LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Lithuania’s State Defense Council approves State Defense Plan
2. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Monday, November 6, 2023
3. Lithuania’s State Defense Council to discuss defense plan, intl mission mandate
4. Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus for 6th straight day
5. Lithuania: MP Zemaitaitis’ impeachment commission set to adopt its conclusion
6. Customs reports no more attempts to enter Lithuania with Russian-registered cars
7. Lithuania reports 88 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death
8. Lithuanian Seimas commission to adopt conclusion on legal immunity of MP Grazulis
9. 450 extra officers to guard Lithuania's border with Belarus in two years – SBGS chief
10. Lithuanian parlt commission says there're grounds for MP Zemaitaitis' impeachment
11. Lithuania army launches exercise to test cyber incident scenarios
12. NATO jets in Baltics scrambled once to escort Russian military aircraft
13. Lithuania: Paleckis to be tried for defaming Kasciunas, expressing contempt for partisans
14. Lithuania to hold large-scale mobilization exercise next year
15. Court slaps EUR 70,000 fine on ex-Kaunas administration director
16. Ukraine must remain Lithuania's foreign policy priority – president
17. Lithuania to hold large-scale mobilization exercise next year (expands)

Lithuania’s State Defense Council approves State Defense Plan

VILNIUS, Nov 06, BNS – Lithuania’s State Defense Council (SDC) on Monday approved the State Defense Plan, Kestutis Budrys, President Gitanas Nauseda's chief national security advisor, said.

"The main and the big issue of today's meeting was the approval of the State Defense Plan, which means that Lithuania has a public, simple and accessible document that tells how the state sees itself in wartime and the involvement of every citizen,” he said at a press conference after the meeting of the SDC.

He added that the plan foresees the place of every citizen in the country’s defense, "so that there is not a single citizen, company or organization that does not know what to do”.

According to the presidential office, the State Defense Plan has been worked out to ensure that the different elements of the global defense function as a coherent whole. It covers armed defense, mobilization and civil resistance.

The objective of the plan is to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lithuania against armed attack through the concerted efforts and resources of the Armed Forces and NATO, state and municipal authorities, economic operators, citizens, and their organizations.

The plan was prepared by a group of experts from the presidential office, led by President Nauseda.

The SDC also discussed the state of the State Mobilization System and the mandate for international operations and deployments in 2024-2025.

The military mandate in force since the beginning of 2023 provides for the deployment of several hundred Lithuanian military and civilian personnel to 14 missions.

According to the Defense Ministry, 60 troops are currently serving in missions, half of them in the NATO-led international operation in Iraq.

Discussions on next year's missions took place in the context of Lithuania's declining involvement in these operations and the withdrawal of some countries from hot spots.

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Monday, November 6, 2023

VILNIUS, Nov 6, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Monday, November 6, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda meet with heads of Lithuania's diplomatic representations at 9 a.m.; to chair a State Defense Council meeting at 2 p.m., followed by comments by SDC Secretary Kestutis Budry and meeting participants at 3.30 p.m.

PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to meet with heads of Lithuania's diplomatic representations at 11.15 a.m.; to attend a State Defense Council meeting at 2 p.m.

FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to deliver a welcome speech at the World Liberty Congress; to attend a State Defense Council meeting; to meet with Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom.

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Lithuania’s State Defense Council to discuss defense plan, intl mission mandate

VILNIUS, Nov 06, BNS – Lithuania’s State Defense Council (SDC) will convene on Monday to discuss the State Defense Plan and a mandate for international missions.

The State Defense Plan enshrines the principle of universal defense, "where all state resources – state institutions, the private sector, NGOs and citizens – are mobilized“, the presidential office told BNS.

The plan is being prepared by a group of experts from the presidential office, led by President Gitanas Nauseda.

The SDC will also discuss the state of the State Mobilization System and the mandate for international operations and deployments in 2024-2025.

The military mandate in force since the beginning of 2023 provides for the deployment of several hundred Lithuanian military and civilian personnel to 14 missions.

According to the Defense Ministry, 60 troops are currently serving in missions, half of them in the NATO-led international operation in Iraq.

Discussions on next year's missions will take place in the context of Lithuania's declining involvement in these operations and the withdrawal of some countries from hot spots.

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus for 6th straight day

VILNIUS, Nov 06, BNS – Lithuanian border guards recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally for the sixth day in a row on Sunday, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Monday morning.

Latvia reported 21 attempts at illegal border crossings on Sunday, and 61 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Saturday, according to the latest available information.

A total of 2,191 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 21,500 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 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: MP Zemaitaitis’ impeachment commission set to adopt its conclusion

VILNIUS, Nov 06, BNS – The Lithuanian parliament's temporary commission looking at whether there are grounds for impeaching MP Remigijus Zemaitaitis over his anti-Semitic comments plans to adopt its conclusion on Monday.

