LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN, January 9, 2024

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

Lithuania publishes 2024 military conscription lists
Lithuanian actor Bagdonas' Belarusian wife has her residence permit extended
Helicopter maintenance hangars to be opened at Siauliai Air Force Base in Lithuania
No votes in Lithuania's parlt for tighter restrictions on Belarusians – chair
No illegal border crossings from Belarus recorded in Lithuania for 8 days
Lithuania's Viciunai could make moral choice – presidential adviser
National minority schools in Lithuania are 'Soviet legacy' – advisor
Presidential office, ForMin will soon discuss ambassadorial candidates – advisor
Lithuania publishes 2024 military conscription lists (expands)
Lithuania considers buying shares in Air Baltic – minister
Lithuanian Airports vows to invest EUR 250 mln over 27 years, serve 17 mln passengers
ForMin: constitutional amendments needed for president to get ambassadorial candidate list
Helicopter maintenance hangar opened at Siauliai Air Force Base in Lithuania
Poland's Pekao mulls setting up branch in Lithuania, c. banker confirms
Lithuanian military plan to develop reconnaissance drone capability within 3 yrs
Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Lithuania publishes 2024 military conscription lists

VILNIUS, Jan 09, BNS – The Lithuanian Armed Forces published this year's military conscription lists on Tuesday.

A total of 27,291 Lithuanian citizens are on the lists, available online at sauktiniai.karys.lt, and 3,845 of them will be called up for a nine-month compulsory initial military service.

Men aged between 18 and 23 are conscripted, but older people can volunteer for enlistment in the Armed Forces.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 10, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuanian actor Bagdonas' Belarusian wife has her residence permit extended

VILNIUS, Jan 09, BNS – Lithuania's Migration Department said on Monday it had granted a new residence permit to actor Vladas Bagdonas' wife.

"On Friday, a decision was made (...) to issue a residence permit," Evelina Gudzinskaite, director of the Migration Department, told TV3's Demesio Centre (In Focus) program.

In late December, the media reported that Belarusian citizen Yelena Liopo had left Lithuania for her home country at the beginning of the month because of her expired temporary residence permit and the Migration Department was yet to make a decision on a new permit.

Bagdonas said earlier that Liopo had worked for the Belarusian state television.

By Saulius Jakučionis

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 10, Vilnius newsroom

Helicopter maintenance hangars to be opened at Siauliai Air Force Base in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Jan 09, BNS – Helicopter hangars for storage and maintenance will be opened at the Lithuanian army's Air Force Base in Siauliai, northern Lithuania, on Tuesday, the Defense Ministry said.

An administrative building with workplaces has also been built next to the helicopter garage.

According to the ministry, the hangars are equipped with spaces for aviation equipment, aviation armament, mechanical equipment and engine maintenance, the storage of aviation oils and special fluids, rescue equipment and drying crew suits. The hangars and all component maintenance rooms are equipped with a compressed air supply system.

The construction of the hangars cost about 3.6 million euros and was carried out by Tilta.

On the eve of the opening, Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas posted on Facebook that the hangars would be adapted to the storage and servicing of the UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to be acquired by Lithuania.

The first UH-60M Black Hawks will be delivered to Lithuania next year.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

No votes in Lithuania's parlt for tighter restrictions on Belarusians – chair

VILNIUS, Jan 9, BNS – The Lithuanian parliament still lacks votes to tighten the existing restrictions on Belarusian citizens and put them on par with those imposed on Russians, Laurynas Kasciunas, chair of the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense, says.

Registered in December, the amendments propose restricting the issuance of residence permits for Belarusians, except for highly qualified workers, but they would also make it easier for Russian and Belarusian democrats to apply for national visas on humanitarian grounds.

"This is the compromise we propose. So far, in fact, there are no votes in the Seimas to do so," Kasciunas told the TV3 channel's Demesio Centre (In Focus) program on Monday.

Since last spring, Lithuania has a law in place on restrictive measures for Russian and Belarusian citizens, but the latter are subject to fewer of them.

Until May 3, the Russians and Belarusians are facing restrictions on obtaining Lithuanian visas and electronic resident status, but additional difficulties are also in place for Russian citizens regarding their entry to Lithuania, the purchase real estate, and their applications for residence permits in Lithuania are temporarily rejected.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda was initially of the position that Belarusian citizens should be subject to the same sanctions as Russians, but the Seimas overrode his veto and introduced softer restrictions for Belarusians citizens.

The amendments on the same restrictions for Russians and Belaruians were registered in December 2023 by Kasciunas and his fellow party members, Seimas Vice Speaker Paulius Saudargas and Audronius Azubalis.

Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite backs the proposal, but Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte and Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, who also leads the ruling conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats, have doubts.

By Saulius Jakučionis

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 10, Vilnius newsroom

No illegal border crossings from Belarus recorded in Lithuania for 8 days

VILNIUS, Jan 09, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally for the past eight days, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Tuesday morning.

No attempts at illegal border crossings were recorded on Monday at the Lithuanian and Latvian borders, or at the Polish border on Sunday.

"Monday was the eighth consecutive day when no irregular migrants attempted to enter Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated locations, i.e. there have been no such cases this year," the service said.

The same situation was recorded last year from October 31 to November 7. Since the summer of 2021, when the migrant influx started, there has been only one even longer period of relative calm when no foreigners attempted to cross the Lithuanian border illegally. This happened between February 18 and March 1 last year, i.e. for 12 consecutive days.

Lithuanian border guards say it has to due with the cold weather recently and the consequences of the turn-back policy.

More than 2,500 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year.

Lithuanian border guards have prevented a total of almost 22,000 people from crossing in from Belarus since August 3, 2021, when they were given the right to turn away irregular migrants. The number includes repeated attempts by the same people to cross the border.

The influx of irregular migrants to the EU's eastern member states from Belarus began in 2021 and is blamed by the West on the Minsk regime.

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

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 239 64 16, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuania's Viciunai could make moral choice – presidential adviser

VILNIUS, Jan 09, BNS – Lithuania's Viciunai Group, which continues to operate in Russia and is therefore on the list of international war sponsors in Ukraine, does not violate the law but could make a moral choice, Asta Skaisgiryte, chief advisor to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on foreign policy issues, says, adding that the group's continues operations in Russia can be assessed in terms of both legal and moral aspects.

"There is certainly a legal aspect, another aspect is moral and, of course, the company could make a choice that is more on the moral side," Skaisgiryte told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Tuesday.

