LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN, November 16, 2023

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, November 16, 2023
Thirty-four irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
Lithuania would welcome Germany's decision to speed up brigade deployment – president
Lithuanian president to announce by mid-December if he'll run for re-election
Northway Group set to launch construction of Bio City in Vilnius
Lithuanian transpmin calls Belaruskali arbitration claim 'normal procedure'
Lithuania sees Germany as a priority destination for flight expansion – minister
Resumption of military ties between US, China aimed to reduce tensions – Lithuanian formin
Lithuanian president welcomes Russia's removal from UNESCO Executive Board
Lithuania will consider economic rationale to close border crossings – president
Lithuanian MPs back conclusion there are grounds for MP Zemaitaitis' impeachment
Lithuanian parlt strips MP Grazulis of immunity in LGBTIQ contempt case
Investing in life sciences is good for Lithuania – businessman
Lithuanian govt not considering closing more border crossings with Belarus – PM
Inlt community puts aggressor in its place as it ousts Russia from UNESCO board
EC calls on Lithuania to cut emissions of several pollutants
EC calls on Lithuania to ensure fairness, transparency of online platforms

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, November 16, 2023

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, November 16, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to attend the BIO CITY construction launch event in Vilnius at 10 a.m.

THE SEIMAS' plenary sittings to start at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

A joint commission of the Seimas and the Lithuanian World Community to hold meetings at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to participate in the so-called "government hour" at the Seimas at noon; to meet with Chey Tae-won, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and SK Group, at 4 p.m.

HEALTH MINISTER Arunas Dulkys to pay a working visit to the US.

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Thirty-four irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away 34 migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Thursday morning.

Latvia reported 5 attempts at illegal border crossings on Wednesday, and 59 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Tuesday, according to the latest available information.

A total of 2,408 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 around 21,600 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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Lithuania would welcome Germany's decision to speed up brigade deployment – president

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – Vilnius would welcome Germany's decision to expedite the deployment of its combat brigade in Lithuania to complete the process by the end of 2026, President Gitanas Nauseda has said.

"Yes, I did speak with the German president during my visit a couple of days ago about speeding up this process as much as possible, shortening it. Time is not the factor that works in our favor," Nauseda said in an interview with LNK TV aired on Wednesday.

"We talked about 2027, but I said that Lithuania is committed to having the military infrastructure in place by the end of 2026, and if the German side sees possibilities to accelerate the process even further, we would of course welcome that," he said.

Nauseda discussed this issue with his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier during his visit to Berlin on Monday.

Vilnius and Berlin started discussing the brigade's deployment in Lithuania to beef up regional security after Russia invaded Ukraine. The brigade's Forward Command Element is currently stationed in Lithuania.

The German Defense Ministry said last week that the core of the German brigade in Lithuania would consist of two tank battalions, with the third maneuver battalion to be initially formed by the German-led NATO Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group already present in the country.

Vilnius plans that the bulk of the troops will be deployed in 2026 and that the brigade's deployment HQ will be relocated to Lithuania in the last quarter of 2024. Germany intends to deploy a total of around 4,000 troops in the brigade.

Germany has been leading NATO's multinational battle group in Lithuania since 2017.

By Ignas Jačauskas

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Lithuanian president to announce by mid-December if he'll run for re-election

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda plans to announce by mid-December whether or not he will run for a second term in next year's elections.

"I will do this before I leave for the European Council (meeting) scheduled for December 14-15," Nauseda said in an interview with LNK TV aired on Wednesday. "I will announce my final answer regarding May 2024 (elections) before this important European Council meeting.

"Basically, I have made up my mind; there is only one unknown for which I will soon receive an answer," he added.

Opinion polls show Nauseda, who began his first presidential in the summer of 2019, as the clear favorite in next May's elections.

By Ignas Jačauskas

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Northway Group set to launch construction of Bio City in Vilnius

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – Northway, a group of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies owned by scientist and entrepreneur Vladas Algirdas Bumelis, is launching the construction of Bio City, the largest biotechnology complex in Europe, in Vilnius on Thursday.

"This city will create huge economic, intellectual and social benefits and will make Lithuania's name known around the world," the group has said.

Bio City is planned to house six different complexes, including gene therapy, research and experimental development and virology centers, and stem cell research and 3D bioprinting laboratories.

Bumelis says Bio City will be about the size of 50 football fields.

Plans call for investing around 7 billion euros in four factories and two research centers and creating more than 2,000 new jobs over ten years.

"The complex we are starting to build is unique," Bumelis told LRT Radio on Thursday. "There is no other complex like it in the Baltics or, of course, in Lithuania, and it will be one of the leaders in Europe."

"We want to show that Lithuania is truly a high-tech country," he added.

According to him, the Gene Therapy Center, Bio City's first complex, is expected to start its operations in the second quarter of 2024.

Lithuania aims for biotechnology to contribute at least 5 percent of its GDP by 2030.

By Giedrius Gaidamavičius, Jūratė Skėrytė

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Lithuanian transpmin calls Belaruskali arbitration claim 'normal procedure'

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – Belaruskali's arbitration claim against Lithuania seeking damages for the half the transit of its fertilizers is "a normal procedure", Transport Minister Marius Skuodis said on Thursday.

"Investment arbitration proceedings are nothing new. Lithuania has had them before and I have no doubt there will be many more. It is a normal procedure when one party challenges a provision based on intergovernmental agreements," Skuodis told the Ziniu Radijas radio station.

The minister did not comment on Belaruskali's claim in detail, citing the confidentiality of the arbitration proceedings as the reason.

