LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Monday, August 21, 2023
2. Two irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
3. Lithuanian president, EU commissioner to discuss Ukraine support, Russia sanctions
4. Lithuanian formin to discuss EU’s foreign, security policy issues in Spain
5. Lithuania reports 11 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
6. Advisor says complete closure of Lithuania’s border with Belarus is unnecessary at present
7. Simonyte, Nauseda, Landsbergis ranked as Lithuania's most influential politicians – survey (media)
8. Defmin hopes Lithuania will withdraw from Convention on Cluster Munitions
9. Massive reactor delivered to Orlen Lithuania's plant in Mazeikiai
10. NATO jets in Baltics scrambled 3 times to intercept Russian planes
11. Lithuanian formin signs deputy Adomenas' resignation letter
12. EU commissioner: Lithuania's efforts will not solve Ukraine's grain export problem
13. Belarusian activist Karach worked with Russian intelligence – Lithuania's SSD
14. EU Commission’s priority now is implementation of existing Russia sanctions – Sinkevicius
15. Belarusian activist Karach worked with Russian intelligence – Lithuania's SSD (expands)
16. Lithuania’s army chief sees no immediate threat from Belarus
17. Karach gets new residence permit in Lithuania after failing to secure asylum
18. Experts suggest renaming Lithuanian streets named after Soviet figures
19. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, August 22, 2023

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Monday, August 21, 2023

 

VILNIUS, Aug 21, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Monday, August 21, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to meet with European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevicius at 1 p.m.

FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to attend the "Quo Vadis, Europe?" conference in Santander, Spain, on August 21-22.

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

 

VILNIUS, Aug 21, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away two migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Monday morning.

Latvia reported 31 attempts at illegal border crossings on Sunday, and another 124 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Saturday, according to the latest available information.

A total of 1,541 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 20,900 people from crossing in from Belarus since August 3, 2021, when they were given the right to turn away irregular migrants. The number includes repeated attempts by the same people to cross the border.

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

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

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Lithuanian president, EU commissioner to discuss Ukraine support, Russia sanctions

 

VILNIUS, Aug 21, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda will on Monday meet with European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevicius to discuss support for Ukraine, sanctions against Russia as well as other topical policy issues of the European Union (EU).

The meeting would also cover the ongoing discussions on the review of the EU’s multiannual budget, the implementation of the Economic Recovery and Resilience Facility Plan, and measures to boost EU competitiveness, the presidential office told BNS.

Sinkevicius arrived on an official visit to Lithuania on Sunday.

He will also meet with Seimas Speaker Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, representatives of the Lithuanian Laser Association, members of the Youth Europe team, representatives of Lithuanian organic farms, and take part in the discussion festival “Būtent!” (Eng. Exactly).

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Lithuanian formin to discuss EU’s foreign, security policy issues in Spain

 

VILNIUS, Aug 21, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis will on Monday attend the conference “Quo Vadis, Europe?” hosted by Santander, Spain, to discuss the issues of the European Union’s (EU) foreign and security policy.

This year’s conference would focus on the EU’s support for Ukraine, EU enlargement prospects, relations with China and EU energy policy, the Foreign Ministry said in a press release.

With the Ukrainian and Austrian foreign ministers, Landsbergis will attend the conference’s main session, “The European Union in the face of war and peace in Ukraine”, and discuss further EU policy in support of Ukraine.

The event is hosted by the European Commission and the External Action Service of the EU and brings together EU ministers, politicians, academics and experts to discuss the most pressing issues of the EU’s foreign and security policy.

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Lithuania reports 11 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths

 

VILNIUS, Aug 21, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 11 new coronavirus infections and no deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Monday morning.

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals now stands at 22, including one ICU case.

The 14-day primary infection rate has reached 15 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 14.4 percent.

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

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

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

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Advisor says complete closure of Lithuania’s border with Belarus is unnecessary at present

 

VILNIUS, Aug 21, BNS – Kestutis Budrys, national security advisor to the Lithuanian president, says that a complete closure of Lithuania’s border with Belarus is not necessary at present.

