LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, February 9, 2023
2. Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus for 2nd straight day
3. Next rotation of NATO battle group to begin deployment in Lithuania
4. Lithuanian president to attend EU summit, meet with Belgian king in Brussels
5. EU justice commissioner in Vilnius to discuss Russia's responsibility for war
6. Lithuania reports 373 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death
7. Lithuanian parliament to hold special session on Bartosevicius probe 
8. Lithuania sending military transport plane to quake-hit Turkey
9. Lithuanian power TSO sending another EUR 3.6 mln aid package to Ukraine
10. Lithuania backs crossing all red lines in sending arms to Ukraine – Nauseda
11. Lithuanian defmin in Ukraine, meets with Defense Minister Reznikov
12. Prosecutor said crimes were related to molestation of minors – Lithuanian parlt speaker
13. EU must find legal ways to use frozen Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine – Lithuanian PM
14. Vilnius-Brussels direct flights set to resume in March – minister 
15. Baltics, Poland call for using EUR 300 b in frozen Russian funds to rebuild Ukraine
16. EU commissioner, Lithuanian officials discuss use of frozen Russian assets (updates)
17. Lithuanian rescue team off to earthquake-hit Turkey
18. Next rotation of NATO battle group begins deployment in Lithuania
19. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, February 10, 2023

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, February 9, 2023

VILNIUS, Feb 09, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, February 9, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to take part in the European Council's meeting in Brussels.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to take part in the parliament's plenary sitting starting at noon; to meet with EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders at 4:30 p.m.   

The Lithuanian Social Democratic Party's political group in the Seimas to meet with TRANSPORT MINISTER Marius Skuodis at 11 a.m.

The Seimas Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to host an event on a special tribunal at 2:30 p.m. 

PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to meet with Reynders at 10 a.m. 

JUSTICE MINISTER Ewelina Dobrowolska to meet with Reynders at 10:45 a.m., to be followed by a joint news conference at 11:30 a.m. 

DEFENSE 

The Lithuanian Great Hetman Jonusas Radvila Training Regiment in Rukla to host at 2 p.m. a ceremony of changeover of the rotation and leadership of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group. 

OTHER EVENTS 

European Commissioner Reynders to give an open lecture on justice against the backdrop of war, at Vilnius University at 2 p.m. 

 

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Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus for 2nd straight day

VILNIUS, Feb 09, BNS – Lithuanian border guards recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally for the second day in a row on Wednesday, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Wednesday morning.

Latvia reported five attempted illegal border crossings on Wednesday, and 48 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Tuesday, according to the latest available information

A total of 289 regular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year.

Lithuanian border guards have prevented about 19,500 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.

 

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Next rotation of NATO battle group to begin deployment in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Feb 09, BNS – The 13th rotation of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Multinational Battle Group (eFP BG) is starting its deployment in Lithuania on Thursday, the Defense Ministry has said. 

"The NATO mission and command will be transferred at a Hand Over-Take Over ceremony at the Lithuanian Great Hetman Jonusas Radvila Training Regiment at Rukla on February 9," the ministry said in a press release.    

The new rotation will serve under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Lars Neitzel of the Bundeswehr. He will succeed Lieutenant Colonel Marc Maulbecker, who has been in command of the 12th rotation since August.   

Germany provides the largest contingent to the eFP BG, with the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg and Croatia also contributing troops to the new rotation.

The German-led battle group was deployed to Lithuania in February 2017 in response to Russia's aggression in Ukraine and military activity in the region.

"Allied troops are executing a combat training cycle side by side with the Lithuanian," the ministry said. 

The presence of NATO troops in the Baltic states and Poland is "an effective measure of deterrence" and "is critical for regional defense in the event of military aggression", according to the press release.  

 

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Lithuanian president to attend EU summit, meet with Belgian king in Brussels

VILNIUS, Feb 09, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda is leaving for Brussels on Thursday to take part in an extraordinary meeting of the European Council and to discuss bilateral cooperation with King Philippe of Belgium.

At the summit, EU leaders will discuss new sanctions against Russia, the bloc's support for Ukraine, and the use of frozen Russian funds for rebuilding the war-ravaged country. Lithuania will once again raise the issue of a special tribunal for Moscow. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also expected to arrive in Brussels on Thursday, marking his first visit to the Belgian capital since the start of the war.