"From the experience of various other arbitration processes, we can see that even unclear emails from politicians are sometimes used in such procedures, so it is better to refrain from comments and generally accept it as a normal procedure," he said.

Belaruskali's fertilizer exports via Lithuania stopped on February 1, 2022 after the government ordered state-owned Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, LTG) to terminate its long-term contract with the Belarusian manufacturer.

The TV3.lt online news site has reported that Belarus' potash fertilizer giant is claiming around a billion euros in damages from Lithuania.

The Cabinet in January 2022 endorsed the conclusion by a special governmental commission vetting deals by strategic enterprises that LTG's contract with Belaruskali was not in line with national security interests and therefore had to be terminated as of February 1.

The transit of Belaruskali fertilizers from Belarus' border to the Lithuanian seaport of Klaipeda had been going on for more than a decade and was originally set to continue until the end of 2023 under the contract.

Belaruskali's fertilizers were handled at the port by Biriu Kroviniu Terminalas (BKT), a bulk cargo terminal controlled by Igor Udovickij, a local businessman, and the Belarusian manufacturer.

By Giedrius Gaidamavičius

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Lithuania sees Germany as a priority destination for flight expansion – minister

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – Germany is a priority destination when expanding flights from Lithuania, Transport Minister Marius Skuodis said on Thursday, adding that Lietuvos Oro Uostai (Lithuanian Airports, LTOU) is holding talks on this with airlines.

"Germany is currently the focus in negotiations between airports and airlines. Since the airports have all the necessary tools today, I do have high expectations for the outcome," he told the Ziniu Radijas radio station.

The aim is to attract flights to Germany's strategic transport hubs, including Hamburg and Dusseldorf, and more frequent flights to Berlin, according to Skuodis.

"Our focus is definitely on some of Germany's strategic hubs," the minister said.

"We have a connection to Munich and its frequency will only increase in the future," he said. "We would like to have flights to Hamburg (...) and Dusseldorf, and of course, we also need a higher frequency to Berlin."

Germany is leading NATO's multinational battalion stationed in Lithuania and is planning to deploy a combat brigade in the country in the coming years.

In late October, the Transport Ministry, the Economy and Innovation Ministry, and Vilnius City Municipality signed a tripartite agreement on a list of routes important for business and inbound tourism and on measures to promote flights to and from the capital.

The agreement calls for allocating around 10 million euros for the purpose in 2024.

It lists 27 priority destinations, 23 of which are from Vilnius. These include New York, Brussels, Dublin, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, Warsaw, Krakow and others.

By Valdas Pryšmantas

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Resumption of military ties between US, China aimed to reduce tensions – Lithuanian formin

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – Washington and Beijing's agreement to resume military ties is a means of reducing tensions, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis says.

"I welcome it as a means of reducing tensions," he told reporters at the Seimas on Thursday. "I have recently been to Asia and this particular trip was around the South China Sea and the tension, even of a potential conflict, is very palpable, much more palpable than what we believe here."

US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met in San Francisco on Wednesday and agreed to re-establish military ties that were severed by China after the then Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan last year.

Landsbergis says the resumption of military ties between the two countries is a signal to China's neighbors that there are ways to reduce tensions.

According to the minister, the decision also shows that "a military threat is not an inevitability that everyone is afraid of".

By Greta Zulonaitė

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Lithuanian president welcomes Russia's removal from UNESCO Executive Board

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Thursday welcomed the decision not to elect Russia to the Executive Board of UNESCO and called for Moscow's removal from the UN Security Council.

"Great news – Russia has been ousted from the UNESCO Executive Board," Nauseda posted on the X social media platform. "The aggressor that destroys cultural heritage in Ukraine does not deserve to have a say in building a culture of peace&prosperity."

"Next step – removing Russia from the UN Security Council," he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced via X on Wednesday that Russia has not been elected to the UNESCO Executive Board for the first time in history.

"The era of Russian influence is over," he posted.

UNESCO is a specialized agency of the United Nations.

The UN Security Council consists of 15 members tasked with tackling global crises by imposing sanctions, authorizing military action, and approving changes to the UN charter.

As one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, Russia can veto any resolution.

Countries have long called for reform of the Security Council, whose five permanent members reflect the international power structure at the end of World War II, and since the start of the war in Ukraine, Kyiv and its allies have sought to remove the aggressor from it.

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Lithuania will consider economic rationale to close border crossings – president

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS - Lithuania will look into whether it would be economically rational for it to close its border crossings with Russia and Belarus, President Gitanas Nauseda says as Finland mulls closing its border crossings with Russia.

"The issue is topical as we live next to unfriendly countries, and we have borders with both unfriendly countries, and those borders are really very long," Nauseda told reporters on Thursday.

"I think Finland's decision is based on very objective information and data that they might face challenges of this kind. We will certainly continue to consider to what extent it is economically rational to reduce the number of border crossing points so that, on the one hand, our economy is not affected and, on the other hand, the security of our country and our people is ensured."

On Tuesday, Finland said it was considering closing border crossings with Russia, accusing Moscow of deliberately turning a blind eye to illegal migrants.

Speaking on Thursday, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said the overall security situation must be assessed when deciding on the closure of border crossings with Belarus, adding that decisions must be based on the rule of law. It is not right to have a "political button to shut down border crossings", he said, but a legal basis is needed.

The parliamentary Committee on Budget and Finance has proposed to the government to consider closing border crossings with Belarus or Russia through which most of smuggled goods enter Lithuania.

