IN THIS ISSUE:
VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Lithuania on Wednesday.
His plane landed at Vilnius Airport at around 10.30 a.m. and he was met by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.
According to the Lithuanian presidential office, the Lithuanian and Ukrainian presidents will discuss the course of the war in Ukraine, support for Ukraine, and the country’s integration into the EU and NATO.
The two leaders will address the people of Lithuania at Daukanto Square, and will also visit the Ukrainian center established on the initiative of the First Ladies of Lithuania and Ukraine, where they will meet with Ukrainian war refugees living in Lithuania.
This is Zelensky's fourth visit to Lithuania. The last time he was in Vilnius was in July 2023 when he attended the NATO summit.
Ukraine calls Vilnius one of its biggest supporters in its fight against the Russian invasion that has been taking place for almost two years.
Lithuania actively supports Ukraine's EU and NATO membership. In terms of economic size, Lithuania is one of the largest contributors of military aid to Ukraine.
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Ukraine has proved that Russia can be stopped and now it needs to wrest peace from it, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in Vilnius on Wednesday.
"We have proved that Russia can be stopped, that deterrence is possible. Now we have to wrest peace from Russia's hands, the kind of peace we want – a just one - and get security for our nations. The security we need," he said.
Zelensky said that this year will be decisive in many respects.
The Ukrainian leader noted that he came to Lithuania for his first visit abroad this year.
"This is not just a visit of gratitude; it is a visit of shared trust between the nations that live in the neighborhood of Russia," he said.
Zelensky said that neither Ukraine nor Lithuania will allow Russia to destroy their statehood.
For his part, President Gitanas Nauseda said that Lithuania has supported and will continue to support Ukraine through all means – military, political and economic.
The two presidents signed a memorandum of cooperation in Vilnius on Wednesday.
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, January 10, 2024.
SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to give an interview to the Ziniu Radijas radio station at 8 a.m.; to meet with Armenia's ambassador Ara Margarian at noon.
PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to chair the Cabinet's meeting at 1 p.m.
SOCIAL PROTECTION AND LABOR MINISTER Monika Navickiene to attend an informal meeting of the EU's Employment and Social Affairs Council (EPSCO) in Belgium.
FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to meet with EU member countries' ambassadors to Lithuania.
COURTS
The Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania to issue, at 1 p.m., its ruling on Belarusian activist Olga Karach's asylum appeal.
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally for more than a week now, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Wednesday morning.
No attempts at illegal border crossings were recorded at the Lithuanian and Latvian borders on Tuesday and at the Polish border on Monday.
"Tuesday was the ninth consecutive day when no irregular migrants attempted to enter Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated locations. That is, there have been no such cases this year," the SBGS said.
The same situation was recorded last year from October 31 to November 7. Since the summer of 2021, when the influx of migrants started, there has been only one even longer period of relative calm when no foreigners attempted to cross the Lithuanian border illegally. This happened between February 18 and March 1 last year, i.e. for 12 consecutive days.
Lithuanian border officials now attribute this to the spell of cold weather and the consequences of the government's pushback policy.
More than 2,500 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year.
Lithuanian border guards have prevented a total of almost 22,000 people from crossing in from Belarus since August 3, 2021, when they were given the right to turn away irregular migrants. The number includes repeated attempts by the same people to cross the border.
The influx of irregular migrants to the EU's eastern member states from Belarus began in 2021 and is blamed by the West on the Minsk regime.
Almost 4,200 irregular migrants crossed into Lithuania from Belarus illegally in 2021. However, the vast majority of them fled Lithuania once they were allowed to move freely.
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – A nine-year-old girl who went missing on her way to a bus stop in Lithuania's second-biggest city of Kaunas on Sunday was found "safe and alive" last night, the police said.
"Agota is safe, alive, and will return home," Kaunas police spokesman Odeta Vaitkeviciene told BNS.
Police Commissioner General Renatas Pozela told a press conference in the early hours of Wednesday that a man had been detained on suspicion of abducting Agota and that the nine-year-old girl had been taken to hospital.
"The detention occurred in a garage complex near the place of abduction," he said.
Pozela said that the girl "is well and talking", but that she had sustained some injuries and was being examined by doctors.
"Medical personnel are attending to her, and she is in the care of her parents," he said,
According to Kaunas police chief Mindaugas Barsys, the 42-year-old suspect "has no convictions, (but) has been punished more than once".
Pozela added that "the crime was committed in a rather qualified manner".
"Some things surprised us, let's put it that way," the commissioner general said.
Barsys said that the garage "looked not exactly as we imagine a place for storing a car".
The officials did not comment on the motives behind the crime.
The girl, born in 2014, disappeared after she left her home in Kaunas at around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. She headed to a public transport stop to take bus to a shop. However, she did not make it to the shop.
The search operation involved hundreds of police officers and volunteers from all over Lithuania.
By Augustas Stankevičius
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – The Lithuanian Air Force's Spartan transport aircraft brought a donor organ from Warsaw to Vilnius on Tuesday, the military said on Wednesday.
The military plane was deployed at the request of the National Transplant Bureau.
"The Air Force's C-27J Spartan transport aircraft took off from Zokniai Airport in Siauliai at around 4 p.m. and departed for Warsaw Airport in Poland with a medical team aboard," the Armed Forces said in a press release.
The medical team landed in Vilnius at 10:25 p.m. with the donor organ, after which the aircraft returned to Siauliai.
This marks the military plane's second flight to neighboring Poland after a cooperation agreement was signed in late September 2023, expanding the list of European countries such aircraft fly to for the transportation of donor organs.
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – The opposition Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) continues to top Lithuania's political party rankings, followed in second place by the ruling conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (HU-LCD), according to the latest Spinter Tyrimai opinion poll published by Delfi on Wednesday.
Some 16.3 percent of respondents said in December that they would vote for the LSDP and 10.8 percent supported the HU-LCD, compared to 13.8 percent and 9.7 percent, respectively, in the previous poll in November.
The opposition Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union ranked third with 9.4 percent (8 percent in November), followed in fourth position by the Liberal Movement, a member of the ruling coalition, with 6.2 percent (6.6 percent).
Further down the list was the opposition Democratic Union "For Lithuania" with 6.1 percent (4 percent) and the ruling Freedom Party with 5.3 percent (3.3 percent).
Other parties would not cross the five-percent election threshold to get to the parliament.
The percentage of respondents who said they would not go to the polls declined to 10.8 percent in December, from 15.9 percent in November.
When asked who they saw as best-suited to be prime minister, 10.9 percent of respondents chose Ingrida Simonyte, the incumbent head of government, up from 7.2 percent in the previous poll.
MEP Vilija Blinkeviciute, the LSDP leader, came in second with 8.5 percent, almost unchanged from 8.4 percent in November.
When asked about the current government's performance, 63.5 percent of respondents said their opinion was rather negative or negative, down from 67.8 percent in the previous poll.
In the representative survey commissioned by Delfi, Spinter Tyrimai polled 1,012 people between December 15 and 23. The results of the poll have an error margin of 3.1 percent.
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen says she sees Russian-language schools in Lithuania as an opportunity and help for national minority families, not as a threat.
Her comment came as the debate on the closure of Russian schools in Lithuania has recently reignited.
"In my opinion, at this stage, it would be important for the Education Ministry to pay perhaps more attention to the fact that national minority schools can be a bridge between people, children who come from very different backgrounds with different attitudes towards society. This can be a help, not just a threat. I see national minority schools as an opportunity, as a great help and not as a threat," she told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Wednesday.
In her words, when discussing this issue, one should, first of all, identify the problem that they are trying to solve.
"Schools with minority languages as languages of instruction seem to me to be Lithuania's strength. The fact that they have been preserved in Lithuania and are getting attention is important. It is a longer road to integration, but it is the right and sustainable one," Cmilyte-Nielsen said.
Lithuanian Education, Science and Sport Minister Gintautas Jakstas last week reignited debate on whether Russian-language schools should be closed in Lithuania by following in the footsteps of the Estonians and Latvians. However, he later said he did not link this debate to the aforementioned incident.
The Education Ministry plans to draw up a proposal on gradually phasing out education in the Russian language over the next several weeks. Meanwhile, national minority schools where the education process is done using the languages of EU countries or countries friendly to Lithuania could continue, Jakstas says.
Under the existing law, local authorities in areas with traditionally large national minorities guarantee education in the language of the national minority at the request of the local community.
National minority schools mostly operate in southeastern Lithuania where children receive education in national minority languages in nearly 100 schools in nine municipalities.