In her words, the company is not in breach of any legislation as the food industry is not subject to international sanctions.

Last week, Ukraine's National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) announced that it had added Viciunai, which owns the Vici brand, to add it to the list of international war sponsors because it continues its operations in Russia. This means that it is also included in the global World Check database of high-risk individuals and organizations to help identify and manage financial and reputational risks.

This is not good news for Lithuania, Skaisgiryte says.

"Certainly when the Ukrainians blacklisted this company, let's say it was not good news for Lithuania. To be fair, it should be said that this company is not the only one on the blacklist, there are companies from other countries, and the list is not very short," the presidential advisor added.

The owners of Viciunai Group say they have been unsuccessfully trying to sell their business in Kaliningrad since the spring of 2022 when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine.

By Valdas Pryšmantas

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

National minority schools in Lithuania are 'Soviet legacy' – advisor

VILNIUS, Jan 09, BNS - National minority schools are a legacy of the Soviet era and we need to think about ways to better integrate young people attending them into Lithuanian society, Asta Skaisgiryte, chief foreign policy advisor to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, says.

"Russian schools, just like those of other national minorities, are a Soviet legacy. They existed in the Soviet times and they still exist today," she told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Tuesday. "We should probably not think about how to abolish them, we should think about ways to integrate national minority youth and children into Lithuanian life, how to make them speak Lithuanian very well, for example, when they leave school, so that they are able to pass the school graduation exam in Lithuanian and are able to fully integrate into the Lithuanian life."

Without a proper command of the Lithuanian language and a good knowledge of history and culture, national minorities youth cannot live a full life in the country, Skaisgiryte said.

"They are confined within the national minority, and this can be a problem because we still want all Lithuanian citizens to be integrated into life," Skaisgiryte said.

Her comment came after Lithuanian Education, Science and Sport Minister Gintautas Jakstas last week reignited debate on whether Russian-language schools should be closed in Lithuania by following in the footsteps of the Estonians and Latvians. However, he later said he did not link this debate to the aforementioned incident.

The Education Ministry plans to draw up a proposal on gradually phasing out education in the Russian language over the next several weeks. Meanwhile, national minority schools where the education process is done using the languages of EU countries or countries friendly to Lithuania could continue, Jakstas says.

Under the existing law, local authorities in areas with traditionally large national minorities guarantee education in the language of the national minority at the request of the local community.

National minority schools mostly operate in southeastern Lithuania where children receive education in national minority languages in nearly 100 schools in nine municipalities.

According to the National Agency for Education, over 47,000 children attended educational establishments for national minorities, from kindergartens to schools, in the academic year of 2020-2021.

Around 14,000 pupils are now attending general education schools with Russian as the language of instruction, mostly in Vilnius, Visaginas and Klaipeda.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

Presidential office, ForMin will soon discuss ambassadorial candidates – advisor

VILNIUS, Jan 09, BNS - The presidential office plans to soon discuss ambassadorial candidates with representatives of the Foreign Ministry, Asta Skaisgiryte, chief presidential foreign policy advisor, says.

"We plan to meet with the representatives of the Foreign Ministry soon to continue discussions on the ambassador to Poland, as well as on other positions that will open up already in this year's rotation," she told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Tuesday.

The presidential office and the Foreign Ministry in Lithuania are at loggerheads over the appointment of Lithuania's ambassador to Poland. The position has been vacant since September 7 when Eduardas Borisovas' terms of office expired. The embassy is currently headed by Minister Plenipotentiary Audrone Markeviciene.

The Foreign Ministry says it proposed its candidate back in the fall of 2021 but President Gitanas Nauseda rejected the candidate.

Representatives for the Foreign Ministry say 14 selection procedures for this year's vacant ambassador positions were held last year, and the winners were submitted to the president in November, but no response on them has been received so far.

Speaking with reporters after a meeting of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs on Monday, Foreign Vice Minister Egidijus Meilunas said the ministry is now waiting for the presidents explanation as to why the candidate for ambassador to Poland, picked during a selection process, was deemed not suitable.

"If candidates are selected on the basis of objective, very clear criteria, then the answer as to why they are suitable or unsuitable should also be reasoned," Meilunas told reporters on Monday.

On Tuesday, Skaisgiryte told the Ziniu Radijas the Foreign Ministry has no prerogative to ask the president for clarifications.

"The president may indeed have his own reasons as he has the strategic picture, and it would probably not be the ministry's prerogative to ask him for an answer," the advisor said.

As the president and the Foreign Ministry still disagree on an ambassador to Poland, the chancellor of the president's office wrote to the Foreign Ministry's chancellor last week, asking her to provide Nauseda with documents on the selection procedures carried out by the ministry to fill the positions of the heads of Lithuania's diplomatic missions, including the embassy to Poland.

In response, the ministry said it could not provide such information as "there are simply no physical protocols".

Skaisgiryte has doubts about the transparency of the selection process because of such a response.

"This answer means that the cat is out of the bag. It's as if there was a selection process, as if some people took part in the selection, but it turns out that there is no collegial body that decides who is the most suitable on the basis of some kind of criteria. That is, people apply, they take part, but in the end it is the minister who decides. The minister, on his own, on the basis of unclear criterion, says that OK, this one suits me, this one does not suit me, this one suits me, this one does not suit me," the advisor said.

"This procedure is no different from the previous procedures, the procedures used by previous governments, and this government has heavily criticized them. And we remember the desire to de-politicize the process of appointing ambassadors and diplomatic representatives, but no de-politicization has taken place in this case," Skaisgiryte said.

The Foreign Ministry introduced selections for the positions of heads of diplomatic missions as of 2021, saying that this was an attempt to limit as much as possible the so-called political appointments where politicians or other persons from outside the diplomatic service are appointed as ambassadors.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

Lithuania publishes 2024 military conscription lists (expands)

VILNIUS, Jan 09, BNS – The Lithuanian Armed Forces published this year's military conscription lists on Tuesday.

A total of 27,291 Lithuanian citizens are on the lists, available online at sauktiniai.karys.lt, and 3,845 of them will be called up for a nine-month compulsory initial military service.

Men aged between 18 and 23 are conscripted for military service.

The first conscripts are expected to start their service at the Air Defense Battalion in Radviliskis in early February.

Higher education students are not included in the lists, but they can be called up for one year after graduation until the age of 26.