In August, Lithuania closed two of its six border checkpoints with Belarus – Sumskas and Tverecius. Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite said at the time the ministry would propose to close two more – Lavoriskes and Raigardas, but Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte later said no further closures were planned in the near future.

By Erika Alonderytė-Kazlauskė

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuanian MPs back conclusion there are grounds for MP Zemaitaitis' impeachment

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – Lithuanian lawmakers on Thursday endorsed the conclusion of a special parliamentary commission that there are grounds for the impeachment of Remigijus Zemaitaitis, a member of the non-attached political group in the Seimas, for of his anti-Semitic statements and social media posts after 82 lawmakers voted in favor, there were no votes against and no abstentions.

"In a country where thousands of Lithuanians collaborated with the Nazis and became tools of their ideological killing machine, in a country where almost all Lithuanians of Jewish origin were murdered, a member of the Seimas is spreading blatantly anti-Semitic propaganda. If you find this tolerable, it is a matter of your conscience," Rasa Petrauskiene, a member of the ruling conservative

For her part, Agne Sirinskiene, the elder of the non-attached group, said she lacked specific information on which Zemaitaitis' statements were anti-Semitic.

She wondered why linguists had not been consulted why decisions of the prosecution service and the parliamentary Commission on Ethics and Procedures Committee on Zemaitaitis' statements had not been awaited.

Sirinskiene believes the ruling block s trying to cover up something by initiating impeachments and has thus devalued the very impeachment procedure.

For his part, Zemaitaitis said: "I will make good use of your arguments at the Constitutional Court because you have just admitted that this impeachment is more of a political crackdown and a political effort to (crack down on) me".

He quoted the leaders of Turkey, Spain, Italy, the USA, Canada in their assessments of Israel's ongoing actions in Gaza.

"All nations and state politicians are saying what I have been saying, that the actions of one politician or another are arousing anti-Semitic feelings against the whole country," Zemaitaitis said.

After today's vote, a draft resolution will be submitted to the Seimas on initiating impeachment proceedings and turning to the Constitutional Court for it to rule on whether the MP's conduct does not run counter to the Constitution. If the court rules that there was a violation, the Seimas will vote on whether to strip the MP of his mandate. At least 85 votes in the 141-member parliament are needed to pass the motion.

Members of the ruling political groups in the Seimas initiated impeachment proceedings against Zemaitaitis for his public anti-Semitic statements and social media posts that, they say, are anti-Semitic and incite hatred.

The impeachment text quotes Zemaitaitis' social media posts, such as "It turns out that, besides Putin, another animal has emerged in the world – ISRAEL" or "We, the Lithuanian nation, must never forget the Jews and the Russians who very actively contributed to the DESTRUCTION OF OUR PEOPLE!", and others.

"After such events, it is no wonder why such sayings are born: 'A Jew climbed a ladder and fell down accidentally. Take a stick, children, and kill that little Jew'," the MP wrote earlier this year, referring to a folk counting-out rhyme.

Earlier this month, the Lithuanian parliament's temporary commission unanimously agreed that there were grounds for impeaching Zemaitaitis.

It concluded that Zemaitaitis deliberately, repeatedly, and purposely disseminated information about the Jewish people and persons of Jewish ethnicity that does not correspond to the truth, attributed serious and very serious crimes committed by other persons or groups of persons to the Jewish people, blamed the Jewish people as a whole for the actions of individuals of that nationality or of certain acts of the State of Israel or its institutions.

It is also pointed out that, when speaking about the State of Israel, Jewish persons and the Jewish people as a whole, Zemaitaitis "used derogatory, impersonal, stereotyping, dehumanizing rhetoric, and presented tendentious and biased evaluations of historical and contemporary events related to Jewish persons".

The commission stated that, as a high-ranking state politician, the MP had insulted and humiliated the Israeli ambassador to Lithuania, an accredited official representative of the State of Israel, had insulted the State of Israel, and had openly justified and endorsed statement encouraging violent crackdown on the Jews.

Zemaitaitis, who had been invited to cooperate with the impeachment commission in various ways, never showed up at its meetings as he called the commission set up by the Seimas unlawful.

For its part, the Prosecutor General's Office is conducting a pre-trial investigation into public contempt and incitement to hatred against any national, racial, ethnic, religious or other group of people. Zemaitaitis, who enjoys legal immunity, has been questioned as a special witness.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Lithuanian parlt strips MP Grazulis of immunity in LGBTIQ contempt case

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – The Lithuanian parliament on Thursday stripped Petras Grazulis of his legal immunity in a case where the non-attached MP is suspected of expressing contempt for members of the LGBTIQ community.

Eighty-three MPs voted in favor of the resolution allowing law-enforcement bodies to prosecute, arrest or otherwise restricting Grazulis' freedom.

There were no votes against or abstentions, with the majority of the opposition absent from the vote, citing "political undertones" in the investigation.

Several weeks ago, Prosecutor General Nida Grunskiene asked the parliament to lift the MP's immunity, saying that prosecutors want to bring formal suspicions of publicly ridiculing and expressing contempt for a group of persons on grounds of their sexual orientation.

Prosecutors opened their pre-trial investigation in May 2022 following Grazulis' public remarks about members of the LGBTIQ community.

On May 26, 2022, Grazulis allegedly insulted several members of the LGBTIQ community, calling them "degenerates" spreading STDs and suggesting that they seek treatment. The incident took place in the Seimas corridor shortly after a civil union bill aimed at legally regulating relations between same-sex partners in Lithuania passed its first reading in the parliament.