“As a measure that should be prepared and ready ..., of course it has to be prepared. Whether there is such a need at the moment that closing the border could substantially improve the security situation for us, or act as, let's say, a measure of influence on the Belarusian regime, I don't think we are in such a situation that we need it now," he told the LRT radio on Monday.

Last week, Lithuania closed the Sumskas and Tverecius border checkpoints with Belarus.

Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite then said that Lithuania could close its border with Belarus completely if it received information about incidents or warnings from intelligence bodies, but this should only be done jointly with other neighbors.

The Baltic and Polish ministers are to meet in Warsaw in late August to discuss a mechanism for a "regional decision" should they need to close their borders with Belarus completely, according to Bilotaite.

“They should assess the whole set of measures, how they could do it, how to do it quickly, how to ensure the effective closure of that border and then make one or another proposal for such a politically coordinated action already. Then if the required conditions are in place, if we can see that this is a means of preventing threats, then this is a matter of our national security. There will be unequivocal support for this, and I have no doubt that the president would initiate such a decision", Budrys said.

"We should not forget that this is also the external border of the European Union. It is not only Lithuania's border. That is why all such decisions have to be coordinated, just as this decision was coordinated, and its significance and meaning is not only, well, regulating certain flows and redistributing our capacities, but also a political assessment," he noted.

Deputy Interior Minister Arnoldas Abramavicius has said that closing all of Lithuania's six border crossing points with Belarus at the same time would pose major organizational problems.

Rustamas Liubajevas, the commander of the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service, has said, however, that he would support the closure of more border crossing points.

Lithuanian politicians say the closure comes in response to potential threats due to the relocation of some Wagner fighters to Belarus, although the move was approved by the Commission for the Development of Border Checkpoints back in May, more than a month before Yevgeny Prigozhin, the mercenary group's leader, revolted against Russia's military leaders.

Bilotaite told reporters at the Tverecius checkpoint last week that the decision to close the border crossings was primarily aimed at tackling the smuggling problem and that the emergence of "an additional factor" due to Wagner mercenaries had added urgency to the planned move. 

Lithuanian and Polish leaders have said there are currently about 4,000 to 4,500 Wagner fighters in Belarus, with some of them stationed close to the two countries' borders.

Belarus has a visa-free regime for Lithuanian, Latvian and Polish citizens in place since the spring of 2022. Minsk says that Belarusian border guards have registered a total of over 400,000 visits by Lithuanian nationals since April 2022.

Meanwhile, Lithuanian officials warn of attempts by Belarus' authorities to recruit some Lithuanian travelers by using blackmail and psychological pressure.

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Simonyte, Nauseda, Landsbergis ranked as Lithuania's most influential politicians – survey (media)

 

VILNIUS, Aug 21, BNS – Lithuanian experts see Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, President Gitanas Nauseda and Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, leader of the conservative Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats, as the country's most influential politicians, according to a survey published by the Delfi news website on Monday.

Next in the annual ranking is Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, the speaker of the parliament and the leader of the Liberal Movement, followed by Lithuania's first post-independence leader Vytautas Landsbergis.

The top ten also includes Lithuania's former presidents Valdas Adamkus and Dalia Grybauskaite, Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas, ex-Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis, chairman of the opposition Democrats "For Lithuania", and Vilija Blinkeviciute, chairwoman of the opposition Social Democratic party.

The survey was carried out for Delfi by the magazine Reitingai, which interviewed 999 politicians, business people, civil servants, journalists, public figures and other well-known people between May 17 and June 19.

In a separate poll of members of the public, Nauseda was named the most influential politician, followed by Simonyte and Adamkus.

All politicians made it to the top ten in both polls, but differ in their position.

In the public opinion survey, Spinter Tyrimai polled 1,015 people aged between 18 and 75 years on June 19-30. 

Delfi has published the annual rankings of Lithuania's most influential people for the ninth consecutive year.

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Defmin hopes Lithuania will withdraw from Convention on Cluster Munitions

 

VILNIUS, Aug 21, BNS – Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas says Lithuania should withdraw from the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

“Lithuania became the 55th country to join the ban on cluster munitions. We should withdraw from this convention in order to acquire and use [cluster munitions]. I hope this will be done," the minister said on Facebook on Sunday.

