenge now will be that someone will have to allocate that capability – that's the next stage," he added.

NATO has worked out new defense plans covering the Baltic states and Poland, and has presented them to member states' representatives.

In a reflection of NATO's changing strategy, the plans basically provide for defense from the first days of a potential conflict. Previously, the approach was that the Baltic countries should try to hold off a Russian offensive until allied reinforcements can arrive to help them.

Rupsys has said that the new plans are fully in line with Lithuania's expectations.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that the plans for the Baltic countries will be "more detailed and concrete" than the existing ones. However, they will remain classified in order not to disclose operational details.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

Lithuania protests to Russia over removal of monuments to deportees in Siberia

VILNIUS, May 17, BNS – Lithuania has protested to Russia over the removal of monuments to Lithuanian and Polish deportees and political prisoners in Siberia's Irkutsk region.

The Foreign Ministry on Tuesday summoned Alexander Elkin, Russia's chargé d'affaires ad interim in Lithuania, to express its protest.

The ministry said in a press release that it condemned Russia's removal of a monument and a cross erected in the memory of Lithuanian and Polish deportees and political prisoners.

"Such purposeful actions by Russia in illegally removing monuments and tributes to repressed persons and deportees cannot be treated as anything other than the belittling of the historical truth and the memory of the victims of the totalitarian regime," it said.

This is the second such incident in a few months.

In late April, the Foreign Ministry summoned Elkin to protest over the demolition of a monument to Lithuanian and Polish deportees buried in Russia's Perm region.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 08, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuanian MPs to undergo civil resistance, mobilization training

VILNIUS, May 17, BNS – Lithuanian lawmakers will undergo civil resistance and mobilization training at the Seimas on Wednesday.

"We will have the commander of the Riflemen's Union who will present civil resistance, both armed and unarmed, i.e. the very concept of civil defense and how we see the big picture and what is the Riflemen's Union role. We will have practical exercises both in ensuring healthcare in the area of first aid and, let's say, in interaction with weapons," Laurynas Kasciunas, chairman of the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense, who initiated the training, told BNS.

In his words, the exercise is aimed at assessing "how the state would look like in the event of a state of war and how that mobilization would work".

The MP said he did not know how many lawmakers would take part in the training, adding that this event is one of the steps towards universal civil resistance training.

It was reported in April that Lithuania had failed to approve a plan for the implementation of the civil resistance strategy over the past 11 months, and 3,000 people underwent special training last year,

By Paulius Perminas

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

Financial institutions must move faster to block funds supporting war – Lithuanian PM

VILNIUS, May 17, BNS – The new geopolitical environment requires that banks and other financial institutions move faster than ever before to ensure the security of the financial system and that businesses and the private sector share more information, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said on Wednesday.

"Institutions must respond in real-time and move quicker to block the funds that support Russia's war against Ukraine," Simonyte said at a conference entitled "On the Front Line of the New Reality" and organized by the Center of Excellence in Anti-Money Laundering (AML Center) jointly with the central Bank of Lithuania.

"The public and private sectors need to share more information; and do it quicker. The information must be shared across borders, between financial institutions, and within the governmental institutions," she said.

Technological innovations pose new challenges in the fight against money laundering, according to Simonyte.

"Technological innovations are very welcomed as they create new business models and opportunities for governments, businesses and individuals," the prime minister said.

"However, these advancements are also being exploited by malicious actors, giving rise to new risks and challenges, especially in the field of money laundering and terrorist financing," she added.

Simonyte underlined the need for a balanced regulatory approach to reduce risk without stifling innovation, adding that regulation must keep pace with technology to keep the financial system safe and sound.

By Erika Alonderytė-Kazlauskė

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 11, Vilnius newsroom

Intl demining operations to clear seabed underway in Baltic Sea

VILNIUS, May 17, BNS – The Open Spirit 2023 international operation involving the search for unexploded ordnance and its removal them from the seabed is underway in Latvia's territorial waters and exclusive economic zone in the Baltic Sea, the Lithuanian army said on Wednesday.