The Criminal Code reads that "a person who publicly ridicules, expresses contempt for, urges hatred of or incites discrimination against a group of persons or a person belonging thereto on grounds of age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, race, skin color, nationality, language, descent, ethnic origin, social status, religion, convictions or views shall be punished by a fine or by restriction of liberty or by arrest or by a custodial sentence for a term of up to two years".

Under the Constitution, a MP "may not be held criminally liable or be detained, or have their liberty restricted otherwise, without the consent of the Seimas".

This is the second time in this parliamentary term that the prosecutor general has asked the parliament to strip Grazulis of his legal immunity.

Grazulis' legal immunity was waived in December 2022 to allow bringing formal suspicions of abuse against him in the Judex case.

According to law enforcement, Grazulis abused his official position as an MP when he helped Judex, a Kaunas-based frozen food company, to solve its problems after Russian officials found listeria in its products in 2015.

In June 2022, the Lithuanian Court of Appeal fined the politician more than 15,000 euros for that and ordered the confiscation of over 3,300 euros.

The Lithuanian Supreme Court last week upheld the conviction.

The parliament has also launched impeachment proceedings against Grazulis for deliberately voting for another MP.

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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Investing in life sciences is good for Lithuania – businessman

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS - As Northway, a Lithuanian biotechnology and pharmaceutical group, officially begins the construction of Europe's largest biotechnology city, Bio City, in Vilnius, the group's CEO Vladas Algirdas Bumelis says the creation of such facilities and investments in life sciences are good for the country.

"I am confident that the creation of such bio-cities or further investment in the life sciences field is definitely beneficial for Lithuania," Bumelis said at the construction launch event on Thursday. "If the state and the government have decided that life sciences are a priority, it should not change."

Speaking later with reporters, Bumelis said the centers that will be situated in the new biotech city will help pharmaceutical companies develop new drug technologies and carry out gene research.

The entire bio city will be about the size of 10 football fields, Bumelis said, adding that a total of around 7 billion euros will be invested in four factories and two research centers over the next decade, creating more than 2,000 new jobs.

"The complex we are starting to build is unique as there is no other complex like it in the Baltic states or, of course, in Lithuania, and it will be one of the leaders in Europe. We want to show that Lithuania is truly a high-tech country," the Northway founder told the public radio LRT on Thursday.

The project will be financed by the Northway group and funds borrowed from banks, as well as private investors, including pharmaceutical companies and investment funds. Bumelis said.

For her part, Economy and Innovation Minister Ausrine Armonaite says the construction of Bio City is "a huge achievement not only for Lithuanian businesses, but also for our country".

Bio City is expected to include six different research and production complexes, including gene therapy, research and experimental development and virology center, stem cell research and 3D bioprinting laboratories.

Lithuania aims for biotechnology to account for at least 5 percent of the country's GDP by 2030.

By Giedrius Gaidamavičius

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuanian govt not considering closing more border crossings with Belarus – PM

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – The Lithuanian government currently is not considering closing more border crossings with Belarus, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said on Thursday.

"If you have fewer checkpoints, then the question is whether you have less traffic or you have much longer queues," Simonyte told reporters.

"Now we have four checkpoints through which passengers and freight move, and I am not saying that further border checkpoint regime issues cannot be considered, but for the time being the government is not considering such an issue," she told reporters.

The parliamentary Committee on Budget and Finance has suggested that the government consider closing the border crossings through which most of the smuggled goods enter Lithuania from Belarus or Russia.

Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite confirmed that the committee proposes to close the Lavoriskes and Raigardas border checkpoints, and that this proposal will be considered.

According to the Minister, the closure of border checkpoints is an effective measure in the fight against smuggling.

"This was evident when we closed two border checkpoints in the summer. One of the main reasons why they were closed was because (...) we saw that there was no adequate X-ray equipment to ensure checks on vehicles," she told BNS on Thursday.

Lithuania closed two of its six border crossings with Belarus – at Sumskas and Tverecius – in August.

Bilotaite then said that her ministry would propose closing two more checkpoints, at Lavoriskes and Raigardas, but Simonyte said that no further closures were planned in the near future.

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Inlt community puts aggressor in its place as it ousts Russia from UNESCO board

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS - The international community has put the aggressor in its place by removing Russia from the UNESCO Executive Board, Lithuanian Culture Minister Simonas Kairys says.

"Firstly, the international community has put the aggressor in its place by sending a clear signal that the aggressor's brutal actions are unacceptable to the civilized world," the minister told BNS on Thursday.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced via X on Wednesday that Russia had not been elected to the UNESCO Executive Board for the first time in history, adding that '"the era of Russian influence is over".

It was on Thursday confirmed to BNS by Mindaugas Gabrenas, an advisor at Lithuania's permanent representation to UNESCO.

According to Kairys, this decision is a clear signal that Russia no longer has such influence within the international community and that "the civilized world no longer makes compromises of the kind we used to see before the war in Ukraine".

UNESCO's Executive Board sets the strategic direction of the organization's activities, the minister added.

"Since it is such an international format and basically sets such a direction for the future, I would even view this as a signal we will have a future free of Russia's opinion," Kairys said.

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EC calls on Lithuania to cut emissions of several pollutants

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – The European Commission has called on Lithuania to comply with EU law in relation to air pollution and to reduce their emissions of several pollutants to cut air pollution.

"The Commission has analyzed the latest inventories, together with other information reported by the member states … and concluded that Bulgaria, Ireland, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Austria, Portugal and Sweden, continued failing to meet their reduction commitments," the Commission said.