The Convention, ratified by Lithuania in 2011, bans the use, production and acquisition of cluster munitions and lays down specific obligations to address the humanitarian consequences of these weapons.

A cluster munition is a weapon containing multiple explosive submunitions. Cluster munitions are dropped from aircraft or fired from the ground or sea, opening up in mid-air to release tens or hundreds of submunitions, which can saturate an area up to the size of several football fields.

The Convention on Cluster Munitions was signed in Dublin in December 2008 and entered into force on August 1, 2010.

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Massive reactor delivered to Orlen Lithuania's plant in Mazeikiai

 

VILNIUS, Aug 21, BNS – A massive reactor has been delivered to the Mazeikiai-based oil refinery operated by Orlen Lietuva (Orlen Lithuania) following a two-week trip, the company's spokeswoman told BNS on Monday.

The reactor arrived in Juodeikiai in Mazeikiai District at around 10 a.m. and will now undergo preparation for its installation.

"The reactor arrived a few minutes before 10 a.m. and is already waiting to enter the construction site for the deep oil conversation unit. (...) It will now undergo preparation until mid-October for the installation at the site. It's scheduled to be installed in early October," Kristina Gendvile told BNS on Monday.

"It will be put into operation with the whole unit, and we plan that it will be operational in around late 2024 early 2025," she said.

The delivery has not caused significant road damage, Gedvile said, adding that, overall, the reactor's delivery was more successful than expected. 

As reported earlier, the delivery took a bit longer than planned as the reactor was initially scheduled to arrive in Mazeikiai on August 18, with the maximum deadline of August 25.

The delivery of the massive 1,500-ton 100 meter-long, 6.5 meter-wide and 10-meter high Italian-made reactor to the oil refinery 145 km away started early morning on August 6.

Mammoet Baltic was in charge of the delivery that is mainly being done at night, early morning and late night.

The reactor will be used for the upgrade of the Mazeikiai facility, which is currently estimated to cost up to 970 million euros. It's the largest investment project in Lithuania in Orlen's history since 2006, and it's expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

By Goda Vileikytė

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NATO jets in Baltics scrambled 3 times to intercept Russian planes

 

VILNIUS, Aug 21, BNS – NATO's fighter jets stationed in the Baltic states as part of the NATO air policing mission were scrambled three times last week to intercept Russian military aircraft flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea in violation of flight rules and took off once to patrol the airspace along the Baltic borders with Russia and Belarus, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

On August 14, jets were sent to intercept two Russian TU-22 bombers as they were flying in international airspace without a flight plan, had their onboard transponder switched off and were not in contact with the regional traffic control center. The planes that were accompanying the bombers were not identify and were likely fighter jets.

On August 17, NATO jets took off to intercept an IL-76 transporter and an IL-20 attack aircraft. They were flying in international airspace without a flight plan, one of them had its onboard transponder on was in contact with the regional traffic control center, and the second one was not.

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

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Lithuanian formin signs deputy Adomenas' resignation letter

 

VILNIUS, Aug 21, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has signed his deputy Mantas Adomenas' resignation letter after the latter was caught drink-driving.

Monday is Adomenas' last working day, Paulina Levickyte, spokeswoman for the foreign minister, told BNS, adding that the areas he was responsible for will be taken over by other vice-ministers.

Last week, Adomenas admitted in a Facebook post that he had been caught driving under the influence of alcohol. He apologized and announced his resignation.

Adomenas has been a foreign vice minister since mid-December 2020.

He was a member of the ruling Homeland Union - Lithuanian Christian Democrats from 2000 to 2018, and was expelled from the party by the party's Supervisory Committee for inappropriate links with the MG Baltic business group (now MG Grupe). 

Adomenas was an MP from 2008 to 2020, but failed to secure re-election in 2020.

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EU commissioner: Lithuania's efforts will not solve Ukraine's grain export problem

 

VILNIUS, Aug 21, BNS – Lithuania's initiative to help Ukraine ship grain through Klaipeda and other Baltic ports will not solve the problem because Lithuania does not have sufficient infrastructure, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevicius has said.