Volunteer conscripts can serve until the age of 38.

This may be the last time the military draft is conducted under the current model as politicians are considering reforming the conscription system.

The draft subscription reform, which would allow calling up more young men, passed the first reading in the parliament at the end of the fall session.

The bill calls for drafting men aged 18 to 21 after school and it does not allow deferring service for higher education students.

The reform would also allow conscripts to choose either six months or nine months of compulsory military service.

The Defense Ministry says that up to 5,000 young men could be conscripted each year once the reform is implemented and that the legal framework put in place would allow Lithuania to transition to universal conscription in the future.

The parliament reintroduced the nine-month continuous compulsory initial military service in 2015.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 10, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuania considers buying shares in Air Baltic – minister

VILNIUS, Jan 09, BNS – Lithuania is considering buying a stake in Latvia's national airline Air Baltic, Transport Minister Marius Skuodis said on Tuesday.

"I have already had two conversations with the Latvian transport minister about the possibility of Lithuania acquiring a stake in Air Baltic," Skuodis told reporters at Vilnius Airport.

"I believe the conditions in such a case should involve some of the planes being based here and rotating from Lithuania," he said.

The possible terms of the deal are currently being discussed, according to the minister.

"As you know, Air Baltic is preparing for a public offering at the end of this year, so we will see whether or not these initial discussions can take some concrete form," he said.

Skuodis noted that Air Baltic could become the airline of all three Baltic states in the future.

Air Baltic, which offers flights from all three Baltic capitals, last September hired STJ Advisors and Superia as its financial advisors for the planned IPO.

The airline's management sees the potential listing as a significant step towards a new level of development.

Latvian Transport Minister Kaspars Briskens has said that Air Baltic's IPO could take place in the second half of this year, adding that this will depend on the situation in global aviation and financial markets.

The Latvian state owns 97.97 percent of Air Baltic, with the remaining shares held by Aircraft Leasing 1, a company owned by Danish investor Lars Thuesen.

By Goda Vileikytė

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 17, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuanian Airports vows to invest EUR 250 mln over 27 years, serve 17 mln passengers

VILNIUS, Jan 09, BNS – Lietuvos Oro Uuostai (Lithuanian Airports, LTOU), the operator of Lithuania's three airports, plans to invest another 250 million euros between 2025 and 2052 in further development of the ongoing projects once they are completed.

It also expects to serve around 17 million passengers a year in the future.

Following the completion of the ongoing construction of Vilnius Airport's departure terminal, around 180 million euros is expected to be invested in the reconstruction of the existing terminals and the construction of new ones during this period. Preliminary estimates suggest that investments at Kaunas Airport could reach around 50 million euros following the completion of the terminal expansion which will start this year, and around 20 million euros more could be invested in Palanda.

Such expansion projects are part of LTOU's master plan presented on Tuesday. It has been prepared by NACO, a company owned by the Netherlands' Royal HaskoningDHV.

NACO consultants have carried out similar studies for Geneva, Helsinki, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Abu Dhabi, Bangkok and other airports.

LTOU CEO Simonas Bartkus says Vilnius Airport alone is expected to handle up to 13 million passengers per year in the future.

A new arrival terminal is to be built at Vilnius Airport by 2027, and the existing terminal is to be renovated by 2028 with commercial space, and an underground Rail Baltica station is to be built underneath it by 2030, he said.

"Within the framework of this project, we have been actively working with the designers of Rail Baltica, and all these changes and all this airport development are planned to provide for a very convenient connection of Rail Baltica with the airport underground, so that people arriving at the airport could basically access the airport directly from the station," Bartkus told a press conference on Tuesday.

Two more terminals are planned to be built by 2040, including one for Schengen and one for non-Schengen travelers. According to Bartkus, LTOU plans to finance the projects with its own funds.

"When we planned the entire airport development, we also considered sources of investment, (...) we could make it using our own funds," Bartkus said.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 17, Vilnius newsroom

ForMin: constitutional amendments needed for president to get ambassadorial candidate list

VILNIUS, Jan 09, BNS – The Lithuanian Constitution would have to be amended for the president to get the full list of persons partaking in the process of selecting ambassadors, the chancellor of the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday amid the ongoing disagreements between the presidential office and the Foreign Ministry over the appointment of the country's ambassador to Poland.

Last week, Frederikas Jansonas, chief communications advisor to President Gitanas Nauseda, proposed changing the existing current procedure for appointing ambassadors to allow for information on all diplomats who participate in the selection process be handed over to the president, not only that on the Foreign Ministry's pick.

Foreign Ministry Chancellor Inga Cerniuk, however, says such a procedure would be in line with the Constitution as the latter stipulates that the government proposes candidates for ambassadors and the president appoints them.

"In this case, we are talking about the division of powers as enshrined in the Constitution. The government proposes, the president appoints. There are clearly constitutionally limited powers here, and one has the right to choose, the other has the right to reject, but there must be strong arguments for this," Cerniuk told BNS on Tuesday. "Giving away the whole list means giving away the whole right of submission. (...) If they want to get the whole list, it should be written in the Constitution that the president chooses the one he likes best and appoints him, and the ministry administers the process."

Speaking after the meeting of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs on Monday, Asta Skaisgiryte, chief advisor to the Lithuanian president on foreign policy issues, said the issue should soon be moving forward. However, Cerniuk has doubt about this as nothing has happened over the past few days.

"Maybe they have their own thoughts, but there have been no such indication from us. (...) There have been no additional changes from what we said yesterday, the day before yesterday, last week," she said.

The selection process is now much more transparent than in the past when politicians or others outside the diplomatic service were appointed as ambassadors and then given open-ended contracts, Cerniuk said.

The Foreign Ministry introduced selections for heads of diplomatic missions in 2021, saying that this was an attempt to limit as much as possible the so-called political appointments where politicians or other persons from outside the diplomatic service are appointed as ambassadors.

However, the president has the right to override the Foreign Ministry's selection process and nominate his own candidate, not necessarily of diplomatic rank, and, if agreed, to appoint them as an ambassador.

Cerniuk says the most suitable candidate is selected by a commission consisting of the minister, vice ministers, the chancellor and the political director.

In response, the ministry said it could not provide such information as "there are simply no physical protocols".

Speaking earlier in the day, Asta Skaisgiryte, chief presidential foreign policy advisor, has doubts about the transparency of the selection process because of such a response.