Lithuania now has two months to respond and take the necessary measures. Otherwise, the Commission may decide to refer the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

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EC calls on Lithuania to ensure fairness, transparency of online platforms

VILNIUS, Nov 16, BNS – The European Commission has called on Lithuania to respect EU platform-to-business rules ensuring fairness and transparency for business users.

Hungary has also urged to do that as well.

"Lithuania and Hungary have failed to provide national rules implementing the P2B Regulation with respect to its effective enforcement in due time," the EC said on Thursday.

Lithuania and Hungary now have two months to reply to the Commission and take the necessary measures. Otherwise, the Commission may decide to refer the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

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Nov 20 2023

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, November 15, 2023
Lithuanian, Polish presidents discuss security situation, support for Ukraine
Vilnius Airport receives anonymous bomb threat, evacuates passengers
20 irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
Lithuania's Freedom Party nominates Zalimas for president, he vows to be fair to everyone
Lithuania reports 736 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death
Lithuania fulfils commitments on China, Taiwan – speaker
Lithuania, Germany to sign brigade agreement next year – ministry
Vilnius Airport operates normally again after bomb threat
Lithuania, Germany to sign brigade agreement next year – ministry (expands)
Watchdog to probe Lithuanian president, UK ambassador's opera visit
Lithuanian govt OKs plans to set up Coast Guard Frontier District
Govt bans more dual-use goods from passing through Lithuania
Prosecutor urges chair to step aside as Lithuanian parlt panel starts whistleblower probe
Lithuanian troops take part in exercise in Germany
Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, November 16, 2023

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, November 15, 2023

VILNIUS, Nov 15, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, November 15, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to receive credentials from Ambassador Aliou Barry of the Republic of Guinea at 1 p.m.; to receive credentials from Nepalese Ambassador Ram Swarth Ray at 2 p.m.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to meet with Ambassador of the Order of Malta Christoph Calic at 9.30 a.m.

PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to attend a commemoration of the International Day for Tolerance at 9 a.m.

HEALTH MINISTER Arunas Dulkys to pay a working visit to the United States.

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Lithuanian, Polish presidents discuss security situation, support for Ukraine

VILNIUS, Nov 15, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda yesterday had a phone conversation with Polish President Andrzej Duda and they discussed the regional security situation, the course of the war in Ukraine, as well as support for Ukraine.

Nauseda underscored that as new conflicts emerge in Europe’s neighborhood, it is important to maintain the international community’s focus on Ukraine. According to the Lithuanian president, Lithuania and Poland must not only continue to actively support Ukraine, but also mobilize allies and partners to maintain the speed and the scope of support, the presidential press service said on Tuesday

"Lithuania and Poland fully understand the importance of Ukraine’s victory against Russia. This is the only way to achieve peace and stability in Europe. We cannot let the war fatigue set in and we have to continue keeping our support for Ukraine at the top of the international agenda," Nauseda added.

During the conversation, the Lithuanian president underlined that as the security situation in the region is not improving, Lithuania is actively investing in defense, adding that cooperation between Lithuania and Poland in ensuring the security of the region, both bilaterally and within NATO, is of utmost importance.

Nauseda also stressed the need to effectively implement the decisions taken at the NATO Summit in Vilnius on strengthening NATO’s eastern flank, as well as to put more emphasis on improving military mobility in the region.

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Vilnius Airport receives anonymous bomb threat, evacuates passengers

VILNIUS, Nov 15, BNS - Vilnius Airport received an anonymous call on Wednesday morning, saying that a bomb had been planted, Lietuvos Oro Uostai (Lithuanian Airports, LTOU), the airport operator in Lithuania, said.

In response, some passengers were evacuated from the airport.

"All special services were immediately informed, and the airport is undergoing a space check and situation assessment. While the common areas are being checked and the information is being assessed, passengers have been evacuated from the common areas of the arrival and departure terminals," LTOU said.

Around 100 people were reportedly evacuated.

Julija Samorokovskaja, spokeswoman for the Vilnius District Chief Police Commissariat, told BNS that the call was received at 8.22 am. The police were informed by the head of airport security. Officers are currently checking the airport.

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

VILNIUS, Nov 15, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away 20 migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Wednesday morning.

Latvia reported 35 attempts at illegal border crossings on Tuesday, and 46 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Monday, according to the latest available information.

A total of 2,374 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 some 21,600 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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Lithuania's Freedom Party nominates Zalimas for president, he vows to be fair to everyone

VILNIUS, Nov 15, BNS – Lithuania's Freedom Party, part of the ruling block, has nominated Dainius Zalimas, a former president of the country's Constitutional Court, for president.

"I think the goals are both to offer an alternative and to win," Zalimas, now dean of Vytautas Magnus University's Faculty of Law, told BNS on Tuesday. "My business and professional qualities, my experience in both professional and state work, could allow me to make this institution fair for everyone."

Zalimas, 50, is a constitutional law expert with a PhD from Vilnius University, who has been working at the Constitutional Court since 2011, served as the court's president since 2014.

In 1996, Zalimas joined the Homeland Union, but left the party after five years.

From 1998 to 2011, the presidential candidate served as an advisor to the defense minister. During this period, he ran in three elections, representing the Homeland Union list. He is currently a lecturer at the Institute of International and European Union Law at VMU and Mykolas Romeris University.

The Freedom Party candidate says the presidential office has been "largely exploited for personal, insulting ambitions or to pander to outdated stereotypes" in recent years.

"The president must be fair to everyone. This is one of the basic constitutional imperatives," the lawyer said. "At the moment, we see virtually no leadership of moral authority, nor leadership on issues that are core to the country. We do not want to waste another five years. The last year of the presidency, I think, is a period of lost opportunities and stagnation for Lithuania."