According to the National Agency for Education, over 47,000 children attended educational establishments for national minorities, from kindergartens to schools, in the academic year of 2020-2021.
Around 14,000 pupils are now attending general education schools with Russian as the language of instruction, mostly in Vilnius, Visaginas and Klaipeda.
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, speaker of the Lithuanian parliament, said on Wednesday that she expects people and businesses to opt against purchasing products from Viciunai Group, Lithuania's seafood group labeled by Ukraine as an " international war sponsor" for continuing its operations in Russia.
"It does not reflect well on Viciunai Group and creates a conflicting image regarding Lithuania's stance," Cmilyte-Nielsen told the Ziniu Radijas radio station. "While we are known in the world as a leading supporter of Ukraine, (...) this creates quite the opposite impression."
"Businesses, every person who goes shopping, those who sell products, they can also make decisions, and I think this will prompt people not to choose those products and to look at them in a different light," the speaker said.
"At least I hope that we will use the tools that we each have in our arsenal and make the right choices and not support those blacklisted in Ukraine", she added.
Ukraine's National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) announced last week that it had added Viciunai Group to the list of international war sponsors because of its continued operations in the Russian market.
This means that the group is also listed in the global World Check database of heightened risk individuals and organizations, which helps identify and manage financial, regulatory and reputational risks.
Viciunai Group's owners say they have been unsuccessfully trying to sell their business in Russia's exclave of Kaliningrad since the spring of 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
By Erika Alonderytė-Kazlauskė
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Updated version: updates throughout
VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Lithuania on Wednesday, starting his visit to the Baltic states.
His plane landed at Vilnius Airport at around 10.30 a.m. and he was met by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.
According to the Lithuanian presidential office, the Lithuanian and Ukrainian presidents will discuss the course of the war in Ukraine, support for Ukraine, and the country’s integration into the EU and NATO.
The two leaders will address the people of Lithuania at Daukantas Square, and will also visit the Vytautas Magnus University's Center of Ukraine, established on the initiative of the First Ladies of Lithuania and Ukraine, where they will meet with Ukrainian war refugees living in Lithuania.
"The president is an extraordinary leader in the struggle for Ukraine's freedom, territories, the survival of its people, for democracy, for humanistic values and for the freedom of all of us. President Zelensky is setting the best example of dignity, determination and moral strength for the young generation by making great efforts to preserve the future of Ukrainian culture, science and education," VMU Rector Professor Juozas Augutis was quoted in the university's statement.
The Ukrainian president is also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, the leadership of the Seimas and representatives of political groups in the Lithuanian parliament.
Later, Zelensky will travel to Latvia and Estonia. He plans to discuss to discuss international support for Kyiv, further ties and EU and NATO integration with the Baltic leaders.
This is Zelensky's fourth visit to Lithuania. The last time he was in Vilnius was in July 2023 when he attended the NATO summit.
Ukraine calls Vilnius one of its biggest supporters in its fight against the Russian invasion that has been taking place for almost two years.
Lithuania actively supports Ukraine's EU and NATO membership. In terms of economic size, Lithuania is one of the largest contributors of military aid to Ukraine.
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that he is visiting Lithuania and the other two Baltic countries to thank them for their support to Kyiv and to discuss further ties and integration into the European Union and NATO.
"Later, I will be in Tallinn and Riga, and today I am in Vilnius," he posted on Telegram after landing in the Lithuanian capital.
Zelensky said he will meet with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte and Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, speaker of the parliament.
The Ukrainian leader said the meetings will focus on "security, integration into the EU and NATO, cooperation in electronic warfare and drones, and further coordination of European assistance".
"And, of course, our deep gratitude. For unwavering support to Ukraine throughout the ten years of war, and especially now, after the start of the large-scale invasion," he added.
Zelensky's visit to the Baltic countries comes as the second anniversary of Russia's invasion approaches.
By Saulius Jakučionis
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen is skeptical about the presidential office's proposals to change the existing procedure for appointing ambassadors.
"We have certainly heard a number of proposals for some kind of legislative regulation, but I am very skeptical about this as the law does not oblige two people, representatives of two institutions to come into the same room, sit down at the table and talk about solving the problems," she told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Wednesday.
"I believe the interest of the state should really be above personal ambitions and there is simply no other way than for the president and the foreign minister to meet, negotiate and find a solution," Cmilyte-Nielsen added.
Her comment came after Frederikas Jansonas, chief communications advisor to President Gitanas Nauseda, last week proposed changing the existing current procedure for appointing ambassadors to allow for information on all diplomats who participate in the selection process be handed over to the president, not only that on the Foreign Ministry's pick.
Such a proposal was made amid the ongoing disagreements between the presidential office and the Foreign Ministry regarding the appointment of Lithuania's ambassador to Poland.
"When I see this situation, it seems to me that when a conflict has been going on for so long, it has to be assumed that at least one of the parties, and maybe both of them, are benefiting to some extent, otherwise there is no reason why they shouldn't get together and come to an agreement," the speaker said.
Lithuania has no ambassador in Warsaw since September 7 when Eduardas Borisovas' term of office expired. The embassy is currently headed by Minister Plenipotentiary Audrone Markeviciene.
Foreign Ministry Chancellor Inga Cerniuk said earlier the Lithuanian Constitution would have to be amended for the president to get the full list of persons partaking in the process of selecting ambassadors.
The Foreign Ministry introduced selections for heads of diplomatic missions in 2021, saying that this was an attempt to limit as much as possible the so-called political appointments where politicians or other persons from outside the diplomatic service are appointed as ambassadors.
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who arrived in Vilnius on Wednesday, thanked Lithuania for its support and military assistance to Ukraine.
"We are very thankful for Lithuanian support, your team and your great society, we are thankful for your very warm attitude to our people, we are thankful for all your support and military assistance," Zelensky said, opening his meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda the Presidential Palace.
The Lithuanian and Ukrainian presidents will discuss the course of the war in Ukraine, support for Ukraine, and the country’s integration into the EU and NATO.
Later on, the two leaders will address the people of Lithuania at Daukanto Square, and will also visit the Vytautas Magnus University's Center of Ukraine, established on the initiative of the First Ladies of Lithuania and Ukraine, where they will meet with Ukrainian war refugees living in Lithuania.
The Ukrainian president is also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, the leadership of the Seimas and representatives of political groups in the Lithuanian parliament.
Later, he will travel to Latvia and Estonia.
By Milena Andrukaitytė
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Updated version: updates throughout
VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who arrived in Vilnius on Wednesday, thanked Lithuania for its support and military assistance to Ukraine.
"We are very thankful for Lithuanian support, your team and your great society, we are thankful for your very warm attitude to our people, we are thankful for all your support and military assistance," Zelensky said, opening his meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda the Presidential Palace.
The Lithuanian president said he would discuss with his Ukrainian counterpart not only military but also political and economic assistance to Ukraine, adding that he would like to hear firsthand about the latest situation on the front.
"We are also very interested in the news on the war front. We know how exhausting this long-lasting war is, and we are interested in Ukraine achieving a complete victory as soon as possible," Nauseda said.
The Lithuanian and Ukrainian presidents will discuss the course of the war in Ukraine, support for Ukraine, and the country’s integration into the EU and NATO.
The Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that military assistance to Ukraine would continue this year as Lithuanian would hand over the remainder of the equipment purchased last year, and also plans to complete the acquisition initiated last year.
"The arms and equipment supplied by Lithuania and allies make a critical contribution to Ukraine's struggle for independence and to the security of Europe as a whole. Lithuania will not tire of supporting Ukraine's struggle for freedom, just as we ourselves have not tired of the 50-year struggle to restore Lithuania's independence," Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said.
Lithuania will give Ukraine the vehicles it bought last year, including trucks, pickup trucks, ambulances, various trailers and forklifts. Also, UAVs, anti-drones, remote detonation systems, ammunition and ammunition magazines, warm clothing kits and a variety of equipment needed during the winter will be sent to Ukraine, according to the ministry.
Based on its Ukraine assistance plan 2024-2026, a total of around 200 million euros will be allocated for new acquisitions for Ukraine during this period.
Most of the latest support is focused on the needs of the Lithuanian-led coalition for demining Ukraine and it will include the purchase of a wide range of demining equipment, forklifts and fuel trucks, ammunition and dry rations. This support will be sent to Ukraine this year and next year.