The operations are aimed at reducing the risk to maritime shipping, fishing and other economic activities in the Baltic Sea.

A total of ten ships from Lithuania (the warship Skalvis M53), Latvia, Estonia, Germany, and the NATO Mine Countermeasures Task Group TG 441.03 are taking part in the operation that also involves mine clearance divers from Lithuania, Latvia, Belgium, Great Britain, the United States and Estonia.

These operations are a continuing effort by the Baltic states, in partnership with other international partners, to clear the Baltic Sea seabed belonging to the three countries from sea mines and other explosive devices left over from WW1 and WW2 and the post-war period.

Such operations have been carried out in the Baltic States on a rotational basis every year since 1997.

During WW1 and WW2, 15 minefields with more than 1,600 sea mines were situated in the Baltic Sea in what are now Lithuanian territorial waters and the country's exclusive economic zone.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

Lithuanian police to monitor public places, Internet during the Euroleague Final Four

VILNIUS, May 17, BNS – Lithuanian police will patrol public places and monitor the Internet for possible fraud during the 2023 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four in Kaunas, Kaunas County police said on Wednesday.

Traffic will be restricted on several streets during the event on May 18-21 and reinforced police forces from Vilnius and other cities, as well as officers from the Public Security Service, will get involved, the Kaunas police force said.

Police officers will patrol public venues, monitor cyberspace and social media, and focus on ticket resellers and fraud cases.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

Suspicious transaction reports doubled in Lithuania last year – service

VILNIUS, May 17, BNS - The number of reports on suspicious monetary operations or transactions more than doubled in Lithuania last year, the country's Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT) said on Wednesday.

"Market participants are increasingly aware of money laundering risks. The growing number of reports shows that obliged entities are getting better at identifying suspicious activity and informing the FNTT," Rolandas Kiskis, the FNTT director, said in the statement.

A total of almost 100,000 reports were received in 2022, and the highest number of reports (over 93,000) was received from payment and e-money institutions. Virtual currency operators submitted 4,000 reports, 83 times more than in 2021, and banks submitted 1,600 reports, an increase of 80 percent.

Last year, financial institutions notified 565 times about suspended customers' money transactions, almost double from a year earlier, and the total value of such reported transactions rose 2.5 times to more than 162 million euros.

The FNTT's Money Laundering Prevention Board also received 253 requests (up by 30 percent) from other FNTT units, the Lithuanian Police and foreign financial intelligence units to freeze funds in financial institutions, and 11 pre-trial investigations were also launched.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

Lithuanian MPs say new Baltic defense plans 'look very optimistic'

VILNIUS, May 17, BNS – NATO's new defense plans for the Baltic countries "look very optimistic", members of Lithuania's parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense (CNSD) said on Wednesday.

Their comments came after Lithuania's Chief of Defense Lieutenant General Valdemaras Rupsys presented the plans to the committee at a closed meeting.

"These are next generation plans with a realistic assignment of forces to come within a certain timeframe, when certain indicators light up showing they need to come. This is new, this is unique," Laurynas Kasciunas, the CNSD chairman, told reporters after the meeting.

"There is a lot of good news there. This is a fact," the MP said, adding that he could not speak publicly about specifics.

Saulius Skvernelis, a member of the CNSD, said, "The plans look very optimistic."

"There is a change of philosophy; (...) the plans are about reaction, defense and deterrence from the very first moment," the MP said.

"Apparently, the biggest challenge will be to fill those plans with content, that is, with weapons and human resources," he added.

The committee's members said they expected the new defense plans to be approved by NATO's summit in Vilnius in mid-July.

The Alliance has worked out new defense plans covering the Baltic states and Poland, and has presented them to member states' representatives.

Rupsys has said that the new plans are fully in line with Lithuania's expectations.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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

Belarusian N-plant's 2nd unit has no impact on Lithuanian system – minister

VILNIUS, May 17, BNS – The Belarusian nuclear power plant's second unit, which was connected to the power grid last week, has no impact on the Lithuanian electricity transmission system, Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys said on Wednesday.