"Lithuania's position and proposal are very much appreciated as well-intentioned, but the reality is somewhat different. First of all, there is not enough infrastructure to transport these quantities of grain and the only way to do it is through the Black Sea. Everything else is fine, but not enough, plus it is time-consuming because of the different [railway] gauge," he told reporters in Vilnius on Monday after a meeting with President Gitanas Nauseda.

In the absence of alternative infrastructure, the road through Lithuania would not be sufficient, he said adding that it would also be inconvenient for business.

“Let's add one last component – commerce. Grain, its shipment, is also important for the business component, so that it reaches the necessary ports and buyers as quickly as possible, and here, too, transport via Lithuania becomes more difficult, as the cost of shipment also increases," the EU commissioner said.

“Lithuania's proposal is very important in this case, it may help to some extent, but unfortunately it cannot solve the problem," he added. 

Lithuania is proposing a route through the Baltic countries that would facilitate the transport and export of Ukrainian grain as customs formalities, phytosanitary checks and other procedures could be moved from the Ukraine-Poland border to EU ports such as Klaipeda.

By Erika Alonderytė-Kazlauskė

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Belarusian activist Karach worked with Russian intelligence – Lithuania's SSD

 

VILNIUS, Aug 21, BNS - Belarusian activist Olga Karach, who now resides in Lithuania, worked with the Russian intelligence service, Lithuania's State Security Department says.

And its information was the basis for the Migration Department's last week decision not to grant asylum to the director of Our House, an international civic initiative center.

The assessment was carried out as the Migration Department was considering her asylum request.

"According to the SSD data, Belarusian opposition activist Karach, who lives in Lithuania, worked with the Russian intelligence service," the document in BNS's possession says.

Approached by BNS, Karach denied she had worked with Russian and Belarusian special services.

The document states that Karach visited Russian territory between 2015 and 2019 to meet with Russian intelligence officers and also kept non-in-person contact with them, Lithuania's intelligence service said.

The SSD states that Karach passed on documents she had prepared to persons linked with Russian intelligence, and she also provided information on the Belarusian regime and opposition members and their activities.

Karach sought the Russian authorities' support for her political activities in Belarus and discussed her possible political commitments to Russia with representatives of the Russian intelligence services, the SSD reports.

"Representatives of the Russian intelligence service took care of Karach's image in Lithuania and abroad, provided advice and suggestions on her public activities, warned and instructed her on how to mitigate the risks," the document reads.

It also states that the Russian intelligence service remains interested in using Karach for intelligence and influence purposes in Lithuania and abroad.

"The Russian intelligence service may use its ties with Karach for activities against Lithuania and its interests, and, therefore, she poses a threat to the security of the State of Lithuanian," the SSD conclusion states and adds that the described circumstances are supported by the SSD's classified information.

Karach has been receiving residence permits in Lithuania since 2014 and says she lived between Lithuania and Belarus until the spring of 2020 and then she moved to Vilnius. She applied for asylum in 2022.

Karach says the State Security Department cited her past trips to conferences in Russia as to why she was deemed a threat to national security. Lithuania's intelligence also reported about her interview with Russian politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky.

Our House says it provides humanitarian, psychological and other assistance to Belarusians both in their homeland and in Lithuania, and also monitors human rights violations. It was declared extremist by Minsk in 2022 and put on the "terrorist list" by the Belarusian KGB in 2021.

By Saulius Jakučionis

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EU Commission’s priority now is implementation of existing Russia sanctions – Sinkevicius

 

VILNIUS, Aug 21, BNS – The European Commission's priority at the moment is the implementation of the existing sanctions imposed on Russia, European Commissioner for Environment, Oceans and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevicius has said.

"Monitoring of sanctions is ongoing and the question is being raised about possible additions to the sanctions, perhaps the inclusion of new persons. But in this case, the priority is still implementation," he told reporters in Vilnius on Monday when asked about the prospects for new sanctions against Russia.

"First of all, the sanctions should be fully implemented, both in terms of dual-use goods and the Russian financial sector, where we have seen the latest falls of the ruble," Lithuania's delegated EU commissioner said.