“We will go through the proposals of the members of the Seimas and will adopt the final conclusion at the end of the meeting,” Conservative MP Arunas Valinskas, the chairman of the impeachment commission, told BNS.

According to him, the conclusion will be based on the insights of the experts – lawyers, historians and political scientists – who testified before the commission.

In October, the commission already discussed and voted on a draft conclusion, and then agreed that there were grounds for Zemaitaitis’ impeachment. However, this conclusion was declared invalid, and it was decided to try again to invite Zemaitaitis to the meeting. Moreover, the representatives of the opposition, who had previously boycotted the commission, decided to participate in its work.

Zemaitaitis, who had been invited to cooperate with the impeachment commission in various ways, never showed up at its meetings. He calls the commission set up by the Seimas illegal.

The impeachment of Zemaitaitis for his anti-Semitic statements was initiated by representatives of the ruling political groups.

Their initiative states that the public statements and social media posts of this MP are anti-Semitic and incite hatred.

In response to Zemaitaitis' statements, 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.

The MP, who has legal immunity, was questioned as a special witness in the probe.

The MP insists that there is no basis for his impeachment. He denies any anti-Semitic content in his posts and says that all his statements can be substantiated with international documents or historical sources.

According to the Statue of the Seimas, if a group of at least 36 MPs tables an impeachment motion, the parliament sets up a special investigation commission to look at whether there are grounds for opening impeachment proceedings.  

The full parliament then votes on the commission's conclusion and if it decides that there are grounds, it asks for the Constitutional Court's opinion on whether or not the MP has violated the Constitution and broken their oath. 

If the court states that there was a violation, the Seimas votes on whether to strip the MP of their mandate. At least 85 votes in the 141-member parliament are needed to pass the motion. 

Zemaitaitis' case would be a second impeachment procedure during this parliament after lawmakers turned to the Constitutional Court, asking it to rule whether MP Petras Grazulis breached his oath and violated the Constitution when he voted for another MP.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Customs reports no more attempts to enter Lithuania with Russian-registered cars

VILNIUS, Nov 06, BNS – The Lithuanian Customs has not recorded any attempts to enter Lithuania with cars with Russian registration plates for more than a month.

According to a clarification issued by the European Commission in September, cars purchased or registered in Russia cannot be allowed to enter the European Union.

"There are no attempts to enter with Russian plates now. We counted 70 [such attempts] in the first two weeks [58 in the first]. There is no problem with cars with Russian-registered plates trying to enter Lithuania. The problem was in the first week, then those entering got that information quickly and stopped trying to enter," Irmina Frolova-Milasiene, spokeswoman for the Customs Department, told BNS.

She added that cars with Russian registration plates that had previously entered Lithuania’s territory would have leave by March 11 next year.

"From that date onwards, measures will be taken – cars registered in Russia can be detained and even confiscated if there are such court decisions. So far, the customs authorities are not taking any such measures,” the spokeswoman told BNS.

Lithuanian customs officials warn those arriving at border checkpoints with Russian-registered cars that they will not be allowed in. 

People travelling in such cars were also informed that if they attempt to enter Lithuania again, they might face a fine and confiscation of the vehicle for violating international sanctions. 

In line with the European Commission's clarification, issued in early September, cars purchased or registered in Russia cannot be allowed to enter the bloc's territory. However, the requirements exclude cars transiting Lithuania on their way to or from the Kaliningrad exclave.

Sanctions that prohibit the entry into the EU of vehicles purchased or registered in Russia, as well as personal items, are aimed at restricting the entry of goods from Russia into the bloc.

Lithuania, together with the other Baltic States and Poland, has also imposed restrictions on the entry of Russian citizens both into the country and the EU.

Only Russian diplomats, dissidents, transport companies' employees, EU citizens' family members, and Russian citizens with residence permits or long-stay national visas from Schengen countries have been allowed into Lithuania since September 19, 2022.

Russian citizens can also transit through Lithuania by train to and from the Kaliningrad exclave. 

Latvia, Estonia, Poland and Finland are also denying entry to cars with Russian registration plates.

By Ingrida Steniulienė

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Lithuania reports 88 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death

VILNIUS, Nov 06, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 88 new coronavirus infections and one death from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Monday morning.

The 14-day primary infection rate has reached 190.7 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 36.4 percent.

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals stands at 120, including ten ICU cases. 

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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Lithuanian Seimas commission to adopt conclusion on legal immunity of MP Grazulis

VILNIUS, Nov 06, BNS – An inquiry commission set up by the Seimas of Lithuania will on Monday adopt a conclusion on the request by Prosecutor General Nida Grunskiene to lift the legal immunity of MP Petras Grazulis in the case of contempt for members of the LGBTIQ community.