EU leaders are also expected to discuss migration issues. Ahead of the summit, eight member states, including Lithuania, called on Brussels to strengthen the bloc's border controls to "prevent another large-scale migration crisis".

The European Council should also discuss how to "ensure long-term competitiveness, prosperity and the EU's role on the world stage".

As part of his visit to Brussels, Nauseda is scheduled to meet with King Philippe to discuss bilateral economic and military cooperation between Lithuania and Belgium, as well as security issues.

Belgian troops are currently stationed in Lithuania as part of NATO's enhanced Forward Presence Multinational Battle Group.

 

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EU justice commissioner in Vilnius to discuss Russia's responsibility for war

VILNIUS, Feb 09, BNS – EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders is meeting with Lithuanian leaders in Vilnius on Thursday to discuss Russia's responsibility for the war in Ukraine.

Reynders will discuss the EU's continued support to Ukraine in various areas, Russia's war crimes in Ukraine and the international community's possible response, and the use of confiscated and frozen Russian assets for Ukraine's needs, the European Commission Representation has said in a press release.

The European commissioner will also pay attention to the financing of the Lithuanian judiciary to ensure its independence.

Reynders is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, speaker of the parliament, Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska, and Danute Jociene, president of the Constitutional Court. 

The commissioner is also to take part in a discussion at Vilnius University and to visit the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights. 

Last October, Lithuania, together with Latvia and Estonia, called on the EU to set up a special tribunal jointly with international partners to investigate Russia's crimes of aggression against Ukraine. The countries say that such a tribunal would also allow bringing Russian leaders to justice.

 

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Lithuania reports 373 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death

VILNIUS, Feb 09, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 373 new coronavirus infections and one death from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Thursday morning.

Of the new cases, 245 were primary, 114 were secondary and 14 were tertiary.

The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 now stands at 115, including three ICU cases.

The 14-day primary infection rate has edged up to 137.6 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 22 percent.

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

More than 1.17 million people in Lithuania have tested positive with COVID-19 at least once.

Some 69.7 percent of people in the country have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab so far.

 

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Lithuanian parliament to hold special session on Bartosevicius probe 

VILNIUS, Feb 09, BNS – The Lithuanian parliament on Thursday is holding an extraordinary session to decide on the opposition's initiative to set up an ad hoc inquiry commission to look into whether information about an investigation into the possible sexual abuse of minors against Kristijonas Bartosevicius was leaked to the former MP. 

At the start of the session, called by 47 opposition MPs, the Seimas will grill Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, speaker of the parliament, and Prosecutor General Nida Grunskiene about the circumstances in which the latter informed the former on January 20 of her intention to ask the parliament to strip Bartosevicius of his legal immunity from prosecution.   

Both Cmilyte-Nielsen and Grunskiene insist that the MP was not named during their meeting. 

Radvile Morkunaite-Mikuleniene, head of the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats' political group in the Seimas, has confirmed that she called Bartosevicius at around 2 p.m. on that Friday because she had received a message from him informing her of his decision to resign as MP, but says that she could not have alerted her colleague to the investigation because she was not aware of it.

In the evening of the same day, Bartosevicius, who was then on a parliamentary trip to Chile, submitted an electronic request to the Central Electoral Commission to revoke his mandate. 

Members of the opposition suspect that Bartosevicius was urged to resign so that his name would not be made public as part of the sexual abuse investigation.

Next Monday, January 23, Bartosevicius confirmed to journalists that he was stepping down as a member of the parliament "for personal reasons". 

The Prosecutor General's Office announced several hours later that Grunskiene was asking the parliament to strip the MP of his immunity from prosecution in an investigation under the Criminal Code's articles concerning sexual assault on a minor and a young child, and sexual molestation of a child.

On Thursday, the Seimas is expected to vote on the opposition's initiative to set up an ad hoc inquiry commission to look into the possible leaking of information about the investigation.

The initiative to convene Thursday's extraordinary session was supported by all opposition MPs, except those from the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union's political group, and several non-affiliated parliamentarians. 

The Farmers and Greens, the largest opposition party, have said they are not supporting the initiative to hold an extraordinary session because it could undermine the investigation and create grounds for appealing decisions before the European Court of Human Rights.