However, the chancellor of the Foreign Ministry says that the point of de-politicizing ambassadors is to move away from the situation where people bypass the usual diplomatic career path and get appointed ambassadors, and not to eliminate politicians from the process.

"(The selection process involves - BNS) all people who see the candidate from different sides. (...) There is no politics, everyone is looking at their own area," Cerniuk said.

Lithuania right now has no permanent representatives in Poland, Azerbaijan and Switzerland after the terms of the previous ambassadors expired.

By Augustas Stankevičius

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

Helicopter maintenance hangar opened at Siauliai Air Force Base in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Jan 09, BNS – A helicopter hangar for storage and maintenance was opened at the Lithuanian army's Air Force Base in Siauliai, northern Lithuania, on Tuesday, the Defense Ministry said.

It is adapted for Black Hawk helicopters Lithuania is buying. They should be delivered next year.

"It will be meant for the helicopters already in service, but we are mostly looking at the fact that new equipment is coming in, which requires more modern conditions," Colonel Antanas Matutis, commander of the Air Force, said at the opening ceremony.

For his part, Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said the new infrastructure was also important incoming allies to strengthen the NATO air policing mission in the Baltic states and implement the rotational air defense model.

"The development of the military infrastructure at the Air Base is of particular relevance for strengthening our country's security and deterrence. The development of military infrastructure here is one of the key long-term priorities not only for the Lithuanian Armed Forces, but also for NATO," Anusauskas said.

The new hangar is designed for the storage and maintenance of UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters, with the first two due to arrive in Lithuania in 2025 and two more in 2026.

Last year, two pilots and ten technicians were trained to operate and maintain this type of helicopter, and this year eight more pilots and the same number of technicians are planned to be trained.

Lithuania acquired the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters in 2020 and the helicopters are currently being upgraded at a modification plant in Huntsville, Alabama.

The construction of the new hangar cost around 3.6 million euros. The Defense Ministry says there are plans to invest over 166 million euros into infrastructure development at the Air Base by 2028, of which around 50 million euros will be provided by NATO.

According to the minister, the Air Base may be adapted for combat air units in the future.

"I am convinced that Lithuanian aviation must expand. It all depends on resources. … In any case, Lithuanian aviation has to expand, it has to meet the requirements dictated by the legislation and the geopolitical situation," Anusauskas said. "We cannot be weak, we have to have good forces and additional capabilities."

Between 2023 and 2024, investments into the Air Base infrastructure will amount to around 66 million euros, of which around 60 percent will come from the NATO Security Investment Program.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

Poland's Pekao mulls setting up branch in Lithuania, c. banker confirms

VILNIUS, Jan 09, BNS – Gediminas Simkus, the central bank's governor, has confirmed a report by BNS that Pekao, one of Poland's largest banks, is considering opening a branch in Lithuania.

"In the second half of December, Pekao Bank's management visited Lithuania, which I think is a very serious signal about their intentions," Simkus said in an interview with the 15min online news site.

"As the Baltic region, I think we are an attractive area for a new service player to come in. I am optimistic that we will see a new market entrant in Lithuania. There are very clear signals that this will happen. But again, when exactly also depends a lot on the institution strategizing its entry," the chairman of the Bank of Lithuania's board said.

"Given that sometimes I see how these decisions that were supposed to be made are delayed, I'd say that I am optimistic and we will see this year," he added when asked whether the Polish bank could establish its presence in Lithuania this year.

BNS reported last November, citing four sources, that Pekao was considering setting up a branch in Lithuania and serving only business clients.

The bank has not made its plans public, but has confirmed its intention to cooperate more actively with Lithuanian companies.

The bank would have to obtain the central bank's permission to establish a branch in Lithuania.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 17, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuanian military plan to develop reconnaissance drone capability within 3 yrs

VILNIUS, Jan 09, BNS – The Lithuanian Armed Forces are planning to develop a reconnaissance drone capability within three years and are procuring combat unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as an integral part of anti-tank defense.

Procurement procedures for small and micro reconnaissance drones for military use are currently underway or will be launched shortly.

These acquisitions are being made based on Lithuania's intelligence concept plan approved in 2017, military officials say, rejecting criticism of the lack of a strategy voiced by some experts and defense industry representatives at last week's meeting of the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense (CNSD).

"We will have a fully developed capability at brigade, battalion, up to division, company level. This should be implemented over the next three years," Colonel Rolandas Greibus, head of the Development Planning Board of the Defense Staff, told BNS.

Chief Planning Officer Major Sarunas Savukaitis says the procurement of small-type (15-150 kg) UAVs is currently in the final stage and the procurement of mini-type (2-15 kg) drones will be resumed soon.

Military units could purchase micro UAVs of up to 2 kg on their own. Additionally, a significant centralized procurement of these drones will be announced this year.

According to Savukaitis, Germany and the US can offer mini-type drones, and US and Latvia can offer small-type ones.

"We have choices," he said.

Greibus noted that the Armed Forces are buying not only the equipment but also training and logistics packages.

According to the head of the Development Planning Board, this makes the unmanned aircraft systems procured by the Armed Forces more expensive than many of the drones used in the war in Ukraine.

The colonel also pointed out that personnel training takes time, as operating drones requires training not just for one or two people but for an entire unit.

"You get the equipment and the weapons, and it can take up to three years to form a fully prepared unit," he said.

Greibus said combat drones would be used in conjunction with anti-tank capabilities.

"When we were planning, we saw combat drones as a complementary combat tool. Currently, with Boxer (infantry fighting vehicles), we have Spike missiles; their flight and control is exactly the same as that of combat drones, that is, the operator sits, sees on the screen where the missile is heading, and manually aims," the colonel said.

"Therefore, we see the combat use of these (UAV) systems in conjunction with anti-tank units, (...) as an integral part of the anti-tank capability," he added.

In December 2022, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry signed a contract for the acquisition of Switchblade 600 combat drones from the US, with the first batch expected to be delivered this year. The total value of the contract is around 45 million euros.

The military officials said they highly appreciate the unmanned systems being developed by the paramilitary Lithuanian Riflemen's Union.

They said the drones could be useful for the Armed Forces in the future, but added that uncertified equipment cannot be procured or used by the military.

Greibus noted that different rules and safety requirements apply during wartime and that they cannot be applied during peacetime.

Lithuania started paying more attention to drones amid Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, where both sides are using UAVs for various tasks ranging from reconnaissance to destroying enemy targets.