Later on, the two leaders will address the people of Lithuania at Daukanto Square, and will also visit the Vytautas Magnus University's Center of Ukraine, established on the initiative of the First Ladies of Lithuania and Ukraine, where they will meet with Ukrainian war refugees living in Lithuania.
The Ukrainian president is also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, the leadership of the Seimas and representatives of political groups in the Lithuanian parliament.
Zelensky is visiting Vilnius as the second anniversary of Russia's invasion nears and as Western support for Ukraine is slowing down amid an increasing number of Russia's attacks across Ukraine.
Later, Zelensky will travel to Latvia and Estonia.
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on Wednesday it was not his decision not to attend a meeting with the delegation led by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and also including Ukraine's top diplomat Dmytro Kuleba at the Presidential Palace.
Landsbergis says he was not invited by the presidential office.
"This is not a demarche on my part, it is not my decision that I am not there," Landsbergis told reporters outside the government office on Wednesday.
"I don't know," he said when asked why he was not invited to the meeting.
The presidential office and the Foreign Ministry have been at loggerheads recently over the appointment of ambassadors. Also, President Gitanas Nauseda and the ruling conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats are at odds on a number of issues.
Although Landsbergis welcomed the Ukrainian president when he landed n Vilnius earlier in the day, he said it was only a polite "greeting".
The foreign minister also refused to comment on whether the presidential office was breaching diplomatic practice by not inviting him to the meeting.
By Greta Zulonaitė
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis believes that the law may need to be amended to solve the row with President Gitanas Nauseda's office over the appointment of ambassadors.
"I hear my colleagues saying that maybe amendments to the law are needed. I believe that might be the path we need to take," Landsbergis told the Delfi online news site in an interview aired on Wednesday.
"We are in a world of traditionally established norms, especially when it comes to foreign policy (...). If there is trust, then there is willingness, but if there is no trust and willingness any more, then regulation is the way to go," he added.
Landsbergis' comment comes as Nauseda's office and the Foreign Ministry remain at loggerheads over the appointment of the Lithuanian ambassador to Poland.
The post has been vacant since early September 2023, when Eduardas Borisovas' term of office expired. The embassy in Warsaw is currently headed by Minister Plenipotentiary Audrone Markeviciene.
Frederikas Jansonas, Nauseda's chief communications advisor, last week proposed changing the current procedure for appointing ambassadors so that all diplomats who participate in the selection process be presented to the president, not just the ministry's pick for the post.
Foreign Ministry Chancellor Inga Cerniuk says that the Constitution would have to be amended for the president to receive the full list of those taking part in the selection process.
Landsbergis did not say how he would propose to change the procedure for appointing ambassadors.
"It should simply be proportional and the distribution of powers here should also be adequate," he said when asked whether he would seek to reduce the president's powers through the law.
While most controversy has lately centered on the post in Warsaw, Landsbergis also noted that the situation regarding Eitvydas Bajarunas, Lithuania's ambassador to the United Kingdom, remains unresolved.
Following complaints from embassy staff regarding Bajarunas' alleged misconduct and working conditions, the foreign minister suspended the ambassador and summoned him to Vilnius for consultations in mid-October.
Nauseda has called the decision "half-hearted", saying that that it does not solve anything and that it leaves the embassy without a head for at least six months.
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS - The Lithuanian government on Wednesday approved a plan to prepare for the EU presidency, with the preparations and the presidency itself expected to cost around 100 million euros.
Lithuania will hold the rotating EU presidency in the first half of 2027, from January 1 to June 30, and will prepare a joint presidency program with Ireland and Greece. The former will precede and the latter will follow Lithuania.
According to the approved plan, preparations for the presidency will include training for staff, a calendar of presidency events and ensuring direct daily flights to Brussels from January 2027. The goal is to have at least two direct flights a day to Brussels and, if necessary, direct flights to other cities important for Lithuania's EU presidency.
Also, Lithuania plans to temporarily increase the number of staff at the Permanent Representation of Lithuania to the EU from the existing number of 100 to 200 over the next year.
This will be the second time that Lithuania will hold the EU presidency after it took the helm of the block for the first time in 2013. Belgium currently holds the EU presidency and Hungary will take over from July.
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – The Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania on Wednesday upheld the ruling denying asylum to Olga Karach, a prominent Belarusian activist who heads the Nash Dom (Our House) NGO.
Neringa Lukoseviciene, the court's spokeswoman, told BNS that the court upheld the lower instance court's ruling, dismissing the appeal.
Karach's appeal against the lower court's ruling to uphold the Migration Department's decision not to grant her asylum in Lithuania was heard by a three-judge panel.
Lukoseviciene did not comment on the reasons for the Supreme Administrative Court's judgement, which is final and not subject to appeal, noting that asylum cases are examined behind closed doors.
The Migration Department denied Karach asylum last August, citing as the reason the State Security Department's conclusion that her residence in the country posed a national security threat due to her alleged ties with Russian intelligence.
However, the migration body then granted the activist a temporary residence permit in Lithuania on humanitarian grounds, which can be extended.
Karach has confirmed that she was warned by the State Security Department's officers last spring over her ties to Russian intelligence, but she refrained from elaborating further on this issue.
The activist, who has been receiving residence permits in Lithuania since 2014, applied for asylum last year.
Nash Dom says it provides humanitarian, psychological and other assistance to Belarusians both in their homeland and in Lithuania, and also monitors human rights violations.
The organization was declared extremist by Minsk in 2022. Karach was put on the "terrorist list" by the Belarusian KGB in 2021.
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Lithuania will send M577 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine in February, President Gitanas Nauseda said on Wednesday.
"At the State Defense Council, we have approved a 200-million-euro package of long-term military assistance to Ukraine," Nauseda said at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Vilnius.
"We will send ammunition, generators, detonation systems to Ukraine again in January and M577 armored personnel carriers in February, and we will train Ukrainian soldiers," he added.
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Lithuania will send M577 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine in February, President Gitanas Nauseda said on Wednesday.
"We will send ammunition, generators, detonation systems to Ukraine again in January and M577 armored personnel carriers in February, and we will train Ukrainian soldiers," he said at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Vilnius.
Nauseda noted that Lithuania's State Defense Council has approved a long-term military aid package worth 200 million euros for Ukraine.
The Lithuanian leader also emphasized the need to ensure the continuity of long-term support from allies and partners for Ukraine.
"In order to be able to help Ukraine, the entire European defense industry must work faster (...) and adequately respond to the complex security situation," Nauseda said.
"The Western world must understand that this is not just a Ukrainian struggle; it is a struggle for peace and freedom for all of Europe and the whole democratic world," he added.
The Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that Lithuania will send various vehicles it purchased last year, including trucks, pickup trucks, ambulances, trailers and forklifts, to Ukraine this year.
Aid shipments will also include UAVs, anti-drones, remote detonation systems, ammunition and ammunition magazines, warm clothing kits and various equipment needed during the winter, it said.
Most of the latest aid is aimed at meeting the needs of the Lithuanian-led coalition for demining Ukraine and will include the purchase of a wide range of demining equipment, forklifts and fuel trucks, ammunition and dry rations. This aid is to be delivered to Ukraine this year and next year, according to the ministry.
Lithuania plans to train around 3,000 Ukrainian troops by the end of this year and will continue the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers.
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has urged EU ambassadors in Lithuania not to stop supporting Ukraine and to continue pressing Russia to stop the war it started.
"When Russia does not change its goals in Ukraine and beyond, its war machine is fully operational – in Europe, we must finally give up the way of thinking that is dominant in times of peace and decisively support Ukraine until its victory," Landsbergis was quoted as saying in a statement after his Wednesday meeting with EU ambassadors residing in Lithuania and accredited to the country.
At the meeting, Landsbergis stressed the need to provide sufficient, timely and forward-looking financial, military and political support to Ukraine without delay and to continue putting pressure on Russia by adopting new sanction packages, the Foreign Ministry said.
The minister also proposed making decisions on the use of frozen Russian assets for the reconstruction of Ukraine and ensuring the Russian government accountability.
Landsbergis voiced his support for the priorities formulated by the Belgian EU presidency and the common ambition to strengthen the EU's leadership in the context of rising geopolitical tensions.
The Lithuanian foreign minister also noted that following the EU's decision in December to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, the block must also agree as soon as possible on a clear mandate for these negotiations.
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Ukraine has proved that Russia can be stopped and now it needs to wrest peace from it, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in Vilnius on Wednesday.
"We have proved that Russia can be stopped, that deterrence is possible. Now we have to wrest peace from Russia's hands, the kind of peace we want – a just one - and get security for our nations. The security we need. And hope," he said.