A couple of weeks ago, the prosecutor general addressed the Seimas asking to lift the legal immunity of Grazulis, a member of the non-attached political group in the Lithuanian parliament, so that prosecutors could charge him for publicly ridiculing and expressing contempt for a group of persons or a person on grounds of their sexual orientation.

Under the Statute of the Seimas, once the prosecutor general's request is heard, an inquiry commission needs to be set up to look into whether there are grounds to lift an MP's immunity and whether the MP is not being persecuted for political convictions. The Seimas will then vote on this conclusion.

Prosecutor Jurgita Jasiuniene told the commission’s meeting last week that the statements made by Grazulis about the representatives of the LGBTIQ community had shown contempt for a group of people and that the allegations were based on the findings of linguists.

Grazulis was also invited to attend the meeting to present his position, but he only came to state that he would not attend and reiterated that the proceedings against him were a political crackdown.

On May 26, 2022, after the Seimas gave its initial backing to the civil union bill legalizing same-sex unions, Grazulis met several representatives of the LGBTIQ community as he was leaving the plenary session hall and called them degenerates spreading STDs, and said they should get treatment.

The Criminal Code stipulates 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".

This is the second time in this parliamentary term that the prosecutor general has asked the parliament to strip Grazulis, a member of the non-attached political group in the Seimas, of his legal immunity.

Grazulis' legal immunity was waived in December 2020 to allow bringing formal suspicions of abuse against him in the Judex case.

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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450 extra officers to guard Lithuania's border with Belarus in two years – SBGS chief

VILNIUS, Nov 06, BNS - 450 new officers are expected to join Lithuania's State Border Guard Service and guard Lithuania's border with Belarus over the next two years, Rustamas Liubajevas, the SBGS chief, says.

"The total number of additional officers over the next two years would be about 450 officers, and they would be assigned to protect the border with Belarus," he told members of the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense, on Monday. "We want to strengthen border protection."

Additional officers would be recruited in 2024-2025.

"We have looked at our manning capacity, it would be difficult to organize training and fill posts over a year, apparently. That is why we have foreseen two years. We will start next year, when the budget is approved, and finish next year," Liubajevas said.

In his words, the recruitment of such a number of officers would be significant as the SBGS now has a total of 4,300 positions, including both officers and civil servants.

Before entering their service, new officers should complete a three-month induction course, Liubajevas said. 

Lithuania's border with Belarus is also the external border of the European Union. Since 2021, it has been facing a flow of illegal migration, which, Lithuanian officials say, has been orchestrated by the Minsk regime. Lithuanian border guards have prevented 21,500 migrants from entering the country illegally from Belarus over the past more than two years. Some migrants have attempted to cross the border several times.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Lithuanian parlt commission says there're grounds for MP Zemaitaitis' impeachment

VILNIUS, Nov 06, BNS – The Lithuanian parliament's temporary commission has unanimously agreed that there are grounds for impeaching MP Remigijus Zemaitaitis over his anti-Semitic comments plans to adopt its conclusion on Monday.

The whole Seimas is expected to vote on the issue later.

"On the basis of all the collected and assessed evidence, on the basis of the provisions of the Constitution and other legal regulations, and on the basis of expert interviews, the Commission has found that MP Remigijus Zemaitaitis deliberately, repeatedly, and purposely disseminated information about the Jewish people and persons of Jewish ethnicity that does not correspond to the truth (...) in his Facebook posts on 8 May, 9 May, 13 June and 14 June 2023," the commission concluded on Monday.

It states that the MP 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, and that he had committed these acts for purposes that were possibly incompatible with the rights and obligations conferred by his mandate as a member of the Seimas.

"For these reasons, the commission concludes that Zemaitkaitis' actions can be deemed as incitement to national, racial, religious or social hatred, violence and discrimination, defamation and disinformation, which are incompatible with the freedom of expression (...),"the approved conclusion reads.

In early October, the commission already discussed and voted on a draft conclusion, and then agreed that there were grounds for Zemaitaitis’ impeachment. However, this conclusion was declared invalid, and it was decided to try again to invite Zemaitaitis to the meeting. Moreover, the representatives of the opposition, who had previously boycotted the commission, decided to participate in its work.

Zemaitaitis, who had been invited to cooperate with the impeachment commission in various ways, never showed up at its meetings. He calls the commission set up by the Seimas illegal.

The impeachment of Zemaitaitis for his anti-Semitic statements was initiated by representatives of the ruling political groups.

Their initiative states that the public statements and social media posts of this MP are anti-Semitic and incite hatred.