Laurynas Kasciunas, the CNSD chairman, told reporters last Friday that the committee would propose a greater role for UAVs in the National Defense Development Program currently under discussion in the parliament.

By Jūratė Skėrytė

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 239 64 16, Vilnius newsroom

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, January 10, 2024

VILNIUS, Jan 09, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, January 10, 2024.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to give an interview to the Ziniu Radijas radio station at 8 a.m.; to meet with Armenia's ambassador Ara Margarian at noon.

PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to chair the Cabinet's meeting at 1 p.m.

SOCIAL PROTECTION AND LABOR MINISTER Monika Navickiene to attend an informal meeting of the EU's Employment and Social Affairs Council (EPSCO) in Belgium.

FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to meet with EU member countries' ambassadors to Lithuania.

COURTS

The Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania to issue, at 1 p.m., its ruling on Belarusian activist Olga Karach's asylum appeal.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vertimų skyrius

Jan 17 2024

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

Ukrainian President Zelensky arrives in Lithuania
Ukraine proves Russia can be stopped, now it has to wrest peace – Zelensky in Vilnius
Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, January 10, 2024
Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus for 9th straight day
Missing 9-year-old girl found in Kaunas, suspected abductor detained
Lithuanian military plane transports donor organ from Warsaw to Vilnius
SocDems, conservatives continue to top Lithuania's party rankings – Delfi/Spinter poll
Lithuanian parlt speaker sees Russian schools as opportunity, not threat
Lithuanian parlt speaker hopes people, businesses won't buy Viciunai products
Ukrainian President Zelensky arrives in Lithuania (updates)
Zelensky says he's in Lithuania to thank it for support, discuss further ties
Lithuanian parlt speaker skeptical about calls to change ambassador procedure
Zelensky thanks Lithuania for its military assistance during Vilnius visit
Zelensky thanks Lithuania for its military assistance during Vilnius visit (expands)
Lithuanian formin says not his decision not to attend meeting with Zelensky
Lithuanian formin says law changes may be needed to solve row over ambassadors
Lithuanian govt approves EU presidency preparation plan
Court rejects on Belarusian activist Karach's appeal over denied asylum in Lithuania
Lithuania to send M577 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine in February – Nauseda
Lithuania to send M577 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine in February – Nauseda (expands)
Lithuanian formin urges EU ambassadors to continue supporting Ukraine
Ukraine proves Russia can be stopped, now it has to wrest peace – Zelensky in Vilnius (expands)
Lithuania's parl committee to propose to SDC to decide on military drone capability
Ukraine proves Russia can be stopped, now it has to wrest peace – Zelensky in Vilnius (further expands)
Lithuania to send M577 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine in February – Nauseda (expands)
Lithuania's ties with Ukraine grow increasingly sincere, close – Nauseda
There'll be no day after Ukraine, there'll be a day after war and after Putin – Zelensky
'Symbol' Zelensky inspires people with his speech in Vilnius
Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, January 11, 2024
Unanimous support for Ukraine is Lithuanian parlt's calling card

Ukrainian President Zelensky arrives in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Lithuania on Wednesday.

His plane landed at Vilnius Airport at around 10.30 a.m. and he was met by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.

According to the Lithuanian presidential office, the Lithuanian and Ukrainian presidents will discuss the course of the war in Ukraine, support for Ukraine, and the country’s integration into the EU and NATO.

The two leaders will address the people of Lithuania at Daukanto Square, and will also visit the Ukrainian center established on the initiative of the First Ladies of Lithuania and Ukraine, where they will meet with Ukrainian war refugees living in Lithuania.

This is Zelensky's fourth visit to Lithuania. The last time he was in Vilnius was in July 2023 when he attended the NATO summit.

Ukraine calls Vilnius one of its biggest supporters in its fight against the Russian invasion that has been taking place for almost two years.

Lithuania actively supports Ukraine's EU and NATO membership. In terms of economic size, Lithuania is one of the largest contributors of military aid to Ukraine.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 10, Vilnius newsroom

Ukraine proves Russia can be stopped, now it has to wrest peace – Zelensky in Vilnius

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Ukraine has proved that Russia can be stopped and now it needs to wrest peace from it, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in Vilnius on Wednesday.

"We have proved that Russia can be stopped, that deterrence is possible. Now we have to wrest peace from Russia's hands, the kind of peace we want – a just one - and get security for our nations. The security we need," he said.

Zelensky said that this year will be decisive in many respects.

The Ukrainian leader noted that he came to Lithuania for his first visit abroad this year.

"This is not just a visit of gratitude; it is a visit of shared trust between the nations that live in the neighborhood of Russia," he said.

Zelensky said that neither Ukraine nor Lithuania will allow Russia to destroy their statehood.

For his part, President Gitanas Nauseda said that Lithuania has supported and will continue to support Ukraine through all means – military, political and economic.

The two presidents signed a memorandum of cooperation in Vilnius on Wednesday.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 10, Vilnius newsroom

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, January 10, 2024

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, January 10, 2024.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to give an interview to the Ziniu Radijas radio station at 8 a.m.; to meet with Armenia's ambassador Ara Margarian at noon.

PRIME MINISTER Ingrida Simonyte to chair the Cabinet's meeting at 1 p.m.

SOCIAL PROTECTION AND LABOR MINISTER Monika Navickiene to attend an informal meeting of the EU's Employment and Social Affairs Council (EPSCO) in Belgium.

FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to meet with EU member countries' ambassadors to Lithuania.

COURTS

The Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania to issue, at 1 p.m., its ruling on Belarusian activist Olga Karach's asylum appeal.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vertimų skyrius

Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus for 9th straight day

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally for more than a week now, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Wednesday morning.

No attempts at illegal border crossings were recorded at the Lithuanian and Latvian borders on Tuesday and at the Polish border on Monday.

"Tuesday was the ninth consecutive day when no irregular migrants attempted to enter Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated locations. That is, there have been no such cases this year," the SBGS said.

The same situation was recorded last year from October 31 to November 7. Since the summer of 2021, when the influx of migrants started, there has been only one even longer period of relative calm when no foreigners attempted to cross the Lithuanian border illegally. This happened between February 18 and March 1 last year, i.e. for 12 consecutive days.

Lithuanian border officials now attribute this to the spell of cold weather and the consequences of the government's pushback policy.

More than 2,500 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year.