Zelensky said that this year will be decisive in many respects.
The Ukrainian leader noted that he came to Lithuania for his first visit abroad this year.
"This is not just a visit of gratitude; it is a visit of shared trust between the nations that live in the neighborhood of Russia," he said.
Zelensky said that neither Ukraine nor Lithuania will allow Russia to destroy their statehood.
"It is unfortunate to have such an inadequate neighbor which brings only misfortune and subjugation, but we will never again be hostages to geography," the president said.
"We will not allow Russia to destroy our statehood, because together we unite others," he added.
For his part, President Gitanas Nauseda said that Lithuania has supported and will continue to support Ukraine through all means – military, political and economic.
At their Vilnius summit last summer, NATO leaders pledged to invite Ukraine to join the Alliance when all of the bloc's members agree and the country meets the conditions.
Kiyv expects the Alliance's leaders to give it a clearer membership perspective at this year's Washington summit.
"Lithuania will continue to actively support Ukraine on its path to membership of the Alliance," said Nauseda.
The Lithuanian president also said that Ukraine's place is in the European Union as well. The bloc's leaders agreed in December to launch accession talks with Kiyv.
"It is necessary to help Ukraine not only militarily, but also politically," Nauseda said.
"Lithuania understands its responsibility here very well, because we are Ukraine's voice where it may not be able to directly express its expectations," he said.
After their bilateral meeting, Nauseda and Zelensky signed a joint statement emphasizing the strategic ties between Lithuania and Ukraine, and their shared values and determination to defend Ukraine's independence.
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Lithuania's parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense will propose to the State Defense Council to make a decision on the development of drone capabilities in the army.
"The CNSD will submit to the SDC a three to four-page non-paper on how and in what directions the UAV and countermeasure capability should be developed in Lithuania," Laurynas Kasciunas, who chairs the CNSD, told the BNS on Wednesday.
He believes the state has to decide how it views and develops this capability.
On Wednesday, the committee held a close-door meeting with army representatives and was briefed about the place of drone capabilities within the national defense system. Kasciunas says the army;s existing and planned capabilities are too small.
"The capabilities that are now being developed are capabilities for a single major battle, not for a long-term war with Russia," Kasciunas said.
He also pointed out that Lithuania plans to acquire more reconnaissance drones, while combat drones seem to be in the background.
In December 2022, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry signed a contract for the acquisition of Switchblade 600 combat drones from the US, with the first batch expected to be delivered this year. The total value of the contract is around 45 million euros.
Kasciunas points out that they are intended to fight against heavy armored vehicles, and there is no mention of small combat drones.
Lithuania must, he said, create a center for the development, production, testing and training of UAVs in the country.
The CNSD will also propose giving UAVs a greater role in the national defense development program currently under consideration in the parliament.
According to the concept approved in 2017, the Lithuanian army plans to develop a reconnaissance drone capability within three years, while combat UAVs are being purchased only as part of anti-tank defense.
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(expands throughout the text)
VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Ukraine has proved that Russia can be stopped and now it needs to wrest peace from it, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in Vilnius on Wednesday.
"We have proved that Russia can be stopped, that deterrence is possible. Now we have to wrest peace from Russia's hands, the kind of peace we want – a just one - and get security for our nations. The security we need. And hope," he said.
Zelensky said that this year will be decisive in many respects.
The Ukrainian leader noted that he came to Lithuania for his first visit abroad this year.
"This is not just a visit of gratitude; it is a visit of shared trust between the nations that live in the neighborhood of Russia," he said.
Zelensky said that neither Ukraine nor Lithuania will allow Russia to destroy their statehood.
"It is unfortunate to have such an inadequate neighbor which brings only misfortune and subjugation, but we will never again be hostages to geography," the president said.
"We will not allow Russia to destroy our statehood, because together we unite others," he added.
Putin 'wants to occupy us completely'
Zelensky said that he has not felt or heard any pressure from Kyiv's partners to stop fighting and agree to cede its currently occupied areas to Russia.
"There is no pressure from our partners to halt our defense, military actions; there is no freezing of the conflict for now," said Zelensky in Vilnius.
The Ukrainian leader drew attention to Russian President Vladimir Putin's rhetoric.
"He is not going to stop; he wants to occupy us completely," he said. "Partners' doubts about the outcome and financial and military support to Ukraine, and the speed of their reaction only add strength and conviction to Russia."
Zelensky reiterated that Moscow's next target could be the Baltic states.
"The Russian president will not calm down until he destroys Ukraine. After Ukraine, you know very well who is at risk. We must understand that Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Moldova may be next," he warned.
The Ukrainian leader said that Russia may threaten Finland and Uzbekistan.
"The fact is that this will only happen if we do not withstand (Russia)," he said. "Putin won't finish all this until we all finish him together."
Call for political support to Kyiv
For his part, President Gitanas Nauseda said that Lithuania has supported and will continue to support Ukraine through all means – military, political and economic.
At their Vilnius summit last summer, NATO leaders pledged to invite Ukraine to join the Alliance when all of the bloc's members agree and the country meets the conditions.
Kiyv expects the Alliance's leaders to give it a clearer membership perspective at this year's Washington summit.
"Lithuania will continue to actively support Ukraine on its path to membership of the Alliance," said Nauseda.
The Lithuanian president also said that Ukraine's place is in the European Union as well. The bloc's leaders agreed in December to launch accession talks with Kiyv.
"It is necessary to help Ukraine not only militarily, but also politically," Nauseda said.
"Lithuania understands its responsibility here very well, because we are Ukraine's voice where it may not be able to directly express its expectations," he said.
After their bilateral meeting, Nauseda and Zelensky signed a joint statement emphasizing the strategic ties between Lithuania and Ukraine, and their shared values and determination to defend Ukraine's independence.
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Updated version: updates throughout
VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Lithuania will send M577 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine in February, President Gitanas Nauseda said on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is aksing the West for air defense systems.
"We will send ammunition, generators, detonation systems to Ukraine again in January and M577 armored personnel carriers in February, and we will train Ukrainian soldiers," he said at a joint press conference with Zelensky in Vilnius.
Nauseda noted that Lithuania's State Defense Council has approved a long-term military aid package worth 200 million euros for Ukraine for 2024-2026
The Lithuanian leader also emphasized the need to ensure the continuity of long-term support from allies and partners for Ukraine.
"In order to be able to help Ukraine, the entire European defense industry must work faster (...) and adequately respond to the complex security situation," Nauseda said.
"The Western world must understand that this is not just a Ukrainian struggle; it is a struggle for peace and freedom for all of Europe and the whole democratic world," he added.
"He wants to occupy us completely"
The West's stalling support "only adds to Russia's strength", Zelensky said.
"He (Vladimir Putin - BNS) is not going to stop, he wants to occupy us completely. Our partners' doubts about the outcome, the financial and military support to Ukraine, and the speed of their reaction only add to Russia's strength and confidence", the Ukrainian president said.
"The Russian president won’t calm down until he destroys," he added.
Republicans in the US Congress are now blocking the resumption of military aid to Ukraine, while Hungary is blocking financial support from the European Union.
More air defense systems
During Zelensky's visit, the Lithuanian Defense and Security Industries Association and Ukraine's Ministry of Strategic Industries signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation of the defense and security industry.
Lithuanian and Ukrainian companies, including RSI Europe, Brolis Semiconductors, NT Service, DMEXS and Ukrainian Defence Industry, also signed agreements on closer cooperation.
The Ukrainian leader expects more such agreements in the future, stressing that there is a shortage of weapons all over the world.
"There is a general shortage of weapons in the world, not only for us but for the rest of the world, as warehouses are empty, there are many challenges for world defense, which is why we are interested in co-production," Zelensky said. "We will do it steadily, without waiting for the entire deficit to build up on its own."
According to the Ukrainian leader, Kyiv is now short of air defense systems following Russia's several intensive missile attacks.
"What we cannot produce today with our partners is modern air defense systems, and we lack them very badly," the Ukrainian president said. "Air defense systems are the number one thing we lack now."
Grateful for support
The Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that Lithuania will send various vehicles it purchased last year, including trucks, pickup trucks, ambulances, trailers and forklifts, to Ukraine this year.
Aid shipments will also include UAVs, anti-drones, remote detonation systems, ammunition and ammunition magazines, warm clothing kits and various equipment needed during the winter, it said.