Common values

Zalimas says that he shares common values with the Freedom Party that was founded just over four years ago.

"We share the same values, including the rule of law, human rights, democracy, and finally the need to take decisions and act decisively," Zalimas said. "This is a natural convergence of values. (...) We have found each other, indeed."

Asked what's his main difference from Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, who has the backing of some liberals and has been nominated for president by the ruling conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats, Zalimas said he's open.

"What the government and many political leaders are lacking is openness, honesty and direct communication with the public," he said, adding that even good decisions that not properly explained "get tangled in conspiracy theories and are used for spreading disinformation".

"We probably need new and fresh faces in the political arena," Zalimas said.

Vows to share European Council visits

Polls show incumbent Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda is the clear favorite to win the election, with lawyer Ignas Vegele and Simonyte also in the TOP-3.

Vegele and Nauseda, however, have not yet announced whether they will run for president.

Zalimas says he sees no need to change Lithuania's foreign policy stance, but stresses that it could be tougher.

"Of course, the support for freedom around the world and, above all, the unconditional support for Ukraine, because Lithuania's future depends on it, remains key. However, there are untapped opportunities here, and these opportunities lie within presidential leadership, perhaps in terms of formation of appropriate positions within the EU and NATO," the lawyer said.

"I really miss Lithuania's stronger voice, and I think it could have one. (...) Sometimes, it seems to me, Lithuania's position is expressed too moderately," he added.

Zalimas also believes Nauseda needs to work more closely with the government and Foreign Ministry when appointing Lithuanian diplomats.

The presidential candidate points out that, unlike the current Lithuanian president, he would share visits to European Council meetings with the prime minister.

"I think that the one who is responsible for the issue under discussion should go," Zalimas said.

He believes the president's specific role in domestic policy depends on "who the president has to cooperate with, what government and ruling coalition".

"The president should play the role of a rallying authority and show leadership when various controversial issues arise, as well as initiative to resolve these issues, and not just criticize from the side, looking down," Zalimas said.

Lithuania will elect e new president in May.

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Lithuania reports 736 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death

VILNIUS, Nov 15, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 736 new coronavirus infections and one death from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Wednesday morning.

The 14-day primary infection rate has risen to 244.4 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 31.8 percent.

The number of new coronavirus cases hit the peak in Lithuania in early February 2022 when more than 14,000 new infections were recorded daily. Around 1.19 million people in Lithuania have tested positive for COVID-19 at least once.

COVID-19 incidence in Lithuania took an upward turn in mid-September after having stayed at a low level since May.

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

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Lithuania fulfils commitments on China, Taiwan – speaker

VILNIUS, Nov 15, BNS - Lithuania is fulfilling its commitments towards China and Taiwan, including the One-China principle, Speaker of the Seimas Speaker Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen says.

Questions about Lithuania's foreign policy on these issues emerged sphere after the Taiwanese foreign minister visited Lithuania last week and the Seimas speaker decided to meet with him.

Meanwhile, Lithuania's other government officials, including Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, refused to meet with Taiwan's top diplomat Joseph Wu in order to avoid any hint of recognition of Taipei.

"That line is being maintained and we are doing so in line with our previous commitments, which include the One-China policy," Cmilyte-Nielsen told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Wednesday.

She says Lithuania is establishing "economic, academic, cultural and human relations" with Taiwan, not diplomatic ties.

"I see what has happened in Lithuania in recent weeks and the arrival of Taiwan's foreign minister as a consistent compliance with our commitments," the Seimas speaker said. "If we don't have diplomatic relations, then foreign ministers don't meet. It cannot be otherwise."

Meanwhile, lawmakers, including parliamentary leaders, have more room for maneuver, she added.

Cmilyt-Nielsen herself visited Taiwan in October.

China downgraded its diplomatic representation with Lithuania in 2021 and imposed trade restrictions after Vilnius allowed Taiwan to open a representative office under this island's name as

Beijing viewed this as Lithuania's support for Taiwan to act as an independent state.

China seeks to isolate Taipei on the world stage and avoids using the word "Taiwan" in any way to avoid giving the island international legitimacy.

During Wu's visit to Lithuania, Landsbergis announced that Lithuania was talking to Beijing about normalizing their relations.

"I think we are talking about the fact that trade relations remain (...), economic cooperation exists and there is no desire to somehow stop it. I think this is a rational position for Lithuania and I do not see any particular change in this case," Cmilyte-Nielsen said.

By Saulius Jakučionis

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Lithuania, Germany to sign brigade agreement next year – ministry

VILNIUS, Nov 15, BNS - Lithuania and Germany will sign an inter-state agreement on the deployment of the German brigade in the second half of next year, Lithuania's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday.

And the agreement will be submitted to the Seimas for ratification.

"The implementation plan for hosting the German brigade in Lithuania will be signed in December and will cover civil and military infrastructure. Therefore, it is very important to pool the joint efforts of all state institutions, including municipalities and the private sector, for the implementation of this plan," Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said.

Troops assigned to the German brigade will arrive in Lithuania gradually and the Baltic country will receive the first troops as early as 2024, and the entire German brigade is expected to be deployed by 2027.

The German troops will be based in Vilnius and Kaunas, but some logistical elements are planned in other parts of Lithuania.

Anusauskas says that one of the key tasks for hosting the German brigade is to agree on the civilian infrastructure, including all the necessary services for the families arriving with the soldiers. Also, Lithuania needs to strengthen transport services as roads, trains and planes will be important not only for the German troops stationed in Lithuania, but also for Lithuanian businesses, and that will be beneficial for Lithuania as a whole.