In mid-August, the Russian ruble crashed through the level of 100 to the dollar for the first time since March 23, 2022, i.e. weeks after Moscow unleashed full-scale hostilities in Ukraine.

Later, however, the ruble held steady against the US dollar after the Russian central bank raised its key rate to 12 percent.

According to Sinkevicius, this fall of the ruble is linked to sanctions.

"Clearly, it is related to the sanctions, and clearly, this artificial stimulus from the reserve is continuing to hurt the Russian economy. But we see that sanctions are also being circumvented, and the Commission is also focusing very much on third countries that may be helping to circumvent sanctions," he said.

During his meeting with President Gitanas Nauseda on Monday, Sinkevicius also discussed the European Commission's autumn and winter agenda, Ukraine's progress towards EU membership, and the implementation of the reforms of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).

Sinkevicius arrived on an official visit to Lithuania on Sunday.

He will also meet with Seimas Speaker Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, representatives of the Lithuanian Laser Association, members of the Youth Europe team, representatives of Lithuanian organic farms, and take part in the discussion festival “Būtent!” (Eng. Exactly).

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Belarusian activist Karach worked with Russian intelligence – Lithuania's SSD (expands)

 

(Updated version: updates throughout, adds Karach's comment)

VILNIUS, Aug 21, BNS - Belarusian activist Olga Karach, who now resides in Lithuania, worked with the Russian intelligence service, Lithuania's State Security Department says.

And its information was the basis for the Migration Department's last week decision not to grant asylum to the director of Our House, an international civic initiative center.

The assessment was carried out as the Migration Department was considering her asylum request.

"According to the SSD data, Belarusian opposition activist Karach, who lives in Lithuania, worked with the Russian intelligence service," the document in BNS's possession says.

Approached by BNS, Karach denied she had worked with Russian and Belarusian special services.

"I have not worked with any special services, neither Russian, nor Belarusian," Karach said on Monday. "This is not the first time we hear these defamatory accusations against our organization. Unfortunately, we have to deny such absurd things and defend ourselves in court. I am determined to go to court."

Old ties

The SSD document states that Karach visited Russian territory between 2015 and 2019 to meet with Russian intelligence officers and also kept non-in-person contact with them, Lithuania's intelligence service said.

The SSD states that Karach passed on documents she had prepared to persons linked with Russian intelligence, and she also provided information on the Belarusian regime and opposition members and their activities.

Karach sought the Russian authorities' support for her political activities in Belarus and discussed her possible political commitments to Russia with representatives of the Russian intelligence services, the SSD reports.

"Representatives of the Russian intelligence service took care of Karach's image in Lithuania and abroad, provided advice and suggestions on her public activities, warned and instructed her on how to mitigate the risks," the document reads.

It also states that the Russian intelligence service remains interested in using Karach for intelligence and influence purposes in Lithuania and abroad.

"The Russian intelligence service may use its ties with Karach for activities against Lithuania and its interests, and, therefore, she poses a threat to the security of the State of Lithuanian," the SSD conclusion states and adds that the described circumstances are supported by the SSD's classified information.

Absurd accusations

Karach told BNS on Monday that the Lithuanian intelligence authority should verify its information when making such accusations.

"I am very grateful to Lithuania for rescuing my children in its time because the Belarusian KGB tried to kidnap my children to blackmail me. Lithuania rescued me and my children. Now I feel resentment and anger, (...) you cannot rely on the reports of other NGOs that consider us their competitors without any careful assessment, you have to check everything", she said.

"I do understand that it's getting cramped for various Belarusian organizations in Lithuania and that there's an ugly struggle for influence and power, but I can unequivocally say there has been no cooperation and there could not have been any," she stressed.

Karach claimed she last visited Russia in October 2019 to attend a conference. In March 2020, she fled Belarus for Lithuania and has not been in Russia or her home country ever since.

The Belarusian activist also claims she has never asked for financial support from Russia and has never talked to any Russian intelligence officers.