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.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

Missing 9-year-old girl found in Kaunas, suspected abductor detained

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – A nine-year-old girl who went missing on her way to a bus stop in Lithuania's second-biggest city of Kaunas on Sunday was found "safe and alive" last night, the police said.

"Agota is safe, alive, and will return home," Kaunas police spokesman Odeta Vaitkeviciene told BNS.

Police Commissioner General Renatas Pozela told a press conference in the early hours of Wednesday that a man had been detained on suspicion of abducting Agota and that the nine-year-old girl had been taken to hospital.

"The detention occurred in a garage complex near the place of abduction," he said.

Pozela said that the girl "is well and talking", but that she had sustained some injuries and was being examined by doctors.

"Medical personnel are attending to her, and she is in the care of her parents," he said,

According to Kaunas police chief Mindaugas Barsys, the 42-year-old suspect "has no convictions, (but) has been punished more than once".

Pozela added that "the crime was committed in a rather qualified manner".

"Some things surprised us, let's put it that way," the commissioner general said.

Barsys said that the garage "looked not exactly as we imagine a place for storing a car".

The officials did not comment on the motives behind the crime.

The girl, born in 2014, disappeared after she left her home in Kaunas at around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. She headed to a public transport stop to take bus to a shop. However, she did not make it to the shop.

The search operation involved hundreds of police officers and volunteers from all over Lithuania.

By Augustas Stankevičius

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

Lithuanian military plane transports donor organ from Warsaw to Vilnius

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – The Lithuanian Air Force's Spartan transport aircraft brought a donor organ from Warsaw to Vilnius on Tuesday, the military said on Wednesday.

The military plane was deployed at the request of the National Transplant Bureau.

"The Air Force's C-27J Spartan transport aircraft took off from Zokniai Airport in Siauliai at around 4 p.m. and departed for Warsaw Airport in Poland with a medical team aboard," the Armed Forces said in a press release.

The medical team landed in Vilnius at 10:25 p.m. with the donor organ, after which the aircraft returned to Siauliai.

This marks the military plane's second flight to neighboring Poland after a cooperation agreement was signed in late September 2023, expanding the list of European countries such aircraft fly to for the transportation of donor organs.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

SocDems, conservatives continue to top Lithuania's party rankings – Delfi/Spinter poll

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – The opposition Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) continues to top Lithuania's political party rankings, followed in second place by the ruling conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (HU-LCD), according to the latest Spinter Tyrimai opinion poll published by Delfi on Wednesday.

Some 16.3 percent of respondents said in December that they would vote for the LSDP and 10.8 percent supported the HU-LCD, compared to 13.8 percent and 9.7 percent, respectively, in the previous poll in November.

The opposition Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union ranked third with 9.4 percent (8 percent in November), followed in fourth position by the Liberal Movement, a member of the ruling coalition, with 6.2 percent (6.6 percent).

Further down the list was the opposition Democratic Union "For Lithuania" with 6.1 percent (4 percent) and the ruling Freedom Party with 5.3 percent (3.3 percent).

Other parties would not cross the five-percent election threshold to get to the parliament.

The percentage of respondents who said they would not go to the polls declined to 10.8 percent in December, from 15.9 percent in November.

When asked who they saw as best-suited to be prime minister, 10.9 percent of respondents chose Ingrida Simonyte, the incumbent head of government, up from 7.2 percent in the previous poll.

MEP Vilija Blinkeviciute, the LSDP leader, came in second with 8.5 percent, almost unchanged from 8.4 percent in November.

When asked about the current government's performance, 63.5 percent of respondents said their opinion was rather negative or negative, down from 67.8 percent in the previous poll.

In the representative survey commissioned by Delfi, Spinter Tyrimai polled 1,012 people between December 15 and 23. The results of the poll have an error margin of 3.1 percent.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

Lithuanian parlt speaker sees Russian schools as opportunity, not threat

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen says she sees Russian-language schools in Lithuania as an opportunity and help for national minority families, not as a threat.

Her comment came as the debate on the closure of Russian schools in Lithuania has recently reignited.

"In my opinion, at this stage, it would be important for the Education Ministry to pay perhaps more attention to the fact that national minority schools can be a bridge between people, children who come from very different backgrounds with different attitudes towards society. This can be a help, not just a threat. I see national minority schools as an opportunity, as a great help and not as a threat," she told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Wednesday.

In her words, when discussing this issue, one should, first of all, identify the problem that they are trying to solve.

"Schools with minority languages as languages of instruction seem to me to be Lithuania's strength. The fact that they have been preserved in Lithuania and are getting attention is important. It is a longer road to integration, but it is the right and sustainable one," Cmilyte-Nielsen said.

Lithuanian Education, Science and Sport Minister Gintautas Jakstas last week reignited debate on whether Russian-language schools should be closed in Lithuania by following in the footsteps of the Estonians and Latvians. However, he later said he did not link this debate to the aforementioned incident.

Under the existing law, local authorities in areas with traditionally large national minorities guarantee education in the language of the national minority at the request of the local community.

National minority schools mostly operate in southeastern Lithuania where children receive education in national minority languages in nearly 100 schools in nine municipalities.

According to the National Agency for Education, over 47,000 children attended educational establishments for national minorities, from kindergartens to schools, in the academic year of 2020-2021.

Around 14,000 pupils are now attending general education schools with Russian as the language of instruction, mostly in Vilnius, Visaginas and Klaipeda.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 10, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuanian parlt speaker hopes people, businesses won't buy Viciunai products

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, speaker of the Lithuanian parliament, said on Wednesday that she expects people and businesses to opt against purchasing products from Viciunai Group, Lithuania's seafood group labeled by Ukraine as an " international war sponsor" for continuing its operations in Russia.

"It does not reflect well on Viciunai Group and creates a conflicting image regarding Lithuania's stance," Cmilyte-Nielsen told the Ziniu Radijas radio station. "While we are known in the world as a leading supporter of Ukraine, (...) this creates quite the opposite impression."

"Businesses, every person who goes shopping, those who sell products, they can also make decisions, and I think this will prompt people not to choose those products and to look at them in a different light," the speaker said.

"At least I hope that we will use the tools that we each have in our arsenal and make the right choices and not support those blacklisted in Ukraine", she added.

Ukraine's National Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) announced last week that it had added Viciunai Group to the list of international war sponsors because of its continued operations in the Russian market.