However, the party supports a parliamentary inquiry into the possible leaking of information on Bartosevicius and proposes to launch it when the parliament opens its regular spring session on March 10.

Prosecutors announced last week that Bartosevicius is suspected of sexually abusing four minors while he was still a member of parliament.

 

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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Lithuania sending military transport plane to quake-hit Turkey

VILNIUS, Feb 09, BNS – The Lithuanian Armed Forces said on Thursday they are sending a Spartan military transport aircraft to Turkey hit by a massive earthquake.

The Spartan will fly Lithuania's rescue team which was approved by the Cabinet on Wednesday, according to the press release.

The Lithuanian Defense Ministry has also provided the rescue team with 1,200 rations of dry food from the state's stocks.

"The rescue operation and the damage repair work in Turkey require a major international effort, which is why the Lithuanian institutions are united in their contribution," Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said in a press release. 

"We are organizing the transport of the rescue team and the transfer of the aid shipment to the responsible persons in Turkey," he added. 

The search and rescue team, the first such mission to be sent by Lithuania, is ready to leave for Turkey. The total material value of the aid amounts to 528,000 euros.

According to Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite, the team is made up of about 40 specialists, including more than 30 officers from the Fire and Rescue Department, three dog handlers with dogs from the State Border Guard Service, and at least five employees of the Kaunas Ambulance Service.

According to the latest figures, the death toll from Monday's 7.8-magnitude quake in Turkey and Syria has topped 16,000 people, and rescuers continued to search for survivors in the rubble.

 

 

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Lithuanian power TSO sending another EUR 3.6 mln aid package to Ukraine

VILNIUS, Feb 09, BNS – Lithuania's electricity transmission system operator Litgrid is sending another aid package, worth around 3.6 million euros, to Ukraine to help rebuild the war-ravaged country's energy infrastructure.

Litgrid CEO Rokas Masiulis says the company, which is renewing its infrastructure, has a range of usable equipment in reserve and is transferring it to Ukraine's TSO Ukrenergo.

"The equipment will be of great use to the Ukrainians in rebuilding their damaged energy infrastructure," he said in a press release. 

The new aid shipment consists of 330 and 110 kV voltage isolators, circuit breakers, surge arresters, current and voltage transformers, insulators and insulating oil. Litgrid is also sending another autotransformer, the main and most expensive piece of equipment in a substation. 

The aid will be transported to Ukraine in several shipments, with the first one to leave Lithuania shortly.

Litgrid sent an autotransformer worth at least 2 million euros to Ukraine in late January, with the total market value of the aid it has provided to the country so far put at around six million euros. 

 

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Lithuania backs crossing all red lines in sending arms to Ukraine – Nauseda

VILNIUS, Feb 09, BNS - Lithuania backs crossing all red lines in sending arms to Ukraine, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says.

"I am really in favor of sending (fighter jets – BNS) and crossing all the red lines," the Lithuanian president told reporters in Brussels on Thursday.

Speaking ahead of the European Council meeting, Nauseda stressed that Western countries' delay in sending more arms to Ukraine is leading to "more casualties, more suffering and people's deaths".

"We have to be decisive," he said.

The EU summit will be also attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky who arrived in Brussels with French President Emmanuel Macron.

Earlier, the Ukrainian leader visited the United Kingdom where he asked the West for fighter jets.

The United States has so far also refused to supply Ukraine with F-16 warplanes, but other partners, including Poland, are far more open to the idea.

Nauseda welcomed Zelensky's visit because "one physical meeting is more important than ten online".

The Lithuanian leader hopes that the EU will assess Ukraine's progress in its pursuit of EU membership by the end of the year and "take a positive decision".

"Negotiations can start as early as this year, this is realistic. Yes, it will happen at the end of the year in any case because the European Commission will present its conclusions probably in October, and then we will still have a European Council meeting", the president said.

Speaking on sanctions for the Kremlin, the Lithuanian president said he's in favor of tougher restrictions and they should include Russia's state-owned energy corporation, Rosatom, and more banks. The goal is to have these restrictions in place by February 24, the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine.

Ahead of the meeting, eight EU member states, including Lithuania, earlier in the week called on Brussels to significantly tighten the EU's border controls to "prevent another large-scale migration crisis". Speaking to reporters, Nauseda stressed the need to improve EU law to respond to the migrant crisis in Lithuania, which officials deem to be a hybrid attack by the Belarusian regime.