"There were no meetings with Russian intelligence officials. I did attend various conferences in Russia, but I am not aware of any meetings with intelligence officials. Of course there were various people there, but how can I know that they are not cooperating with the KGB. Forgive me for the comparison, I don't want to offend, but you can also cooperate with the KGB, how do I know?", Mr Karach told BNS.

"If someone had shown me a certificate of an officer of the Federal Security Service during a meeting, I would have sent them far away, using expletives," she said.

Karach says her temporary residence permit in Lithuania expires in two weeks and she fears it might not be renewed.

Karach has been receiving residence permits in Lithuania since 2014 and says she lived between Lithuania and Belarus until the spring of 2020 and then she moved to Vilnius. She applied for asylum in 2022.

Karach says the State Security Department cited her past trips to conferences in Russia as to why she was deemed a threat to national security. Lithuania's intelligence also reported about her interview with Russian politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky.

Our House says it provides humanitarian, psychological and other assistance to Belarusians both in their homeland and in Lithuania, and also monitors human rights violations. It was declared extremist by Minsk in 2022 and put on the "terrorist list" by the Belarusian KGB in 2021.

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Lithuania’s army chief sees no immediate threat from Belarus

 

VILNIUS, Aug 21, BNS – There is no immediate threat from Belarus, Lithuania's Chief of Defense General Valdemar Rupsys has said.

“We are monitoring, the allies are monitoring, the Lithuanian Armed Forces are monitoring, as regards some kind of immediate threat ... it's definitely not there now, but I'm saying that both the Russian forces that are now in Belarus and the Belarusian regime itself are very unpredictable, so in spite of that, we have chosen both the objectives and the tasks, so as to have choices made as to how to respond to any situation," told reporters on Monday as he visited the exercise of troops of the Iron Wolf Infantry Brigade in Prienai District, South Lithuania.

The general noted that the army was currently operating "adequately to the threat".

“If we train according to the plans we have adopted for today ..., we will be certainly ready for any threat," Rupsys said.

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

Rustamas Liubajevas, the commander of the Lithuanian State Border Guard Service, has said, however, that there could be up to 4,500 of them.

The chief of defense also said that an exercise where border guards and troops would train to operate according to the scenarios foreseen in the updated state border protection plan would take place at the border this month.

The exercise is scheduled for Friday and the involvement of Polish, Latvian and Estonian internal affairs officers is being considered.

"We are certainly doing as much as we need to. The very idea is not to be tied to the border area, because the border is very wide ... We have plans on how, where, when and with whom we would react, but we don't necessarily have to train at the border", the general said.

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Karach gets new residence permit in Lithuania after failing to secure asylum

 

VILNIUS, Aug 21, BNS – Lithuania's Migration Department last week refused to grant asylum to Belarusian activist Olga Karach but at the same time issued her a new residence permit in Lithuania on humanitarian grounds.

"I was refused asylum, but the same decision granted me a residence permit in Lithuania," the director of Our House, an international center for civic initiatives, told BNS on Monday.

Karach was denied asylum in Lithuania on the grounds of the State Security Department's conclusion that her residence in the country poses a threat to national security due to her ties with Russian intelligence.

Without commenting on the specific asylum case, Lucija Voicnis, a deputy director of the Migration Department, confirmed to reporters on Monday that in cases when asylum is not granted, a new residence permit can be issued, if it is dangerous for the person in question to return to the country of origin.

"If it is decided that a person cannot be returned to the country of origin due to certain threats to his or her life, in such a case the person is left in Lithuania and is issued a temporary residence permit for one year on humanitarian grounds," she said, adding that a person might be sent to any other third country in such cases, but both the country and the person have to agree to it.

The decision not to grant Karach asylum but to issue a new residence permit has not entered into force as she said earlier she would appeal.

While her case is pending in court, Karach will have asylum status allowing her to stay in Lithuania.

Karach has been receiving residence permits in Lithuania since 2014 and says she lived between Lithuania and Belarus until the spring of 2020 and then she moved to Vilnius. She applied for asylum in 2022, stating that she needs it for fear of being detained abroad.

Lithuania's State Security Department states in its documents, seen by BNS, that Karach visited Russian territory between 2015 and 2019 to meet with Russian intelligence officers.