Most of the latest aid is aimed at meeting the needs of the Lithuanian-led coalition for demining Ukraine and will include the purchase of a wide range of demining equipment, forklifts and fuel trucks, ammunition and dry rations. This aid is to be delivered to Ukraine this year and next year, according to the ministry.
Lithuania plans to train around 3,000 Ukrainian troops by the end of this year and will continue the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers.
"To this day, the support of your country is very important to us – the weapons, the equipment, and the training of our troops. (...) All of this adds to our strength," Zelensky underlined.
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Lithuania's ties with Ukraine are growing increasingly sincere and close, President Gitanas Nauseda said as he hosted his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky who arrived in Vilnius on Wednesday on an unannounced visit.
"Lithuania's relationship with Ukraine is growing increasingly sensitive, sincere and close," Nauseda said as the two leaders addressed the people of Lithuania in the square in front of the Presidential Palace.
"Our people know what it is like to be the target of Russian aggression, so they choose to act in the face of great injustice," he said.
According to Nauseda, Zelensky is visiting Vilnius "as the leader of a country that fights and does not give up" and he "carries a message about Ukraine, hardened by the flames of war, which will never surrender its independence, its people and its dignity".
"Dear Volodymyr, thank you for what you are doing. Thank you for being!" the president told his Ukrainian counterpart.
According to Nauseda, Lithuania "upholds Ukraine's peace formula" and "strongly emphasizes that Ukrainians must emerge victorious in this fight because the security of the whole world depends on it".
In his speech, the president said that Lithuania is among the most active supporters of Ukraine, and not only as a state, as its people also organize, collect and deliver aid, and regularly donate money.
Lithuanians "demand more support for Ukraine and its people, both from themselves and from others," he said.
The president said that Lithuania wants to see Ukraine "as an integral part of the common Western security space".
"We want to see Ukraine in the European Union – and we will share everything we can in its reform and membership process," Nauseda said.
"Today's testimony of unity between Lithuania and Ukraine is precisely what our old deceitful enemy does not want to see. Through our example, we reject Russia's imperial ambitions and do not allow them to be realized," the president said.
"For almost two years now, the flags of Lithuania and Ukraine stand side by side in this square. Together, they await the fulfillment of a great dream. They await Ukraine's victory in arms to end once and for all the period of predator rampage in Europe," he said.
Nauseda concluded his speech by thanking "all the defenders of Ukraine" and Zelensky.
The Ukrainian leader's tour of the three Baltic countries comes as the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion approaches.
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS - Russia's imperial ambitions must be stopped because they threaten not only Ukraine but also many other countries, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in Vilnius on Wednesday.
"Now, when Moscow is trying to regain its old empire, using the full range of modern weapons, our Ukrainian courage is also a help to you. Our unity with you is also a guarantee of your security. The resilience of our troops is also your resilience," Zelensky said, addressing the people of Lithuania in Simonas Daukantas Square in central Vilnius. "Our Ukrainian sense tells us that Russia will not survive if we continue fighting against it."
When Russia started its war against Ukraine, already imagined the day of its victory, and if such a day were to dawn, Moscow would do everything to ensure that it continues and that there would be a day after Moldova, a day after the Baltic states, a day after Poland, a day after many others.
The Russians "are killing without hesitation", torturing brutally, and have already deported hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians, Zelensky said.
"They wanted to erase everything our culture is based on," he said.
But, he said, history has shown time and again that freedom prevails when everyone is united. According to the Ukrainian president, although one cannot yet say the exact day or circumstances of victory, it will come.
"There will be no day after Ukraine. There will be a day after the war, there will be a day after Putin. It will be the day of our security, the day of our guaranteed security, the day of your unshakable freedom, the day of a peaceful life for Estonia, Latvia, Finland, Sweden, for all the countries whose fate Russia is now trying to drown in doubt," he said.
Zelensky began his address in Lithuanian: "Greetings to you, Vilnius, greetings to you, the people of Lithuania".
He thanked Lithuania for its assistance and for "holding Ukraine in your hearts during these long months and years of war".
The Ukrainian president paid an unannounced visit Lithuania on Wednesday, and he later plans to visit the other Baltic states.
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Addressing the people of Lithuania in Vilnius on Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged them not to lose hope of victory, even though the large-scale Russian invasion is set to enter its third year.
Having listened to Zelensky's speech in Simonas Daukantas Square, Vilnius residents said his speech was inspiring and reminded some of Lithuania's own efforts to break away from the Soviet Union.
"Glory to Ukraine! Glory to the heroes!" people chanted both before and after Zelensky's appearance on stage, holding Ukrainian and Lithuanian flags and posters.
Students, pensioners, families with children, members of the Seimas, mayors and former heads of state listened to the speeches of the Lithuanian and Ukrainian presidents.
In his speech, Zelensky said that Russia's imperial ambitions must be stopped as they threatened not only Ukraine but also many other countries. He argued that "Russia will not survive if we continue fighting against it".
The Ukrainian president began his address in Lithuanian: "Greetings to you, Vilnius, greetings to you, the people of Lithuania". He thanked Lithuania for its support and for "holding Ukraine in your hearts during these long months, years of war".
Emotional speech
Laima Malinauskiene, a 64-year-old businesswoman, told BNS that Zelensky's speech and the crowd that gathered to listen to it reminded her of the rallies of the Sajudis national revival movement she attended.
"The president's speech was very emotional. He looks tired but his inner energy kicked in when he spoke and you do believe that Ukraine will win," she said.
Speaking about Zelensky, the woman teared up. Asked what his visit meant to her, Malinauskiene said: "My life."
Klemenskas Remeika, a 22-year-old student, said he found Zelensky's speech meaningful.
"It is about survival and the ultimate victory. (....) Personally, I think it revives hope. When it comes to the support for Ukraine, which has been waning, the president is restoring it," Remeika told BNS. "Now it turns out that Zelensky visits Lithuania once every six months. He could do that more frequently because they revive that fighting spirit."
Zelensky's last visit to Lithuania was in July when Lithuania hosted a NATO summit. He also addressed the Lithuanian people then.
A symbol
Pavel Kovtunec, a 42-year-old social activist, said he was inspired by Zelensky's speech.
"It was what you want to hear. That people in Ukraine don't get tired of it, even though sometimes that is the impression you get, at least from the media. It was an inspiring speech. He is a symbol and has been since the first days of the war," the man said.
Kovtunec said that he had spoken to Ukrainians who called Zelensky the leader who united the nation.
"The speech was inspiring and reminded us of the need to support Ukraine and what a brutal enemy we have nearby," said Gabriele Jarosiunaite, a 23-year-old external communications specialist at the Lithuanian National Union of Students, adding that she's honored Zelensky is visiting Lithuania.
"We feel appreciated and not forgotten. It was a great pleasure to see the president in person," she said.
Understandably, she said, there may be a sense of fatigue both in the West and in Lithuania regarding the war in Ukraine.
"But I really want to believe that public support and that burning desire to help Ukraine will never go away," she said.
Later on, Zelensky will also visit the other Baltic countries during his first foreign visit this year.
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VILNIUS, Jan 11, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, January 11, 2024.
SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to attend the Snow Meeting at 6.30 p.m.
THE DEFENSE MINISTRY
Greek Defense Minister Nikolaos Dendias to pay a visit to Lithuania. The welcome ceremony to take place outside the Defense Ministry in central Vilnius at 11 a.m., followed by the ministers; joint press conference at 11.50 a.m.
SOCIAL PROTECTION AND LABOR MINISTER Monika Navickiene attending an informal meeting of the EU's Employment and Social Affairs Council (EPSCO) in Belgium.
FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to meet with his Romanian and Polish counterparts and the Greek defense minister; to hold a joint press conference with the Romanian foreign minister at 11.40 p.m.
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VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS - Lithuania will continue supporting Ukraine, and unanimous support for Kyiv is the calling card of the Lithuanian Seimas, Speaker of the Seimas Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen said on Wednesday after meeting with visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and his delegation in Vilnius.
Representatives of political groups in the Seimas also attended the meeting.
"It (support - BNS) will continue. Members of all parliamentary groups, members of the Board of Seimas were here. That united, unanimous support for Ukraine is the calling card of our Seimas. I think it was important to say this to our Ukrainian friends," Cmilyte-Nielsen told reporters after the meeting, adding that Lithuania will remain Ukraine's ambassador in all necessary formats.
"The key message is that the president thanked Lithuania and said, half jokingly and half seriously, that there is nothing more to ask of Lithuania because Lithuania is already doing its best. This is an appreciation of what we have been doing all this time since the beginning of the full-scale war," the Seimas speaker said.