He also called for greater cooperation with third countries to discourage migrants from believing in false promises of easy EU access.

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Lithuanian defmin in Ukraine, meets with Defense Minister Reznikov

VILNIUS, Feb 09, BNS – Lithuanian Minister of National Defense Arvydas Anusauskas is visiting Ukraine and has met with his Ukrainian counterpart Oleksiy Reznikov. 

"The official bilateral visit day in Ukraine was spent talking to Defense Minister Reznikov and army representatives about the security situation, the actions of the occupying Russian forces, the situation in the Black Sea, ways to support Ukraine. the upcoming NATO summit in Vilnius etc. We keep our meetings as open as possible, which allows us to understand and assess the real situation," Anusauskas posted on Facebook.

In his words, Ukraine highly appreciates Lithuania's support as it is becoming more and more diverse. Anusauskas also met with Vitaly Kim, the governor of Ukraine's Mykolaiv region, who spoke about the peculiarities of local civil resistance.

"I can only repeat what I have said: I admire not only the Ukrainian soldiers but also their families who are helping them to defend their country in this war," Anusauskas said. 

In January, the minister announced that Lithuania would send two Mi-8s, L-70 short-range zenith guns and other ammunition for a total of around 125 million euros.

In December, Anusauskas said that Lithuania's military assistance to Ukraine amounted to 240 million euros as the Baltic country had provided Ukraine with a wide range of weapons, ammunition, thermal imaging cameras, unmanned aerial vehicles, and anti-drones.

Lithuania is also training Ukrainian soldiers.

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Prosecutor said crimes were related to molestation of minors – Lithuanian parlt speaker

VILNIUS, Feb 09, BNS – Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen has confirmed that she met with Prosecutor General Nida Grunskiene on January 20 regarding the matter of stripping an MP of legal immunity and the prosecutor told her the allegations were related to the molestation of minors.

"Without mentioning the specific articles of the Criminal Code, she informed me that one of the MPs was suspected of serious crimes, and she also said that it was related to the molestation of a minor or minors, and she told me what prison term that person was facing. I was very much shocked to hear about these allegations," Cmilyte-Nielsen said on Thursday in response to lawmakers' questions.

The speaker also said that the prosecutor general did not mention the name of the MP in question or their party affiliation, and she only confirmed that the person was not a member of Cmilyte-Nielsen's Liberal Movement.

"The Prosecutor General did not tell me the name of the MP, nor which group or party they belonged to, whether the person was a representative of the ruling majority or the opposition. She only mentioned that the suspected MP was not a member of the Liberal Movement group," the speaker said.

Earlier this week, Cmilyte-Nielsen told reporters that Grunskiene had provided her "de-personalized" information about possible allegations and that she only knew that the MP was suspected of serious crimes.

"I was not told about specific articles of the Criminal Code, I was given de-personalized information, so I did not received any pre-trial investigation material," Cmilyte-Nielsen said.

During Thursday's extraordinary Seimas session initiated by the opposition, Cmilyte-Nielsen provided her answer to MPs' written questions and also said she could not identify the suspected MP from the provided de-personalized information.

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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EU must find legal ways to use frozen Russian assets to rebuild Ukraine – Lithuanian PM

VILNIUS, Feb 09, BNS – The European Union must find legal ways to use Russian assets frozen under the bloc's sanctions for rebuilding Ukraine, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said after meeting with EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders in Vilnius on Thursday.

Simonyte and Reynders discussed "support for Ukraine, international response to Russia’s military aggression and war crimes in Ukraine, also the possibility of using Russian assets frozen under EU sanctions to compensate for the damage caused to Ukraine and to help rebuild the country," the government said in a press release. 

"Our actions, already now, must send an unequivocal warning message that Russia's war crimes in Ukraine (...) will not be ignored and that their organizers and perpetrators will not go unpunished," it quoted Simonyte as saying. 

"We must also find legal ways to use the Russian assets frozen by sanctions to rebuild Ukraine," she added. 

The prime minister "underlined the need to keep up and increase the pressure on Russia and Belarus through sanctions in a united effort", as Moscow's unprovoked and brutal war rages on.