The German Defense Ministry announced last week that the core of its brigade in Lithuania would consist of two tank battalions, with a third battalion initially to be formed by the German-led NATO battalion battle group.

The brigade in Lithuania will be called Panzerbrigade 42. Its HQ is expected to move to Lithuania in the last quarter of 2024. Germany intends to deploy a total of around 4,000 troops in Lithuania.

Germany has been also leading an international NATO battalion deployed in Lithuania since 2017.

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Vilnius Airport operates normally again after bomb threat

VILNIUS, Nov 15, BNS - Vilnius Airport resumed normal operations on Wednesday following checks carried out after a bomb threat was received by telephone earlier in the day. No explosives were found.

"After a detailed inspection of the airport's premises and an assessment of the situation by the special services, operations are back to normal, passengers are allowed to enter the airport terminals again, and check-in for scheduled flights is underway," Lietuvos Oro Uostai (Lithuanian Airports, LTOU), the airport operator in Lithuania, said.

The incident affected two scheduled flights to Helsinki and Warsaw that were delayed.

Vilnius Airport received an anonymous bomb threat on Wednesday morning and around 100 people were evacuated from the airport in response to the call.

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Lithuania, Germany to sign brigade agreement next year – ministry (expands)

(Updated version: updates throughout)

And the agreement will be submitted to the Seimas for ratification.

Thus agreement will define the legal, tax, employment and other conditions for German citizens to live in Lithuania, Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas says.

"There are many things that need to be defined in the agreement. (...) Despite the fact that the European Union is removing a lot of these limits, the bilateral agreement will allow defining more specific conditions, mainly related to the stay of civilians and military families in Lithuania," the minister told reporters on Wednesday at the Seimas after a closed-door meeting of the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense, adding that a meeting with German representatives is scheduled for December 19 when the plan on the deployment of the German brigade in Lithuania will be signed.

The minister, however, refrained to specify what would be included in the plan, as negotiations are still ongoing.

"If we have civilians, we are talking about them living in a city, not in a village," the minister said.

The German troops will be based in Vilnius and Kaunas, but some logistical elements are planned in other parts of Lithuania.

The minister says it's not yet clear how much additional funding would be needed for the settlement of civilians in Lithuania.

For his part, Laurynas Kasciunas, chair of the CNSD, says there's also an ongoing discussion about the pre-deployment of weapons or ammunition for the German division.

"This may be a visionary idea, but it is extremely important. Then the arrival is faster, then we are even stronger, more capable, the deterrent effect is much stronger," he said.

The brigade in Lithuania will be called Panzerbrigade 42. Its HQ is expected to move to Lithuania in the last quarter of 2024. Germany intends to deploy a total of around 4,000 troops in Lithuania.

Germany has been also leading an international NATO battalion deployed in Lithuania since 2017.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Watchdog to probe Lithuanian president, UK ambassador's opera visit

VILNIUS, Nov 15, BNS – The Chief Official Ethics Commission said on Wednesday it had decided to launch an investigation into the circumstances of President Gitanas Nauseda and Ambassador to the United Kingdom Eitvydas Bajaunas' visit to the Royal Opera House in London.

"COEC will assess whether the participation in this event was directly related to the performance of the president and the ambassador's official duties," the statement said.

The presidential office has refrained to comment the decision to open an investigation.

Matas Maldeikis, a member of the ruling conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats political group in the Seimas, turned to the ethics watchdog in October.

When Nauseda visited London last spring, Bajarunas invited him and his wife to see The Phantom of the Opera and bought the tickets with the embassy's money. The ambassador later claimed it was a misunderstanding that he corrected and paid for out of his own pocket.

However, the Foreign Ministry has information that the request to cover the expenses with personal funds was only made when the ministry started looking into the situation more than four months later.

Following complaints from embassy staff regarding Bajarunas' alleged misconduct, Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis suspended the ambassador and summoned him to Vilnius for consultations in mid-October. Such a step was made after an investigation by the ministry's General Inspectorate.

The president called the decision half-hearted and called for an official investigation. The Foreign Ministry, however, argued that this is not foreseen by existing legislation.

Bajarunas has also asked for an independent investigation and says he's being psychologically abused by the ministry because his reputation is being damaged by information leaks related to the accusations against him.

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Lithuanian govt OKs plans to set up Coast Guard Frontier District

VILNIUS, Nov 15, BNS – The Lithuanian government on Wednesday approved the Interior Ministry's proposal) to set up a Coast Guard Frontier District within the country's State Border Guard Service.

The new unit will operate in the border area along the state borders with Russia and Latvia, in the territorial waters and the Curonian Lagoon, in seaports, and within the territory of the international airport of Palanga.

"It is important for us to ensure more effective border protection. (...) The blue border, the sea border, has its own specifics," Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite told BNS on Wednesday.

The Coast Guard Frontier District will be established from the beginning of next year.

The Interior Ministry said earlier the Coast Guard Frontier District will have migration and criminal intelligence units and will ensure a more effective fight against smuggling and illegal migration.

It will also contribute to the protection of strategic facilities, including the Klaipeda LNG terminal, which is located within its area.

The Coast Guard Frontier District operated within the SBGS before it was merged into the Pagegiai Frontier District in early 2020. The Coast Guard Division was then set up within the Pagegiai district for the protection of the state border in the territorial sea and the Curonian Lagoon.