In response to Zemaitaitis' statements, 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.

The MP, who has legal immunity, was questioned as a special witness in the probe.

The MP insists that there is no basis for his impeachment. He denies any anti-Semitic content in his posts and says that all his statements can be substantiated with international documents or historical sources.

According to the Statue of the Seimas, if a group of at least 36 MPs tables an impeachment motion, the parliament sets up a special investigation commission to look at whether there are grounds for opening impeachment proceedings.  

The full parliament then votes on the commission's conclusion and if it decides that there are grounds, it asks for the Constitutional Court's opinion on whether or not the MP has violated the Constitution and broken their oath. 

If the court states that there was a violation, the Seimas votes on whether to strip the MP of their mandate. At least 85 votes in the 141-member parliament are needed to pass the motion.

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.  

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Lithuania army launches exercise to test cyber incident scenarios

VILNIUS, Nov 06, BNS - The Lithuanian army on Monday started the active part of its Amber Mist 2023 cyber defense exercise to test various cyber incidents scenarios.

During the exercise, an incident center (Red Team) will be set up to act as the "bad guys" for the scenario development, and a cyber incident response teams (Blue Team) will be set up to deal with any challenges posed by the Red Team. 

The exercise will test a number of scenarios, including the disruption of communication, noise causing and the installation of a malicious code or a physical network hack, the army said.

These scenarios will assess the ability of the military, public authorities and civilian sector companies to identify, analyze and prevent such cyber incidents.

The exercise will apply things learned from the NATO summit in Vilnius and other events and daily experiences of the institutions. 

The exercise involves nearly 300 participants from Lithuania, Latvia, the US, Georgia, Ukraine and the EU's Croatia-led Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) force.

Institutions under the Defense Ministry, the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union, as well as representatives of state institutions, universities and civilian information technology companies will also take part in the exercise.

Such exercises have been organized since 2013.

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NATO jets in Baltics scrambled once to escort Russian military aircraft

VILNIUS, Nov 06, BNS – NATO fighter jets, stationed in the Baltic States as part of the NATO air policing mission, were scrambled once last week to identify and escort military aircraft of the Russian Federation in the international airspace over the Baltic Sea, the Defense Ministry reported on Monday.

On Sunday, NATO fighter jets were scrambled to intercept an AN-26 of the Russian Federation flying from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad without submitting a flight plan, without using the onboard transponder, and without keeping radio contact with the regional air traffic control center.

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

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Lithuania: Paleckis to be tried for defaming Kasciunas, expressing contempt for partisans

VILNIUS, Nov 06, BNS – Algirdas Paleckis, a controversial figure serving a sentence for preparation to spy for Russia, will be tried for defaming MP Laurynas Kasciunas, chairman of the Lithuanian parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense (CNSD), and for expressing contempt for partisans.

In September 2022, Algirdas Paleckis publicly made false, untrue and demeaning statements about a Member of the Seimas in a social network channel, allegedly with the aim of defaming and humiliating the MP, the Prosecutor's Office said in a press release on Monday.

Moreover, according to the Prosecutor's Office, when speaking about Lithuania's post-war armed resistance, Paleckis presented it as a damage to Lithuania caused by the United States, and thereby allegedly belittled the participants of the post-war armed resistance, attributing to them only negative motives for the struggle and concealing the purpose of the resistance struggle to defend Lithuania's freedom.

"By this offensive and public statement, the accused denied and grossly downplayed the accountability of the USSR for the deaths of people during the genocide during the post-war armed resistance in Lithuania, shifting responsibility to the United States and hiding the role of the USSR, and belittled the participants of the post-war armed resistance in Lithuania," the press release said.

The criminal case of defamation and public support for, denial of, or gross trivialization of international crimes, crimes committed by the USSR or Nazi Germany has been transferred to the Kaunas District Court.

According to the Prosecutor's Office, the defendant does not admit his guilt.

Paleckis' liability is aggravated by the fact that he has committed the offence while being convicted for a deliberate offence before the expiry of the criminal record, i.e. while being a repeat offender.

The Criminal Code imposes a maximum penalty of up to one year's imprisonment for defamation, and up to two years' imprisonment for denying international crimes.

Paleckis was sentenced to six years in prison on charges of espionage. Later, however, his actions were reclassified as preparation to spy for Russia and his prison sentence was reduced by six months, to five years and a half.

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Lithuania to hold large-scale mobilization exercise next year

VILNIUS, Nov 06, BNS - A large-scale mobilization exercise will be organized in Lithuania next year, Kestutis Budrys, a presidential advisor, said after the State Defense Council meeting on Monday.

"Next year we plan to organize a large-scale general mobilization exercise to check how our whole system works," he said.