However, it is unclear how Belarus' energy system could function in the future if the reactor were to be stopped, because the neighboring country does not have sufficient reserves for this, he said, adding that this would not affect Lithuania either.

"There is no (impact) because the flow through Lithuania is very small – about 200 megawatts. Belarus simply disconnected its gas capacities in order to be able to start up the plant," Kreivys told BNS.

"Probably the biggest risk comes from how they plan to operate the unit. As you know, operation requires reserves. If the unit stops, something has to compensate for this, and they (Belarus) do not have these reserves. The unit has been launched, but we do not see how it can continue to function," he added.

Given that Belarus does not follow international standards, Minsk's failure to inform Lithuania about the reactor's start-up was not unexpected, according to Kreivys.

"They have never acted in accordance with international standards as far as the Astravyets power plant is concerned: neither when building, nor while designing, nor while launching it," he said.

Litgrid, Lithuania's electricity transmission system operator, also told BNS on Tuesday that the Astravyets plan's second unit had no impact on the Lithuanian system and that there would be no impact even if the facility were to be suddenly disconnected from the grid.

Belarus' Energy Ministry says that the second unit is planned to be put into commercial operation in October.

Lithuania and international experts say that the Astravyets plant's construction was carried out in flagrant violation of technological and environmental standards.

Vilnius, one of the biggest critics of the plant, which has two Russian-made reactors of almost 1.2 GW each, has repeatedly demanded that the facility be halted until all safety issues are resolved.

By Giedrius Gaidamavičius, Goda Vileikytė

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

Speed of response a key component of Baltic defense plans – Lithuanian defense chief

VILNIUS, May 17, BNS – Speed of response is a key component of NATO's new regional defense plans, Lithuania's Chief of Defense Lieutenant General Valdemaras Rupsys said on Wednesday.

"The speed of response (...) is a very important factor and it is seen as one of the essential components of this plan," he said.

Rupsys was speaking to reporters after presenting the plans to the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense (CNSD) at a closed meeting on Wednesday.

According to the lieutenant general, the new plans "respond to today's threats" and are sufficient to deter and be ready for defense.

In his words, the capabilities attributed to the Baltic states in the plans are "designed to meet the threats".

"These are the threats as they are today, and our allies are pooling and generating these capabilities to deter, and to defend when necessary," the chief of defense said.

"If these threats increase, so will the capabilities. Our allies, our NATO coalition members, have made a clear decision to develop and have the appropriate capabilities, and I have no doubt that we will have that," he said.

Once the regional plans are in place, the next step will be the development of tactical plans and the generation of capabilities to implement them, according to Rupsys.

A division that Lithuania is planning to create in its armed forces is part of the plans, he said.

The Alliance has worked out new defense plans covering the Baltic states and Poland, and has presented them to member states' representatives.

Rupsys has said that the new plans are fully in line with Lithuania's expectations.

By Austėja Masiokaitė-Liubinienė

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 645 093 86, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuanian govt may scrap subsidies for electricity prices, but extend those for gas

VILNIUS, May 17, BNS – The Lithuanian Energy Ministry proposes that the state stop subsidizing electricity prices to households, but extend subsidies for natural gas prices to keep the tariffs at their current levels, Renatas Pocius, chairman of the National Energy Regulatory Council (VERT), said on Wednesday.

The Energy Ministry has said that it suggests partially covering natural gas bills for household consumers in the second half of the year, but scraping subsidies for electricity prices, a move that has yet to be approved by the Cabinet.

"Electricity is unlikely to require subsidizing," Pocius told the parliamentary Committee on Economics. "We have just received a draft (resolution) from the Energy Ministry on the need for subsidizing and it does not provide for any subsidies for the electricity sector."

However, gas prices will continue to need to be subsidized for household consumers, according to the official.

"Preliminarily, for the second group (of consumers), who use gas to heat their homes, we forecast the price (for the second half of 2023) to be set at 1.57 euros (per cubic meter without subsidizing)," he told the committee.

According to the Energy Ministry, that group of household consumers would pay the gas supplier Ignitis around 0.91 euros per cubic meter if part of the price is covered by the state.