The SSD states that Karach passed on documents she had prepared to persons linked with Russian intelligence, and she also provided information on the Belarusian regime and opposition members and their activities.

Karach sought the Russian authorities' support for her political activities in Belarus and discussed her possible political commitments to Russia with representatives of the Russian intelligence services, and the latter took care of her public image.

The SSD conclusion states that the described circumstances are supported by the SSD's classified information.

Speaking with BNS, Karach said has never worked with Russian and Belarusian special services, adding that the unfavorable conclusion could be related to reports about her by rival organizations.

Our House says it provides humanitarian, psychological and other assistance to Belarusians both in their homeland and in Lithuania, and also monitors human rights violations. It was declared extremist by Minsk in 2022 and put on the "terrorist list" by the Belarusian KGB in 2021.

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Experts suggest renaming Lithuanian streets named after Soviet figures

 

VILNIUS, Aug 21, BNS – An expert panel has recommended renaming a number of street across Lithuania, named after Soviet figures as the country continues the process of de-Societization of public spaces.

The experts have proposed renaming the streets named after writer and Soviet activist Liudas Gira. Meanwhile, decisions on renaming the streets named after poet Salomeja Neris and military officer Jonas Noreika-General Vetra have been postponed.

The Inter-institutional Commission for the Assessment of the Compliance of Public Places with the Prohibition of the Promotion of Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes and Their Ideologies in Public Places met on Monday and also recommended removing a commemorative plaque with a bas-relief for poet and Soviet activist Antanas Venclova in Klaipeda, renaming the existing Pioneer Street in Raseiniai, and also renaming the street named after Ivan Michurin in Kursenai.

Vitas Karciauskas, who chairs the commission, the experts had no doubts about the collaboration of Gira and Venclova with the Soviet authorities.

"We also have no doubt that Neris was a collaborator, albeit a great poet. As we did no want to make any generalizations, we asked the Genocide and Resistance Research Center of Lithuania to provide an official statement on the facts of her collaboration. We adjourned until the receipt of such a statement, and then we will make the final decision," Karciauskas told BNS on Monday.

The authorities of the city of Klaipeda and Raseiniai District had turned to the commission over renaming the existing streets named after Neris. There are streets named after her in a number of other municipalities across the country.

Karciauskas also said there's a proposal to rename the Pioneer Street in Vidukle, Raseiniai District.

A separate recommendation is to change the name of the street in Kursenai, Siauliai District, named after the Russian biologist and breeder Ivan Michurin.

"The Soviet biologist has nothing to do with Lithuania, his surname was used for purely ideological reasons, and therefore the proposal is to change the name of the street," Karciauskas said.

The expert commission postponed decisions on the monument to Juozas Barzda in Plunge District and the memorial plaque to General Noreika-General Vetra in Siauliai for now.

"Juozas Barzda undoubtedly collaborated with various government structures of fascist Germany, took part in the extermination of Lithuanian Jews, and was guilty of many murders of Jews, but we lack data on what kind of monument is in question. We do not know whether it is a private site or a public space, or whether it is his burial place or not. We have asked the Plunge authorities for additional information," Karciauskas said, adding that the new report on Noreika should be provided by the Genocide and Resistance Research Center of Lithuania.

Earlier, the commission recommended renaming the streets named after Petras Cvirka. At that time, no grounds were found for renaming the Cosmonaut Streets and those named after Julius Janonis and Butku Juze.

The law prohibiting the propagation of totalitarian and authoritarian regimes and their ideologies in public places came into force in Lithuania in May. The law bans any form of commemoration or representation of persons, symbols, information propagating totalitarian or authoritarian regimes and their ideologies.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, August 22, 2023

 

VILNIUS, Aug 22, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Tuesday, August 22, 2023:

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to meet with European Commissioner Virginijus Sinkevicius at 4 p.m.

JUSTICE MINISTER Ewelina Dobrowolska to meet with her Estonian counterpart Kalle Laanet at 9 a.m.

FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis attending the "Quo Vadis, Europe?" conference in Santander, Spain, on August 21-22.

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