The SDC also assessed the work done on mobilization over the last two years, he said.

Also on Monday the SDC approved the country's State Defense Plan that enshrines the principle of universal defense, "where all state resources – state institutions, the private sector, NGOs and citizens – are mobilized“.

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Court slaps EUR 70,000 fine on ex-Kaunas administration director

KAUNAS, Nov 06, BNS – A court on Monday slapped Vilius Siliauskas, former city administration director in Kaunas, Lithuania's second-largest city, with a 70,000-euro fine for bribery.

Taking into account the time spent in detention, Siliauskas will have to pay 65,000 euros.

Siliauskas was convicted of directly demanding and accepting a total of 260,000 euros in bribes from Juozas Kriauciunas, the head of Autokausta, for his own benefit between 2021 and 2022 when he still served as the director of Kaunas city municipal administration.

Judge Audrius Meilutis of the Kaunas Regional Court announced on Monday that the amount of the bribe would also be recovered from Siliauskas.

Also, he was banned from the civil service for seven years.

Siliauskas fully admitted his guilt in court.

The court decision has not yet entered into force and may be appealed.

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Ukraine must remain Lithuania's foreign policy priority – president

VILNIUS, Nov 06, BNS - Lithuania's diplomatic efforts should be directed towards pooling international support for Ukraine as the international community's attention turns to new conflicts breaking out around the world, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda told diplomats on Monday.

New conflicts breaking out in various parts of the world are diverting the international community's attention away from Russia's war in Ukraine and, more generally, from Russia's aggressive foreign policy intentions, Nauseda underlined.

"Ukraine has been and will continue to be of existential importance to us. And all diplomatic efforts must be focused on this priority. War fatigue cannot be allowed to set in, no matter what happens. We must continue to consistently mobilize comprehensive international support for Ukraine, raise the issues of Russia's responsibility for aggression and war crimes, and keep Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic perspective on the international agenda," the president said at his annual meeting with heads of diplomatic missions, representations to international organizations and consular establishments, held to discuss foreign policy issues, the regional and global geopolitical and security situation, and Lithuania's foreign policy goals and priorities.

Addressing the diplomats, Nauseda said that the international situation was rapidly deteriorating, the world was increasingly unstable, and there were more and more attempts to replace international law and diplomacy with brute force, according to the statement released by the presidential press service.

Recently, he said, the number of hotbeds of aggression and military conflicts has increased, and the element of surprise has come to dominate international processes. These trends pose even greater challenges for Lithuania and its diplomatic posture in the world, the president said, adding that the diplomatic service must be ready to act in this environment of geopolitical uncertainty.

In his speech, the Lithuanian president also stressed the importance of fostering transatlantic ties and effective functioning of NATO and the EU, and the necessity to act together with allies and partners to defend democratic values and the rules-based international order.

Nauseda thanked the country's diplomats who contributed to the successful organization of the NATO summit in Vilnius and said that it was now necessary to focus on the implementation of the important decisions made in Vilnius and to seriously prepare for the NATO summit in Washington.

The diplomatic service needs to be more focused, wiser and smarter than ever, the Lithuanian leader said.

As the military conflict between Israel and Hamas continues, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged at the weekend that the war in the Middle East was diverting the international community's attention away from the war in Ukraine, which, he said, is beneficial to Russia.

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Lithuania to hold large-scale mobilization exercise next year (expands)

(Updated version: new paras 3-4)

VILNIUS, Nov 06, BNS - A large-scale mobilization exercise will be organized in Lithuania next year, Kestutis Budrys, a presidential advisor, said after the State Defense Council meeting on Monday.

"Next year we plan to organize a large-scale general mobilization exercise to check how our whole system works," he said.

According to Laurynas Kasciunas, chair of the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense, this would be a mobilization exercise for civilians.

"We have seven vital functions, and we need civilians to play a role in them," he said.

The SDC also assessed the work done on mobilization over the last two years, he said.

Also on Monday the SDC approved the country's State Defense Plan that enshrines the principle of universal defense, "where all state resources – state institutions, the private sector, NGOs and citizens – are mobilized“.

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LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
2. Siauliai to hold poll on removal of Soviet soldiers' remains from city center
3. Two 63-year-old men dead in fire at retirement home in Vilnius
4. Lithuania reports 78 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
5. Lithuania's DefMin to spend over EUR 3.1 b on military stockpiles next ten years
6. Finance minister feels foreign banks' interest in Lithuania
7. Lithuania responsible for indirect brigade infrastructure – German minister in Vilnius
8. Deputy defmin presents Lithuania's work in strengthening cybersecurity during visit to US
9. Lithuania ready to support Ukraine's energy sector – advisor
10. Lithuanian president convenes SDC meeting to discuss defense plan, mission mandate
11. ForMin has info on more than dozen Lithuanians detained, imprisoned in Belarus (media)
12. Lithuanian ForMin calles on Minsk to halt Astravyets NPP, address security concerns

Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus

VILNIUS, Nov 03, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Friday morning.