This means that the group is also listed in the global World Check database of heightened risk individuals and organizations, which helps identify and manage financial, regulatory and reputational risks.

Viciunai Group's owners say they have been unsuccessfully trying to sell their business in Russia's exclave of Kaliningrad since the spring of 2022, when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

By Erika Alonderytė-Kazlauskė

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 11, Vilnius newsroom

Ukrainian President Zelensky arrives in Lithuania (updates)

Updated version: updates throughout

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Lithuania on Wednesday, starting his visit to the Baltic states.

His plane landed at Vilnius Airport at around 10.30 a.m. and he was met by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.

The two leaders will address the people of Lithuania at Daukantas Square, and will also visit the Vytautas Magnus University's Center of Ukraine, established on the initiative of the First Ladies of Lithuania and Ukraine, where they will meet with Ukrainian war refugees living in Lithuania.

"The president is an extraordinary leader in the struggle for Ukraine's freedom, territories, the survival of its people, for democracy, for humanistic values and for the freedom of all of us. President Zelensky is setting the best example of dignity, determination and moral strength for the young generation by making great efforts to preserve the future of Ukrainian culture, science and education," VMU Rector Professor Juozas Augutis was quoted in the university's statement.

The Ukrainian president is also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, the leadership of the Seimas and representatives of political groups in the Lithuanian parliament.

Later, Zelensky will travel to Latvia and Estonia. He plans to discuss to discuss international support for Kyiv, further ties and EU and NATO integration with the Baltic leaders.

This is Zelensky's fourth visit to Lithuania. The last time he was in Vilnius was in July 2023 when he attended the NATO summit.

Ukraine calls Vilnius one of its biggest supporters in its fight against the Russian invasion that has been taking place for almost two years.

Lithuania actively supports Ukraine's EU and NATO membership. In terms of economic size, Lithuania is one of the largest contributors of military aid to Ukraine.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 10, Vilnius newsroom

Zelensky says he's in Lithuania to thank it for support, discuss further ties

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Wednesday that he is visiting Lithuania and the other two Baltic countries to thank them for their support to Kyiv and to discuss further ties and integration into the European Union and NATO.

"Later, I will be in Tallinn and Riga, and today I am in Vilnius," he posted on Telegram after landing in the Lithuanian capital.

Zelensky said he will meet with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte and Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, speaker of the parliament.

The Ukrainian leader said the meetings will focus on "security, integration into the EU and NATO, cooperation in electronic warfare and drones, and further coordination of European assistance".

"And, of course, our deep gratitude. For unwavering support to Ukraine throughout the ten years of war, and especially now, after the start of the large-scale invasion," he added.

Zelensky's visit to the Baltic countries comes as the second anniversary of Russia's invasion approaches.

By Saulius Jakučionis

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 10, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuanian parlt speaker skeptical about calls to change ambassador procedure

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen is skeptical about the presidential office's proposals to change the existing procedure for appointing ambassadors.

"We have certainly heard a number of proposals for some kind of legislative regulation, but I am very skeptical about this as the law does not oblige two people, representatives of two institutions to come into the same room, sit down at the table and talk about solving the problems," she told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Wednesday.

"I believe the interest of the state should really be above personal ambitions and there is simply no other way than for the president and the foreign minister to meet, negotiate and find a solution," Cmilyte-Nielsen added.

Her comment came after Frederikas Jansonas, chief communications advisor to President Gitanas Nauseda, last week proposed changing the existing current procedure for appointing ambassadors to allow for information on all diplomats who participate in the selection process be handed over to the president, not only that on the Foreign Ministry's pick.

Such a proposal was made amid the ongoing disagreements between the presidential office and the Foreign Ministry regarding the appointment of Lithuania's ambassador to Poland.

"When I see this situation, it seems to me that when a conflict has been going on for so long, it has to be assumed that at least one of the parties, and maybe both of them, are benefiting to some extent, otherwise there is no reason why they shouldn't get together and come to an agreement," the speaker said.

Lithuania has no ambassador in Warsaw since September 7 when Eduardas Borisovas' term of office expired. The embassy is currently headed by Minister Plenipotentiary Audrone Markeviciene.

Foreign Ministry Chancellor Inga Cerniuk said earlier the Lithuanian Constitution would have to be amended for the president to get the full list of persons partaking in the process of selecting ambassadors.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 10, Vilnius newsroom

Zelensky thanks Lithuania for its military assistance during Vilnius visit

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who arrived in Vilnius on Wednesday, thanked Lithuania for its support and military assistance to Ukraine.

"We are very thankful for Lithuanian support, your team and your great society, we are thankful for your very warm attitude to our people, we are thankful for all your support and military assistance," Zelensky said, opening his meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda the Presidential Palace.

The Lithuanian and Ukrainian presidents will discuss the course of the war in Ukraine, support for Ukraine, and the country’s integration into the EU and NATO.

Later on, the two leaders will address the people of Lithuania at Daukanto Square, and will also visit the Vytautas Magnus University's Center of Ukraine, established on the initiative of the First Ladies of Lithuania and Ukraine, where they will meet with Ukrainian war refugees living in Lithuania.

The Ukrainian president is also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, the leadership of the Seimas and representatives of political groups in the Lithuanian parliament.

Later, he will travel to Latvia and Estonia.

By Milena Andrukaitytė

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 239 64 16, Vilnius newsroom

Zelensky thanks Lithuania for its military assistance during Vilnius visit (expands)

Updated version: updates throughout

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who arrived in Vilnius on Wednesday, thanked Lithuania for its support and military assistance to Ukraine.

The Lithuanian president said he would discuss with his Ukrainian counterpart not only military but also political and economic assistance to Ukraine, adding that he would like to hear firsthand about the latest situation on the front.

"We are also very interested in the news on the war front. We know how exhausting this long-lasting war is, and we are interested in Ukraine achieving a complete victory as soon as possible," Nauseda said.

The Lithuanian and Ukrainian presidents will discuss the course of the war in Ukraine, support for Ukraine, and the country’s integration into the EU and NATO.

The Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that military assistance to Ukraine would continue this year as Lithuanian would hand over the remainder of the equipment purchased last year, and also plans to complete the acquisition initiated last year.

"The arms and equipment supplied by Lithuania and allies make a critical contribution to Ukraine's struggle for independence and to the security of Europe as a whole. Lithuania will not tire of supporting Ukraine's struggle for freedom, just as we ourselves have not tired of the 50-year struggle to restore Lithuania's independence," Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said.