The meeting also discussed the supply of arms to Ukraine, a well as support for Kyiv's EU and NATO membership, the speaker said.
She also told the Ukrainian delegation that Lithuania was committed to supporting Ukraine's NATO membership.
"We will strive to ensure that what did not happen in Vilnius happens as early as this year, at the Washington Summit, for Ukraine's NATO membership to be discussed," Cmilyte-Nielsen said.
Representing the ruling conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats, Seimas Vice Speaker Paulius Saudargas said the conversation with President Zelensky was both warm and constructive as possible joint projects, such as drone production, were discussed.
"We talked about defense systems, not only what Ukraine needs, but also about common defense, that here we have everything we need, and the most key needs are air defense systems, artillery ammunition, and drones and anti-drones," he added.
Zelensky also stressed that he did not come to Lithuania to ask for support, but to thank Lithuania for it and discuss the situation, Saudargas said.
Rasa Budbergyte, elder of the opposition Social Democratic group, said the meeting "surprised with the simplicity the delegation came with as they did not ask for anything, but expressed their good feelings towards our country".
The Lithuanian lawmakers assured Zelensky that they would do their utmost to convince their Western partners and the public that the war must end with Ukraine's victory, Budbergyte said.
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IN THIS ISSUE:
VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally for a week now, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Monday morning.
"This year, border guards have not recorded a single attempt to enter Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places," it said.
Latvia did not report any attempts at illegal border crossings on Sunday either. One irregular migrant was not allowed into Poland on Saturday, according to the latest available information.
More than 2,500 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year.
Lithuanian border guards have prevented a total of almost 22,000 people from crossing in from Belarus since August 3, 2021, when they were given the right to turn away irregular migrants. The number includes repeated attempts by the same people to cross the border.
The influx of irregular migrants to the EU's eastern member states from Belarus began in 2021 and is blamed by the West on the Minsk regime.
Almost 4,200 irregular migrants crossed into Lithuania from Belarus illegally in 2021. However, the vast majority of them fled Lithuania once they were allowed to move freely.
By Ingrida Steniulienė
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VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – The parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs (CAF) on Monday will try to resolve a feud between President Gitanas Nauseda's office and the Foreign Ministry over the appointment of Lithuania's ambassadors.
"We will look at information from both sides involved in the appointment process in more detail than it can be done publicly to find out what criteria are used to select and appoint these people," Zygimantas Pavilionis, the committee's chairman, has told BNS.
"We will try to assess how substantiated the arguments put forward by both sides are, with the main goal of finding, as quickly as possible, a solution that suits everyone regarding the candidate for the embassy to Poland," he added.
Pavilionis said the CAF would initially hear from the Foreign Ministry's officials and will then listen to Asta Skaisgiryte, President Gitanas Nauseda's chief foreign policy advisor.
He said that Skaisgiryte had confirmed her participation in the meeting.
With the appointment of Lithuania's ambassador to Poland stalling, the CAF held a public meeting in December to discuss the situation, but decided to further examine the matter behind closed doors.
The Foreign Ministry and Nauseda's office are at odds over who should fill the position of Lithuania's ambassador to Poland, which has been vacant since September 7 when Eduardas Borisovas' terms of office expired.
The president's office has rejected the Foreign Ministry's candidates and suggested reviewing the ministry's procedure for selecting ambassadors.
The embassy in Warsaw is currently headed by Minister Plenipotentiary Audrone Markeviciene.
In Lithuania, ambassadors are appointed by the president on the nomination of the government and with the approval of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
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VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally for a week now, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Monday morning.
Lithuanian border officials attribute this to the cold weather and the government's pushback policy.
"This year, border guards have not recorded a single attempt to enter Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places," the service said.
"The general trend is that the number of migrants is decreasing, (...) and the cold weather also has an impact," SBGS spokesman Giedrius Misutis told BNS on Monday. "There is also a decline in Latvia and Poland, across the entire region."
"In addition, Belarus is probably making less effort to direct migrants toward the border," the spokesman said.
"The policy of turning away (irregular migrants) has yielded its results. The movement of migrants has been significantly hindered by physical barriers, as indicated by this year's figures," he added.
Latvia did not report any attempts at illegal border crossings on Sunday either. One irregular migrant was not allowed into Poland on Saturday, according to the latest available information.
More than 2,500 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year.
Lithuanian border guards have prevented a total of almost 22,000 people from crossing in from Belarus since August 3, 2021, when they were given the right to turn away irregular migrants. The number includes repeated attempts by the same people to cross the border.
The influx of irregular migrants to the EU's eastern member states from Belarus began in 2021 and is blamed by the West on the Minsk regime.
Almost 4,200 irregular migrants crossed into Lithuania from Belarus illegally in 2021. However, the vast majority of them fled Lithuania once they were allowed to move freely.
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VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – As Ukraine has added Viciunai Group, a Lithuanian business group producing and selling seafood and other food products, to the list of international war sponsors and Lithuanian retailers have no plans to stop selling its products, Lithuanian Economy and Innovation Minister Ausrine Armonaite says it is up to consumers to decide whether to buy Viciunai products and re-elect one of the group's owners, Kaunas Mayor Visvaldas Matijosaitis.
"First of all, each of us can impose sanctions and may choose not to buy these products, and even more, we can prevent the re-election to political offices of people who do not exit (Russia –BNS) and continue doing business in Russia. (...) So, each of us should start doing it. (...) What is even stranger is that, despite that fact, as it's not major news, but even despite that fact, people till get be re-elected, I mean the Kaunas mayor, and somehow nobody has asked those questions," the minister told the Lithuanian public radio LRT radio on Monday.
Armonaite also reminded that the existing Western sanctions do not apply to food products, so their export and import cannot be restricted.
Last week, Ukraine's National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) announced that it had added Viciunai, which owns the Vici brand, to add it to the list of international war sponsors because it continues its operations in Russia.
By Goda Vileikytė
Editor: Roma Pakėnienė
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VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – Only political parties have registered to field candidates in this year's European Parliament (EP) elections in Lithuania.
"No political committee has submitted the necessary documents to the Justice Ministry to run in the EP elections," Paulius Zeimys, an advisor to the justice minister, has told BNS.
Under the law, December 12 was the deadline for political committees to register for the EP elections, which are scheduled for June 9 in Lithuania.
Five years ago, five public committees stood in the EP elections, in addition to political parties. Ausra Maldeikiene was the only of the committees' candidates to win a seat.
Data from the Central Electoral Commission show that nine parties had registered as political campaign participants by Friday evening.
Lithuania has 11 seats in the EU's legislative body.
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VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – As Lithuanian farmers start protests on Monday, Agriculture Minister Kestutis Navickas says it's a political pre-election move.
"One of the most pressing issues is the restoration of perennial meadows and pastures, and as since we have been discussing this issue and looking for solutions since the early fall, council representatives have not take part in this process. This is a clear indication they are not looking for constructiveness, and, apparently, we are entering the pre-election period," Navickas told the public radio LRT on Monday.
For his part, Ignas Hofmanas, chairman of the Lithuanian Agriculture Council, says the upcoming elections have nothing to do with the protests, adding that farmers have presented their proposals on perennial meadows numerous times, but the ongoing dialogue with the government on this as well as on other issues is extremely difficult.
On Monday, Lithuanian farmers are starting a series of protests and bonfires will be lit across the country from 2 p.m. for about three hours. Farmers' representatives are also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, and they will also hand over their demands to the environment and agriculture ministers.
By Goda Vileikytė
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VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – Lithuanian Economy and Innovation Minister Ausrine Armonaite see no way for the incumbent ruling coalition to get back to the discussion on a new model of a universal real estate tax.
"I don't see any way as the discussion is closed, and I believe we should postpone it as we will have an election campaign and political parties will be able to present their vision of how they see the tax reform, and people will be able to choose which vision the lean towards, and then we could get back to the tax changes after the election, if necessary," Armonaite told the public radio LRT on Monday.
She also see no way of returning to discussions on the tax reform.
"I don't see any possibility of returning to the tax reform issue in the election year and in the last year of my term of office," the minister said, adding that there have no in-depth discussion with the coalition partners on the proposal to make decisions on individual taxes rather deciding than on the whole tax reform package.
The tax reform was one of this government's key goals. The Seimas gave its initial backing to the reform last summer, but the reform has since stalled as ruling coalition partners disagree on a number of issues. The reform included, among other things, higher taxes for holders of individual activity certificates and a broader real estate tax base.