Latvia reported 34 attempts at illegal border crossings on Thursday, and 86 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Wednesday, according to the latest available information.

A total of 2,191 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 21,500 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 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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Siauliai to hold poll on removal of Soviet soldiers' remains from city center

VILNIUS, Nov 03, BNS – A poll on the removal of Soviet soldiers' remains from the city center will start next week in Siauliai in the northwest of Lithuania.

Siauliai Mayor Arturas Visockas signed a decree on holding the poll from November 6 to February 6 next year.

Respondents will be asked whether they "approve of the transfer of the remains of Soviet soldiers from the Second World War from the grounds of the Cathedral of the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul to a cemetery managed by the Siauliai City Council”.

"If 10 percent or more of the city's voting population expresses its opinion, the Siauliai Council will base its decision on that opinion and adopt a relevant decision,” a statement issued by the local government of Siauliai quoted Visockas as saying.

On the other hand, the mayor argued that the issue of the remains of Soviet soldiers should be addressed on the national level.

According to him, no procedure has yet been drawn up to clarify how municipalities should deal with the transfer of the remains of soldiers of the occupying forces.

"It is clear that a common position needs to be developed at the national level, because the issue is really serious. The procedure has only been prepared for cases involving the transfer of victims of resistance struggles, but it does not apply to soldiers of the occupying army," Visockas said.

The local government of Siauliai, for its part, has prepared a letter on the subject addressed to the Ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs, the Genocide and Resistance Research Center of Lithuania and the territorial departments of the Department of Cultural Heritage.

"In the context of the change in legal regulation and taking into account the fact that there are 69 burial sites of Soviet soldiers from the Second World War in 28 municipalities, it is necessary to plan and allocate funds from the 2024 budget of the Ministry of Culture for a special purpose grant, i.e. to finance the transfer of the remains," the letter states.

The burial site in Siauliai is included in the Register of Cultural Heritage. It states that 52 Soviet soldiers who died in the Second World War are buried there.

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Two 63-year-old men dead in fire at retirement home in Vilnius

VILNIUS, Nov 03, BNS – Two men aged 63 died in a fire at the Senevita retirement home in Vilnius' Balzio Street on Thursday night.

According to the Police Department, the charred bodies of two men were found in a room of the retirement home after the fire was extinguished there at around 11.54 p.m.

They were living in the same room.

A pre-trial investigation has been opened to determine the cause of death.

Petras Jurgilas, the director of Senevita, told BNS that one of the men was using a wheelchair.

"We have evacuated 36 people to the physiotherapy hall, we have mattresses there and in the morning we will transport them to Nemencine. It's a terrible disaster for us," Jurgilas told BNS at night.

He believes the fire may have been caused by the victims' smoking.

According to firefighters, some people were poisoned by smoke and were treated at the scene. Three people with smoke poisoning were taken to hospital.

Smoke was spread throughout the three-story building.

A large firefighting force was dispatched to the scene, including six tankers, a staff car and a crane.

The residents of the retirement home were also assisted by the police and the ambulance service.

The fire was declared contained at 11.58 p.m. and was extinguished a little after one hour.

The institution says that it provides social care services for elderly persons, adults with disabilities and persons suffering from Alzheimer's disease or other degenerative diseases of the central nervous system, who require complex assistance and constant specialist care.

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Lithuania reports 78 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths

VILNIUS, Nov 03, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 78 new coronavirus infections and no deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Friday morning.

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals stands at 113, including six ICU cases. 

The 14-day primary infection rate has reached 173.2 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 33.4 percent.

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

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's DefMin to spend over EUR 3.1 b on military stockpiles next ten years

VILNIUS, Nov 03, BNS – Lithuania's Defense Ministry plans to spend more than 3.1 billion euros on the acquisition of military stockpiles over the next decade, the ministry said on Friday.

Ammunition will make the largest part of the planned military stockpiles, around 90 percent, while the rest will include various engineering solutions and explosive materials.

"As the national defense system is acquiring new state-of-the-art weapon systems, it is also acquiring the necessary ammunition and expanding its servicing and storage infrastructure. We pay a lot of attention and allocate a lot of funds to the accumulation of ammunition and other military stockpiles," Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas says.

According to the ministry, the funds allocated for ammunition stockpiling have tripled over the last three years, with almost 750 million euros earmarked for 2021-2023. On average, 16 percent of total defense spending is spent on ammunition each year.