Lithuania shares a 255-kilometer land border with Russia, 18 kilometers along the Curonian Lagoon, and 22 kilometers along the Baltic Sea.

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Govt bans more dual-use goods from passing through Lithuania

VILNIUS, Nov 15, BNS – The Lithuanian government on Wednesday updated the national list of controlled dual-use goods banned from being transported overland through Lithuania. The move comes in response to a increase in exports of goods from Lithuania to third countries last year and this year, with some of these goods ending up in Russia and Belarus.

"We are making every effort to reduce the technical capabilities of Russia and Belarus to conduct hostilities in Ukraine. Back in June, we restricted exports of dual-use items that are being exported to Central Asian countries via Lithuania, Belarus and Russia and that could be used for hostilities in Ukraine. As we see the need to reinforce our solutions, we are introducing additional restrictions," Economy and Innovation Minister Ausrine Armonaite was quoted as saying in a statement.

The government resolution specifies that the list will also include machining centers, metal turning, drilling, boring, milling, threading machines, optical and semiconductor media, manganese dioxide, lithium-ion galvanic cells and batteries, vehicles for transporting goods and barometers.

According to the ministry, these goods are used in the production of high explosive projectiles for tanks, which are then used in the war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, galvanic cells and batteries are among the main components in the production of military UAVs.

In June, the Lithuanian government banned the overland transportation of 57 groups of dual-use goods through Lithuania, mainly products with microelectronic and semiconductor components.

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Prosecutor urges chair to step aside as Lithuanian parlt panel starts whistleblower probe

VILNIUS, Nov 15, BNS – Prosecutor Arturas Urbelis on Wednesday called on Vytautas Bakas, chairman of the Lithuanian parliament's temporary inquiry commission, to recuse himself, as the panel started looking into the actions of the State Security Department's top officials in vetting the inner circle of Gitanas Nauseda, then a presidential candidate, as claimed by a whistleblower.

According to Urbelis, Bakas, who chaired the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense (CNSD) in the previous term, was the first to read the whistleblower’s report but failed to share the material with the committee.

"It appears that the chairman wants to investigate himself. What impartiality can we talk about? We urge the commission's chairman to recuse himself so that the objectivity of the investigation is not called into question," the prosecutor said.

"This is about a conflict of interest and the impartial work of the commission," he added.

Prosecutors also want the commission to conduct its inquiry behind closed doors.

"We want to raise the issue of making all hearings closed, on the grounds that the security of the whistleblower and the protection of state secrets should be ensured," Prosecutor General Nida Grunskiene told the commission on Wednesday.

Urbelis of the Prosecutor General's Office said that the commission will be dealing with secret or confidential information that cannot be discussed in public.

Bakas said that parliamentary inquiry commissions typically hold open meetings and suggested as a compromise that politicians should ask questions and prosecutors inform them if they cannot answer them due to confidentiality.

It was also agreed not the identify the whistleblower.

Urbelis also noted that the investigation might involve questioning Bakas, who was the first to receive information from the whistleblower.

The parliament in October set up the temporary inquiry commission to investigate the circumstances disclosed by the whistleblower.

The commission, which comprises mostly MPs from the ruling bloc, has until March 10 to present its findings.

Supporters of the investigation argue that the whistleblower's story has left unanswered questions, while opponents claim it would be directed against President Nauseda to undermine his popularity in the run-up to next year's presidential election.

The initiative to set up the commission came after the Prosecutor General's Office stated last spring that the report submitted by the whistleblower, then an intelligence officer, to Bakas, the then CNSD chairman, in 2019 had not been properly examined.

In his report, the SSD officer complained about his superiors' allegedly unlawful actions.

New details about this case emerged in a book by journalists Dovydas Pancerovas and Birute Davidonyte, titled The Whistleblower and the President.

The former SSD officer told the journalists that in July 2018, he received several sheets of paper with many names and a verbal instruction from Remigijus Bridikis, the intelligence agency's deputy director, "to vet the electoral team of one candidate and the list of possible supporters".

It turned out that the list contained the names of supporters and associates of the then-presidential candidate Nauseda.

Having looked into the situation at the time, the CNSD stated that the SSD had acted lawfully in vetting people close to the presidential candidates, but urged refraining from verbal instructions in such situations.

While SSD officials said that all presidential candidates' teams had been vetted, the whistleblower claimed that only Nauseda's team had been subjected to checks and that Bridikis confirmed to him that the lists had been obtained from Nauseda.

The president categorically denies having asked the SSD to vet his team.

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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Lithuanian troops take part in exercise in Germany

VILNIUS, Nov 15, BNS – Lithuania's Iron Wolf Mechanized Infantry Brigade is taking part in the Schneller Degen 2023 (Rapid Sword) exercise in Germany, the Lithuanian Armed Forces said on Wednesday.

The exercise, which started on Monday and will run until November 29, will see the Lithuanian troops training along with more than 2,000 troops from 14 NATO and partner nations to plan defense and offensive operations.

Schneller Degen 2023 is this year's most significant staff exercise for the Iron Wolf Brigade.

The international command element exercise is organized annually by the German Armed Forces.

The Iron Wolf Brigade, which has been assigned to Germany's 10th Panzer Division for training purposes since 2018, participates in the exercise annually.

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, November 16, 2023

VILNIUS, Nov 15, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, November 16, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to attend the BIO CITY construction launch event in Vilnius at 10 a.m.

THE SEIMAS' plenary sittings to start at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

A joint commission of the Seimas and the Lithuanian World Community to hold meetings at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

HEALTH MINISTER Arunas Dulkys to pay a working visit to the US.

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