By Roma Pakėnienė
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VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – The European Commission has allocated almost 10 million euros for Lithuania to strengthen its refugee reception system, with the money to be used to upgrade the accommodation infrastructure and implement other projects, the Social Security and Labor Ministry said on Monday.
The ministry won the call for projects together with the Refugee Reception Centre (RRC), the State Border Guard Service (SBGS), and the municipal administrations of the district of Taurage and the city of Panevezys.
The project aims to bolster the capacity of the EU's external border and ensure reception and accommodation conditions for arriving refugees, the ministry said in a press release.
"This additional investment from the European Commission is of paramount importance to enable the responsible authorities to create decent conditions for persons arriving in Lithuania and seeking asylum," Deputy Social Security and Labor Minister Justina Jakstiene said.
"Lithuania must remain open and safe for asylum seekers," she added.
Lithuania saw a surge in illegal immigration in 2021 due to an influx of irregular migrants from Belarus.
The project will involve upgrading the RRC and SBGS infrastructure for accommodation of asylum seekers.
Additional investments to be made in renovating the Foreigners' Registration Center in Kybartai to ensure that it can cope with a potential increase in migration flows, according to the ministry.
Plans also call for expanding storage and transportation infrastructure at the RRC in Rukla.
The project will also see additional investments in creating accommodation for refugees in the city of Panevezys and the district of Taurage.
According to Jakstiene, Lithuania must be prepared for various scenarios, as geopolitical tensions in the region, the energy and food crises, and the effects of climate change may have a strong impact on migration flows to the country in the future.
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VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – Lithuanian Economy and Innovation Minister Ausrine Armonaite is skeptical about the ongoing discussions on a possible closure of Russian schools and urges politicians not to use this issue to collect political dividends.
International studies show that pupils from ethnic communities are underachieving, she said and suggested focusing on ensuring the quality of education so that children receive the best education.
"They (Russian schools - BNS) can stay, but children have to be the center of all of this as now … and children need to have the best possible education and we should not run away from that. It would be a terrible mistake to say now that we will close all schools from tomorrow, and I suggest against doing that," Armonaite told the public radio LRT in an interview on Monday.
She believes that the politicians who have raised this issue are trying to increase their popularity in a sensitive geopolitical situation, and she also calls against "sudden moves".
"Now we are using this sensitive geopolitical situation to close down everything, to destroy and so on. We should not do that as we are talking about children, these are their lives, they are growing in schools, and the personalities that will come out of there will have an impact on our country's life," Armonaite said.
"I would not make any sudden moves regarding school closures here. We have excellent schools in Lithuania with other languages of instruction, be it Polish or Russian, so we need to approach this issue very cautiously, not populistically, not drastically, not with Facebook posts, but with analysis," the leader of the Freedom Party, said.
Last week, Educaton, Science and Sport Minister Gintautas Jakstas reopened the debate on Russian-language schools, raising the question of whether it would be better to follow in the footsteps of the Estonians and Latvians and suspend education in Russian as a language of instruction.
The ministry plans to draw up a proposal on the issue over the next few weeks. Jakstas says national minority schools where the education process is done using the languages of EU countries or countries friendly to Lithuania could continue.
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VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – Justinus Kiviloo, the head of the new Lithuanian Exarchate of the Patriarchate Constantinople, says that his primary task now is to finalize the official registration of the religious community so that it can start functioning as a legal entity.
The exarch came to Vilnius from Estonia last week.
"We are already on the homestretch of setting up the exarchate; the first and most important thing is to register the exarchate and obtain the official status of a religious community," Kiviloo told BNS on Saturday.
"When we have all the legal rights here, we will be able to officially act and work here," he said. "And I want to visit the parishes and meet with the faithful."
The Estonian clergyman lead his first service as the head of the new Orthodox Church structure in Lithuania at the Roman Catholic Church of the Holy Trinity on Saturday.
The exarch said the community, currently gathering in prayer houses of different denominations, will eventually have their own church, which their hope to build through donations.
"I have heard that there is an opinion in Lithuania that Russian (Orthodox) churches should be taken away (from the Moscow Patriarchate). I am categorically against that. We have to build churches ourselves. There are plans or an idea; of course, it will take time; we are looking for possibilities," he said.
Kiviloo said he has already looked at a plot of land suitable for constructing a church, adding that it is just one of the potential options. He hopes to attract funding for the project.
"I hope that we will find help from good people, maybe from some companies, not only in Lithuania but also abroad, and that we will be able to find sponsors to raise funds and build a church," the exarch said.
"We have already been offered a location in Vilnius, maybe it is too early to say where, but it is a nice, beautiful place; I like it. But this is only one option; we are talking about it as an idea for now," he added.
Kiviloo would not comment on when the church could be built. He said only that he might be able to give a more concrete answer in six months' time, when organizational matters become clearer.
The Orthodox Church of the Patriarchate of Constantinople in Lithuania began to form after several priests of the Orthodox Archdiocese of Lithuania, which is subordinate to the Moscow Patriarchate, started criticizing the Church's stance on Russia's war against Ukraine and refused to pray for Patriarch Kirill, who is a supporter of the war.
The five priests, who now belong to the new exarchate, were accused of canonical offences and defrocked by Metropolitan Innokentiy of the Lithuanian Orthodox Church in 2022.
The Patriarchate of Constantinople then ruled that the priests were removed for their stance on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, rather than for violating church rules.
Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople announced his intention to set up a church structure in Lithuania during his visit to the country last March. The move followed the patriarch's reinstatement of the five former priests.
Since Orthodox Christians are recognized in Lithuania as one of the nine traditional religious communities, the recognition of the exarchate of Constantinople will not require the parliament's approval. The decision on its registration will be made by the Justice Ministry.
Among other things, the exarchate's recognition would grant the organization access to state financial support allocated to traditional religious communities.
The exarchate in Lithuania comprises ten clergy members and ten congregations in different cities and towns.
By Milena Andrukaitytė
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VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – Lithuania's law enforcement authorities said on Monday they are investigating nine people suspected of trying to embezzle almost 2.7 million euros of EU funds.
"The suspects attempted to embezzle a very large amount of EU funds, almost 2.7 million euros," European Delegated Prosecutor Jurgita Steponaviciute-Otto told a press conference at the Financial Crime Investigation Service in Vilnius.
According to the investigation, a Lithuanian company submitted an application to implement an EU-funded project. In its application, the company claimed that the project would develop an innovative and unparalleled film that will degrade faster than the usual film currently used in household and industrial applications.
"The pre-trial investigation and the follow-up of the project promoter's activities disclosed fraud as the project's value was unjustifiably inflated due to the fact that the project promoter inflated the prices by using related companies and making transfers through related companies (...) as well as by telling the project administrator, the Innovation Agency, that it would purchase equipment for almost 4.5 million euros," Steponaviciute-Otto said.
"Using the scheme to make as much money as possible from the purchase of equipment, they bought it through affiliated companies, inflating prices and thus fraudulently obtaining almost 2.7 million euros," the prosecutor added.
Subsequently, the Innovation Agency was informed about the fraud.
"Steps were made to ensure that the last payment request, which would have granted 2.6 million euros, would not be granted. The persons were detained and the investigation into this criminal offense continues," Steponaviciute-Otto said.
Also attending the press conference, Jekaterina Grudinskaja of the FCIS said that more than 30 searches had been carried out in the course of the investigation, nine suspects had been arrested and charged with criminal offenses.
Law enforcement authorities have not identified the company in question, citing the fact that the pre-trial investigation is at an early stage and also stressing the need to protect the privacy of the suspects.
The investigation is complicated by the fact that the suspects used not only Lithuanian-registered companies but also those registered abroad, Grudinskaja said. Lithuanian institutions have asked their counterparts in Estonia, Poland, Germany, Belgium and Switzerland to confirm suspicions that the suspects were running companies registered in these countries in order to disguise possible criminal activities.
By Greta Zulonaitė, Vilmantas Venckūnas
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VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – As the presidential office and the Foreign Ministry in Lithuania are at loggerheads over the appointment of Lithuania's ambassador to Poland, Asta Skaisgiryte, chief advisor to the Lithuanian president on foreign policy issues, says the issue should soon be moving forward.
"I think we will soon move forward on ambassadorial appointments," she told reporters on Monday after a closed-door meeting of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, adding that this will be done "through further discussions with the government".
"We are further at the stage where we are talking about candidates. I think that we will agree on a mutually acceptable candidate," she said.