The ministry points out that until 2020, around a tenth of the defense budget was allocated for the same purpose. The vast majority of the ammunition stockpiling is meant for basic combat ammunition.

Lithuania has signed several contracts for the purchase of ammunition this year and is acquiring medium-range surface-to-air AMRAAM missiles and Javelin anti-tank missiles from the United States, Carl-Gustaf grenade launchers and RBS-70 short-range air defense missiles from Sweden, and is also buying ammunition of various caliber (from 4.6 to 40 mm) through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA).

According to the ministry, the national defense industry is also being incentivized as a contract was signed earlier this year with the Giraite Armaments Factory, a Lithuanian maker of small caliber ammunition, for the purchase of 7.62x51 mm ammunition.

A total of around 2.7 billion euros is planned in Lithuania's defense budget for acquisition in 2024-2026. The ministry says this means that around 45 percent of the defense budget will be allocated annually to the strengthening and upgrading of the Lithuanian army's combat power.

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Finance minister feels foreign banks' interest in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Nov 03, BNS – Lithuanian Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste says she feels the interest of foreign banks in the Lithuanian market, adding, however, the emergence of a new bank in the country may take time.

"We are trying to have additional players in the banking sector in our country because it is very concentrated. I think it's a good business opportunity, and we have interests from different private sector players, but, anyway, it's their private decision," the finance minister told reporters on Friday. "I think it might happen because interest is really present, but the outcome is not so fast because it takes time."

Speaking at a joint press conference with her German counterpart Christian Lindner, Skaiste stressed that various banks from different countries, including Germany and Poland, were considering setting up in Lithuania.

For his part, the German minister said he had no information on German banks planning activities in Lithuania, adding that this "decision is for the private sector to make“, but there are "no obstacles from the German government“.

"We support the European single market in which German banks are engaged across the European Union," he said when asked whether German banks could come to Lithuania with the planned German army brigade.

In late September, the central Bank of Lithuania announced that a new foreign bank would come to Lithuania in the near future, but it did not name a specific bank.

According to the Bank of Lithuania, 13 banks currently have bank or specialized bank licenses in Lithuania, and there are also six branches of foreign banks.

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Lithuania responsible for indirect brigade infrastructure – German minister in Vilnius

VILNIUS, Nov 03, BNS - Vilnius and Berlin are still discussing the necessary investments for Lithuania to host the planned German brigade, but the costs that are not directly related to the military unit are Lithuania's responsibility, German Finance Minister Christian Lindner has said in Vilnius.

"The financial burden of this commitment will be financed by the German budget, but the focus is on military expenditure in particular. On expenditures that are not directly connected with our troops, more of this responsibility is on the hosting country," the German minister told reporters in Vilnius on Friday.

For her part, Lithuanian Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste told the joint press conference that discussions on the necessary infrastructure and its financing were ongoing.

"Discussions are still ongoing on specific details," she said.

Lithuania plans that the bulk of the German brigade will be deployed in Lithuania in 2026. The joint Lithuanian-German working group has agreed to sign the deployment plan by December 22.

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said earlier that not only military infrastructure, but also social infrastructure, such as schools and leisure facilities, would have to be put in place for the arrival of the German brigade in Lithuania.

This is needed, he said, because German troops will rotate every three years, meaning that their families will also be coming to Lithuania.

Lithuania and Germany started discussing the deployment of a German brigade in Lithuania after Russia invaded Ukraine. The brigade's Forward Command Element is already deployed in Lithuania.

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

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Deputy defmin presents Lithuania's work in strengthening cybersecurity during visit to US

VILNIUS, Nov 03, BNS – Lithuanian Defense Vice-Minister Greta Monika Tuckute has discussed the situation of cyber security threats in the Baltic Sea region and presented Lithuania's achievements in this area at meetings in the United States this week.

"Lithuania has confirmed its commitment to the fight against cyber criminals on the international level," a press release from the Defense Ministry quoted Tuckute as saying in comments about her visit.

She took part in a high-level meeting organized by the White House to bring together 50 countries and international organizations in the fight against ransomware cyber-attacks under the Counter Ransomware Initiative (CRI).

Lithuania is one of the leaders of the initiative, leading the Information Sharing Working Group, according to the press release.

At the meeting, the vice-minister presented Lithuania's work on the information sharing platform, which has been implemented for a year by the Regional Cyber Defense Center (RCDC) in Kaunas.

According to the ministry, important work has been done in recent years to ensure that this solution proposed by Lithuania is useful for the CRI countries. In particular, Lithuania has started to conduct introductory training on information sharing in cooperation with the Belgian Cyber Security Center.

"We say that cyber criminals have no boundaries, but what is special about the 50 countries working together is that by working together we also have no barriers. We want different regions – from the Baltic Sea to the Asia-Pacific – to be able to share information about threats in their countries," Tuckute said.