She said that Lithuania would approve in principle of extending the mandate of the European Public Prosecutor's Office in the process.

Simonyte told Reynders that Vilnius views positively the European Commission's proposal to set up an international coordination center for investigating Russia's crime of aggression. 

Lithuania sees this as a first step toward the establishment of a special tribunal, according to the press release.  

As part of his visit to Vilnius, Reynders was also scheduled to meet with Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, speaker of the parliament, Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska, and Danute Jociene, president of the Constitutional Court. 

The commissioner is also to take part in a discussion at Vilnius University and to visit the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights. 

Last October, Lithuania, together with Latvia and Estonia, called on the EU to set up a special tribunal jointly with international partners to investigate Russia's crimes of aggression against Ukraine. The countries say that such a tribunal would also allow bringing Russian leaders to justice.

 

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Vilnius-Brussels direct flights set to resume in March – minister 

VILNIUS, Feb 09, BNS – Brussels Airlines is set to resume its direct service between Vilnius and Brussels, temporarily suspended since last fall, in March and will offer more flights than before, Transport Minister Marius Skuodis said on Thursday. 

"Brussels Airlines is coming back and, as far as I have been informed, there will even be more flights than before, because it is abnormal when we have no connections with EU capitals," he told the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party's political group in the parliament. 

The minister said he did not know why the Belgian airline had suspended the service.  

Lietuvos Oro Uostai (Lithuanian Airports, LTOU) said last September that Brussels Airlines was suspending direct flights to Vilnius from October 28, but added that the carrier was planning to relaunch the service at the start of its next summer season in late March.

Ryanair offers direct flights between Kaunas and Charleroi Airport, more than 50 kilometers from the center of Brussels. 

 

By Sniegė Balčiūnaitė

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Baltics, Poland call for using EUR 300 b in frozen Russian funds to rebuild Ukraine

VILNIUS, Feb 09, BNS – The Baltic and Polish leaders have called for using around 300 billion euros' worth of the Russian Central Bank's reserves frozen by EU member states for rebuilding Ukraine. 

In a joint letter to the bloc's leaders, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Prime Ministers Kaja Kallas of Estonia, Krisjanis Karins of Latvia and Mateusz Morawiecki of Poland underlined "Russia's accountability under international law for war atrocities and serious crimes, as well as the need to compensate for the damage caused by Russia's unprovoked and unjustified military aggression in Ukraine", the Lithuanian leader's office said in a press release.  

"At the EU-Ukraine Summit, we pledged to Ukraine that the EU will speed up its work towards using Russia's frozen public and private assets to rebuild Ukraine in accordance with EU and international law. To keep our promise to Ukraine, we have not only to reiterate our commitment, but to accelerate our work in the Council already now," the letter reads.

In their letter to European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson of Sweden, which holds the EU's rotating presidency, the Baltic and Polish leaders "point out that all the assets should be used to help Ukrainians suffering from the war and to rebuild their country", according to the press release.

The letter "stresses that the EU should lead global efforts to establish an international compensation mechanism for Ukraine and its reconstruction, and calls on the Swedish Presidency to accelerate work on this issue in the EU Council", it said.

"The frozen assets have to be used to rebuild Ukraine as soon as possible; we cannot wait for the war to end and a peace agreement to be signed," the letter reads.

 

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EU commissioner, Lithuanian officials discuss use of frozen Russian assets (updates)

VILNIUS, Feb 09, BNS – EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders met with Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte and Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska in Vilnius on Thursday to discuss possibilities for using Russian assets frozen under the bloc's sanctions to compensate for the damage caused to Ukraine and to help rebuild the country.

Simonyte and Reynders also discussed support for Kyiv, and international response to Russia's military aggression and war crimes in Ukraine, the government said in a press release. 

"Our actions, already now, must send an unequivocal warning message that Russia's war crimes in Ukraine (...) will not be ignored and that their organizers and perpetrators will not go unpunished," it quoted Simonyte as saying. 

"We must also find legal ways to use the Russian assets frozen by sanctions to rebuild Ukraine," she added. 

The Justice Ministry said in a press release that Dobrowolska and Reynders discussed legal assistance to Ukraine and international response to Russia's crimes.