She did not say, however, whether President Nauseda would propose his own candidate for ambassador to Poland or whether the candidates selected by the Foreign Ministry would be considered.
Zygimantas Pavilionis, chair of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, and his deputy Giedrius Surplys told reporters they hoped that a candidate for ambassador to Poland would be agreed in January.
"The decision seems to be very close. I really hope we will end this conflict and have a candidate in January," Surplys said.
"Both sides (representatives of the Foreign Ministry and the presidential office - BNS) have said they want to agree as soon as possible… I still hope we will find that agreement," Pavilionis said, adding that the next committee meeting to find a solution is scheduled in two weeks' time.
"We will already be talking about specific places and specific names," he said, adding that the committee will also discuss why one or another diplomat who took part in the Foreign Ministry's selection process was or was not suitable for the president.
No deadlines
Foreign Vice Minister Egidijus Meilunas told reporters that the ministry is trying to present candidates for vacant ambassador positions to the president as early as possible, but the presidential office has not set itself any deadlines and is delaying its replies.
Under the existing procedure at the Foreign Ministry, candidates for ambassadors have to be selected by October 15 each year with the aim of agreeing on the candidates by December 1 of the same year, to give diplomats as much time as possible to prepare for their future posts.
Representatives for the Foreign Ministry say 14 selection procedures for this year's vacant ambassador positions were held last year, and the winners were submitted to the president in November, but no response on them has been received so far.
Lithuania's embassies in Poland, Azerbaijan and Switzerland now have no permanent heads.
Meilunas says there is no legislation setting deadlines for the appointment of a new ambassador. He also points out that the criteria for determining why one candidate is suitable for the president and another is not are unclear.
"If candidates are selected on the basis of objective, very clear criteria, then the answer as to why they are suitable or unsuitable should also be reasoned," Meilunas told reporters on Monday.
For her part, Inga Cerniuk, chancellor at the Foreign Ministry, says the Constitution gives the government and the president not only the right but also the duty to appoint ambassadors.
"To fulfill this duty, we, in the government, have set up criteria, a process, deadlines, so that everything goes smoothly, just as in any normal European country. Regarding the part of appointment, we have a lot of question marks and no answers. If there is one place where legislation and regulation should be improved, it is probably here," the chancellor said.
Pavilionis fears that a situation might arise where the president might not appoint a new ambassador at all.
"The presidential office does not set itself any timeframe. If we ever elect a president who doesn't like foreign policy very much, they may never appoint an ambassador. There is no obligation on the president to fulfill his constitutional duty, there is no timeframe," the MP said.
Surplys does not rule out proposing amendments to the Law on the Diplomatic Service.
The position of Lithuania's ambassador to Poland has been vacant since September 7 when Eduardas Borisovas' terms of office expired. The embassy is currently headed by Minister Plenipotentiary Audrone Markeviciene.
This is not the first time that a Lithuanian diplomatic mission has been without a head due to disagreements on the right candidate as it earlier took from eight to 19 months to pick ambassadors to Germany, the US and the European Union.
By Jūratė Skėrytė
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VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – Lithuania's Foreign Ministry has sent its response to the presidential office regarding the selection of candidates for Lithuanian ambassadors but says it cannot provide the requested information.
As the dispute over the appointment of an ambassador to Poland continues, the chancellor of the presidential office wrote to the chancellor of the Foreign Ministry last week and asked for President Gitanas Nauseda to be provided with documentation on the competitions held by the Foreign Ministry for the selection of candidates to lead Lithuania's diplomatic missions, including the embassy in Warsaw.
Inga Cerniuk, chancellor at the Foreign Ministry, says the Attestation Commission is not involved in the selection of ambassadorial candidates.
"It (the response - BNS) is quite simple: the commission for the attestation of diplomats has never been involved and is not involved in the selection of ambassadorial candidates, so there are simply no physical protocols because this is not their competence," Cerniuk told reporters after a closed-door meeting of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs on Monday, adding that the commission is only involved in proposing a rank for a diplomat.
"That proposal is only made when the name of the candidate is clear and when the government's resolution on the candidate is ready, and when the presidential decree is pending. Then, the commission proposes granting a rank because it is within its competence to propose ranks for all diplomats, from a secretary to an ambassador," Cerniuk said.
The Foreign Ministry and the president are now at loggerheads over who should be appointed to represent Lithuania in Warsaw.
By Vilmantas Venckūnas
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VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – Troops will soon start moving into barracks in Lithuania's two newly-built military facilities in the districts of Vilnius and Silale after the process of transferring the complexes to the Armed Forces is completed, the Defense Ministry said on Monday.
"These are the largest infrastructure projects handed over to the national defense system in the last 30 years," Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said in a press release.
"They will significantly improve the conditions of service for the military personnel of the Duke Vaidotas Infantry Battalion and the Brigadier General Motiejus Peciulionis Artillery Battalion," he said.
The minister also noted that a full combat battalion will be stationed near Vilnius for the first time, significantly strengthening the security of the capital.
The Rokantiskes complex near Vilnius will be home to the Duke Vaidotas Infantry Battalion, which is currently temporarily stationed in Marijampole.
The complex in Pajuris, in the western district of Silale, was built next to the modular barracks where the Brigadier General Motiejus Peciulionis Artillery Battalion of the Zemaitija (Griffin) Infantry Brigade has been stationed for several years now.
The military facilities in Rokantiskes and Pajuris were designed and built with all the infrastructure required for a battalion-sized unit. A third military facility is to be opened in Siauliai this year.
In total, up to 2,400 troops and civilian personnel of the national defense system will be able to work and serve in the three new complexes, according to the press release.
By Milena Andrukaitytė
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VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – Police in Vilnius District have decided not to open a pre-trial investigation into an incident when two teenagers from a Russian-language school used a Kalashnikov air rifle to shot at their fellow student as they have not yet reached the age of 16.
The victim's mother claims her son was attacked because of his opposition to Moscow's war in Ukraine.
According to the law, only persons over the age of 16 can be punished for public order offenses in Lithuania.
"A decision has been made to refuse to open a pre-trial investigation, and officers are now considering taking legal action against the parents for their failure to exercise parental authority," Julija Samorokovskaja, spokesperson for the Vilnius District Chief Police Commissariat, told BNS on Monday, adding that the decision was made last week.
The police have also denied reports that the father of one of the boys involved in the shooting works for the police.
The incident took place on December 23 in a forest in Vilnius. The teenagers, who attend the same Russian-language school in Vilnius, first ate at a pizzeria and then went to the woods where the 14-year-old was attacked.
The incident was made public by the victim's mother, Ira Novik, a journalist from Russia. The teenagers first fired at empty bottles and then shot at another teenager. According to Novik, her son was called a "banderite" when he was shot, and also the anthem of the Russian mercenary company Wagner was played at the time of the incident.
Novik contacted the police and child rights specialists were also notified.
Last week, Lithuanian Education, Science and Sport Minister Gintautas Jakstas reignited debate on whether Russian-language schools should be closed in Lithuania by following in the footsteps of the Estonians and Latvians. However, he later said he did not link this debate to the aforementioned incident.
By Ingrida Steniulienė
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VILNIUS, Jan 08, BNS – As farmers in Lithuania start protests across the country on Monday, representatives of the Lithuanian Agriculture Council met with Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte.
Ignas Hofmanas, who chairs the council, says the meeting was successful and the prime minister promises to take the problems into account.
"We had a very constructive work conversation and dialogue, and the prime minister heard us and many problems will be taken into account. (...) The excise duty on liquefied gas, the development of protected areas, the development of perennial meadows, she tasked the Agriculture Ministry to solve the problems," Hofmanas told reporters on Monday after the meeting.
Agriculture Minister Kestutis Navickas also called the meeting effective, saying that the prime minister has "more power" and sees the situation better than individual ministers.
The minister added that the issue of perennial meadows was not discussed in detail on Monday, adding that farmers are set to meet with the European commissioner for agriculture later this week to discuss the matter.
Farmers are protesting against the government's agricultural policy, rising excise duties on liquefied petroleum gas, the restoration of perennial meadows, the dairy crisis and other problems.
In support of the protests, the Lithuanian Chamber of Agriculture on Monday handed in a resolution with some 30 demands to the environment and agriculture ministers, and it also includes a proposal for political parties to sign a long-term strategy for agriculture and rural development as a national agreement.
However, the Agriculture Council distanced itself from such a move and called the resolution a hypocritical act, saying that the Chamber of Agriculture usually approves of all government decisions.
By Goda Vileikytė
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