The subsidizing scheme would be in place until the end of 2023 and could require using almost 54.5 million euros of budgeted funds unspent in the first half of the year.

In the first half, the state covers up to 28.5 euro cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity and 99 cents per cubic meter of gas for households in the first half of the year. The threshold below which the cost of electricity is not subsidized is set at 28 cents per kWh.

By Sniegė Balčiūnaitė

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 17, Vilnius newsroom

Baltics to increase NATO Air Policing Mission hosting costs

VILNIUS, May 17, BNS – The Baltic states' defense ministers have agreed to increase the costs of hosting allies as part of the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states.

During their meeting in Latvia, the ministers signed an updated mutual agreement enshrining the respective commitment of all Baltic states, Lithuania's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

"The NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission is one of the best examples of collective efforts to ensure our regional security. Obviously, this requires host country commitment to ensure adequate support and infrastructure for incoming allied troops," Lithuanian Minister of National Defense Arvydas Anusauskas was quoted as saying in the ministry's statement "I firmly believe our joint efforts to create better conditions for the presence and training of allies in the Baltic region will undoubtedly pay off."

Lithuania, Latvian and Estonian Defense Ministers Anusauskas, Inara Murniece and Hanno Pevkur also agreed to strengthen pan-Baltic cooperation in the area of military training.

"Currently, all Baltic countries are paying special attention to the development and improvement of military training infrastructure for the needs of both allied and national forces. We agreed to share best practices and to achieve a breakthrough in military training by making use of the Baltic states' common military training capabilities," Anusauskas said.

The ministers also discussed the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius and support to Ukraine during their meeting in Jekabpils.

In recent years, the Baltic states have been actively cooperating in the areas of the NATO Air Policing Mission, naval forces, joint exercises, as well as on officer training at the Baltic Defense College. They are also synchronizing capability planning, coordinating joint acquisitions, holding joint exercises, other types of training and seminars, and are expanding cooperation among individual military forces.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 08, Vilnius newsroom

Ukrainian children from Bucha to come to Lithuania's Palanga this summer – mayor

VILNIUS, May 17, BNS - Children from the Ukrainian town of Bucha near Kyiv will come to Palanga to have rest this summer, Palanga Mayor Sarunas Vaitkus says.

"On the initiative of the Palanga municipality, children from Bucha will have rest in our resort this summer. We recently visited Bucha and agreed with the local mayor that Palanga could host five seven-day shifts," the Palanga mayor told a press conference on Wednesday.

Around 100 Ukrainian children and accompanying persons will come to the Lithuanian coastal resort, he said.

"We would fully pay for their accommodation, fully support them, provide meals, organize entertainment," he said, adding that children who have lost their parents in Ukraine would come to Palanga.

By Greta Zulonaitė

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

Equipment for Russian warships may have been transported via Lithuania (media)

VILNIUS, May 17, BNS - Equipment for Russian warships worth several hundred thousand euros may have been transported via Lithuania after the start of Russia's war against Ukraine, Siena, a Lithuanian investigative journalism center, reports.

According to Siena's partners at The Insider, an independent Russian publication, Lithuania's name was linked to one suspicious shipment of diesel engine parts, worth 443,000 euros, that moved via Lithuania in July.

The consignee of the shipment was said to be Kolomensky Zavod, a Russian company owned by Russian oligarchs Iskander Makhmudov and Andrey Bokarev. It supplies diesel engines to the Russian Navy.

Kolomensky Zavod was reportedly supplied with engines and engine parts by companies from Germany, Austria, Poland and Lithuania, but the latter was only a stopover for a 19-ton shipment, with Switzerland's RCM Estech named as the manufacturer.

In July, the shipment moved through customs warehouses run by a sole proprietorship, but the latter's owner claimed to have no knowledge of such a shipment.

According to The Insider, a total of 25 European companies supplied suspicious goods to buyers linked to the Russian army.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 11, Vilnius newsroom

May 19 2023

Upcoming events

There are no up-coming events

Our Gallery