"One of the most important measures that Lithuania actively supports is the establishment of an International Coordination Centre for the Prosecution of Crimes of Aggression, which would help to ensure the successful investigation and prosecution of crimes," it quoted Dobrowolska as saying. 

"We hope that the Coordination Centre will be operational soon and we are ready to contribute to ensuring its effective operation," she said. 

The minister noted that in this context, it is crucial to talk about concrete steps to ensure that the proceeds from the frozen assets of Russia and its entities are confiscated and used to compensate the Ukrainian people and to rebuild their country.  

During her meeting with the European commissioner, Simonyte "underlined the need to keep up and increase the pressure on Russia and Belarus through sanctions in a united effort", as Moscow's unprovoked and brutal war rages on.

The prime minister said that Lithuania would approve in principle of extending the mandate of the European Public Prosecutor's Office in the process.

As part of his visit to Vilnius, Reynders is also scheduled to meet with Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, speaker of the parliament, and Danute Jociene, president of the Constitutional Court. 

The commissioner is also to take part in a discussion at Vilnius University and to visit the Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights. 

Last October, Lithuania, together with Latvia and Estonia, called on the EU to set up a special tribunal jointly with international partners to investigate Russia's crimes of aggression against Ukraine. The countries say that such a tribunal would also allow bringing Russian leaders to justice.

 

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Lithuanian rescue team off to earthquake-hit Turkey

VILNIUS, Feb 09, BNS - A 42-member Lithuanian search and rescue team is leaving on Thursday to help earthquake-hit Turkey, the country's government said.

The team includes 34 firefighters, five medics and three cynologists from the State Border Guard Service.

A humanitarian aid shipment will also be sent to Turkey and include essential supplies for those affected by the disaster.

The team members are ell-trained to overcome all challenges as they have taken part in several international exercises on rescuing people from ruins, Gediminas Suksta of Lithuania's Fire and Rescue Department said.

"We are taking equipment for search and rescue among ruins, including drills, saws, seismological equipment, search cameras and more," he said. 

Once the team lands in Turkey, the Turkish rescue services will direct them to the rescue site. The team will work for two weeks.

Lithuania is also set to send to Turkey 90 tents, 50 electric heaters, 1,000 bedding sets, 1,000 pillows, 7,700 blankets and medical supplies from the state reserve.

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Next rotation of NATO battle group begins deployment in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Feb 09, BNS – The 13th rotation of the NATO enhanced Forward Presence Multinational Battle Group (eFP BG) began its deployment in Lithuania on Thursday, the Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

A changeover ceremony took place at the Lithuanian Great Hetman Jonusas Radvila Training Regiment at Rukla.

The new rotation will serve under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Lars Neitzel of the Bundeswehr. He will succeed Lieutenant Colonel Marc Maulbecker, who has been in command of the 12th rotation since August.

Germany provides the largest contingent to the eFP BG, with the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, the Czech Republic, Luxembourg and Croatia also contributing troops to the new rotation.

The German-led battle group was deployed to Lithuania in February 2017 in response to Russia's aggression in Ukraine and military activity in the region.

"Allied troops are executing a combat training cycle side by side with the Lithuanian," the ministry said.

The presence of NATO troops in the Baltic states and Poland is "an effective measure of deterrence" and "is critical for regional defense in the event of military aggression", according to the press release.

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, February 10, 2023

VILNIUS, Feb 10, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Friday, February 10, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda attends a European Council meeting in Brussels.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to meet with OSCE PA President Margareta Cederfelt at noon.

THE SEIMAS to host a meeting of OSCE PA's NB8 and Polish delegations at 2 p.m.

SOCIAL SECURITY AND LABOR MINISTER Jurgita Navickiene to meet with US Ambassador to Lithuania Robert Gilchrist at 12.15 p.m.

EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND SPORT MINISTER Jurgita Siugzdiniene to attend a remote meetings of the ministers in charge of sport from the countries that signed an appeal with the International Olympic Committee at 2 p.m.

JUSTICE MINISTER Ewelina Dobrowolska to attend an event at the Seimas and deliver a speech on Lithuania's involvement in legal initiatives regarding Russia's aggression in Ukraine at 10 a.m.

INTERIOR MINISTER Agne Bilotaite to meet with her Latvian counterpart Maris KUcinskis and to hold a joint pres conference at noon.

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