"Together with Belgium, we are promising additional thematic training for allies in 2024, to attract more countries to use our platform, to increase knowledge and build mutual trust," she added.

During her visit to the United States, the vice-minister also met with the country's top cybersecurity officials and shared Lithuania's experience in strengthening resilience to cyber threats.

During a meeting with Mieke Eoyang, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy, the vice-minister discussed the cybersecurity threat situation in the Baltic Sea region, support to Ukraine, participation of the United States in the activities of the RCDC, cooperation with the Asia-Pacific region, and further support for the development of the Army Cyber Defense Unit.

"Lithuania's experience – not only in countering cyber threats from Russia and China, but also in sharing lessons learned with partners – is relevant to the Transatlantic and Asia-Pacific partners. Cybersecurity consultations with the United States help Lithuania to enhance its knowledge and skills in strengthening its national cyber capabilities," Tuckute said.

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Lithuania ready to support Ukraine's energy sector – advisor

VILNIUS, Nov 03, BNS - Lithuania stands ready to provide support to Ukraine's energy sector, as it did last winter, Jarek Niewierowicz, an advisor to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, at a virtual remote meeting of the Ukrainian president's Peace Formula working group on energy security on Friday.

"In order to ensure the resilience of the energy sector and security of energy supply, we need to join forces and work together. Lithuania will be together with Ukraine this winter as well," Niewierowicz later told BNS.

So far, Lithuania has already provided Ukraine with two high-capacity autotransformers, 274 transformers and their accessories, other grid support equipment, as well as more than 1,000 generators and a mobile thermal boiler house. Additional support is planned soon. 

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Lithuanian president convenes SDC meeting to discuss defense plan, mission mandate

VILNIUS, Nov 03, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda is convening a State Defense Council meeting on Monday.

State leader will discuss the State Defense Plan, which enshrines the principle of universal defense, "where all state resources – state institutions, the private sector, NGOs and citizens – are mobilized“, the presidential office told BNS.

The plan is being prepared by a group of experts from the presidential office, led by the president.

The SDC will also discuss the state of the State Mobilization System and the mandate for international operations and deployments in 2024-2025.

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ForMin has info on more than dozen Lithuanians detained, imprisoned in Belarus (media)

VILNIUS, Nov 03, BNS – Lithuania's Foreign Ministry says it has information on more than a dozen Lithuanian citizens detained or serving sentences in Belarus, the delfi.lt news website reports on Friday.

"Right now, we have information on more than a dozen Lithuanian citizens detained or serving sentences in Belarus. The Belarusian authorities do not always immediately inform the Lithuanian authorities about the cases of detention of Lithuanian citizens," the ministry told the website.

Lithuanian citizens may also be illegally detained in Belarus ruled by the Lukashenko regime, the ministry pointed out, adding that Latvia also reported some time ago about the detention of its citizens.

The Foreign Ministry also reminded of the Belarusian authorities' stepped up hostile and provocative actions against Lithuanian citizens in Belarus, and warned that Lithuanian citizens may also be detained unlawfully in Belarus. Lithuanian citizens are urged not to travel to Belarus and to leave immediately, if they are now in Belarus.

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Lithuanian ForMin calles on Minsk to halt Astravyets NPP, address security concerns

VILNIUS, Nov 03, BNS - The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry has urged Minsk to suspend the operation of Unit 1 and Unit 2 of the Astravyets nuclear power plant and to address security issues.

The Foreign Ministry said on Friday it had sent a diplomatic note to the Belarusian Foreign Ministry urging it to "immediately address environmental, nuclear and radiation safety issues at the Belarusian NPP in accordance with international requirements and standards".

The Lithuanian ministry did so in response to Belarusian media reports in late October that the country's institutions had issued a license for the start of industrial operation of the nuclear facility's Unit 2.

"Belarus continues ignoring the international community's requests to address all safety concerns first by pursuing this unsafe nuclear power project," the ministry said.

The unsafe nuclear power plant in Astravyets poses a serious threat to Europe as a whole, it said, and Lithuania "strongly demands the suspension of the operation of Unit 1 and Unit 2 of the Belarusian nuclear power plant until all safety issues are resolved".

Lithuania's National Nuclear Power Safety Inspectorate warned in late October that Unit 2 of the Astrayets nuclear facility, situated some 50 km from Vilnius, was being launched without resolving all safety issues.

It also said that since the very beginning of the Belarusian NPP project implementation, Belarus has not provided specific information to Lithuanian authorities on how it selected the site for the construction of the nuclear power plant in Astravyets and assessed the distribution and density of neighboring country Lithuania's population in the surrounding territory.

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