Lithuania will give Ukraine the vehicles it bought last year, including trucks, pickup trucks, ambulances, various trailers and forklifts. Also, UAVs, anti-drones, remote detonation systems, ammunition and ammunition magazines, warm clothing kits and a variety of equipment needed during the winter will be sent to Ukraine, according to the ministry.

Based on its Ukraine assistance plan 2024-2026, a total of around 200 million euros will be allocated for new acquisitions for Ukraine during this period.

Most of the latest support is focused on the needs of the Lithuanian-led coalition for demining Ukraine and it will include the purchase of a wide range of demining equipment, forklifts and fuel trucks, ammunition and dry rations. This support will be sent to Ukraine this year and next year.

The Ukrainian president is also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, the leadership of the Seimas and representatives of political groups in the Lithuanian parliament.

Zelensky is visiting Vilnius as the second anniversary of Russia's invasion nears and as Western support for Ukraine is slowing down amid an increasing number of Russia's attacks across Ukraine.

Later, Zelensky will travel to Latvia and Estonia.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 10, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuanian formin says not his decision not to attend meeting with Zelensky

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on Wednesday it was not his decision not to attend a meeting with the delegation led by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and also including Ukraine's top diplomat Dmytro Kuleba at the Presidential Palace.

Landsbergis says he was not invited by the presidential office.

"This is not a demarche on my part, it is not my decision that I am not there," Landsbergis told reporters outside the government office on Wednesday.

"I don't know," he said when asked why he was not invited to the meeting.

The presidential office and the Foreign Ministry have been at loggerheads recently over the appointment of ambassadors. Also, President Gitanas Nauseda and the ruling conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats are at odds on a number of issues.

Although Landsbergis welcomed the Ukrainian president when he landed n Vilnius earlier in the day, he said it was only a polite "greeting".

The foreign minister also refused to comment on whether the presidential office was breaching diplomatic practice by not inviting him to the meeting.

By Greta Zulonaitė

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., Vilnius newsroom

Lithuanian formin says law changes may be needed to solve row over ambassadors

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis believes that the law may need to be amended to solve the row with President Gitanas Nauseda's office over the appointment of ambassadors.

"I hear my colleagues saying that maybe amendments to the law are needed. I believe that might be the path we need to take," Landsbergis told the Delfi online news site in an interview aired on Wednesday.

"We are in a world of traditionally established norms, especially when it comes to foreign policy (...). If there is trust, then there is willingness, but if there is no trust and willingness any more, then regulation is the way to go," he added.

Landsbergis' comment comes as Nauseda's office and the Foreign Ministry remain at loggerheads over the appointment of the Lithuanian ambassador to Poland.

The post has been vacant since early September 2023, when Eduardas Borisovas' term of office expired. The embassy in Warsaw is currently headed by Minister Plenipotentiary Audrone Markeviciene.

Frederikas Jansonas, Nauseda's chief communications advisor, last week proposed changing the current procedure for appointing ambassadors so that all diplomats who participate in the selection process be presented to the president, not just the ministry's pick for the post.

Foreign Ministry Chancellor Inga Cerniuk says that the Constitution would have to be amended for the president to receive the full list of those taking part in the selection process.

Landsbergis did not say how he would propose to change the procedure for appointing ambassadors.

"It should simply be proportional and the distribution of powers here should also be adequate," he said when asked whether he would seek to reduce the president's powers through the law.

While most controversy has lately centered on the post in Warsaw, Landsbergis also noted that the situation regarding Eitvydas Bajarunas, Lithuania's ambassador to the United Kingdom, remains unresolved.

Following complaints from embassy staff regarding Bajarunas' alleged misconduct and working conditions, the foreign minister suspended the ambassador and summoned him to Vilnius for consultations in mid-October.

Nauseda has called the decision "half-hearted", saying that that it does not solve anything and that it leaves the embassy without a head for at least six months.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 10, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuanian govt approves EU presidency preparation plan

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS - The Lithuanian government on Wednesday approved a plan to prepare for the EU presidency, with the preparations and the presidency itself expected to cost around 100 million euros.

Lithuania will hold the rotating EU presidency in the first half of 2027, from January 1 to June 30, and will prepare a joint presidency program with Ireland and Greece. The former will precede and the latter will follow Lithuania.

According to the approved plan, preparations for the presidency will include training for staff, a calendar of presidency events and ensuring direct daily flights to Brussels from January 2027. The goal is to have at least two direct flights a day to Brussels and, if necessary, direct flights to other cities important for Lithuania's EU presidency.

Also, Lithuania plans to temporarily increase the number of staff at the Permanent Representation of Lithuania to the EU from the existing number of 100 to 200 over the next year.

This will be the second time that Lithuania will hold the EU presidency after it took the helm of the block for the first time in 2013. Belgium currently holds the EU presidency and Hungary will take over from July.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 10, Vilnius newsroom

Court rejects on Belarusian activist Karach's appeal over denied asylum in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – The Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania on Wednesday upheld the ruling denying asylum to Olga Karach, a prominent Belarusian activist who heads the Nash Dom (Our House) NGO.

Neringa Lukoseviciene, the court's spokeswoman, told BNS that the court upheld the lower instance court's ruling, dismissing the appeal.

Karach's appeal against the lower court's ruling to uphold the Migration Department's decision not to grant her asylum in Lithuania was heard by a three-judge panel.

Lukoseviciene did not comment on the reasons for the Supreme Administrative Court's judgement, which is final and not subject to appeal, noting that asylum cases are examined behind closed doors.

The Migration Department denied Karach asylum last August, citing as the reason the State Security Department's conclusion that her residence in the country posed a national security threat due to her alleged ties with Russian intelligence.

However, the migration body then granted the activist a temporary residence permit in Lithuania on humanitarian grounds, which can be extended.

Karach has confirmed that she was warned by the State Security Department's officers last spring over her ties to Russian intelligence, but she refrained from elaborating further on this issue.

The activist, who has been receiving residence permits in Lithuania since 2014, applied for asylum last year.

Nash Dom says it provides humanitarian, psychological and other assistance to Belarusians both in their homeland and in Lithuania, and also monitors human rights violations.

The organization was declared extremist by Minsk in 2022. Karach was put on the "terrorist list" by the Belarusian KGB in 2021.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 10, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuania to send M577 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine in February – Nauseda

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Lithuania will send M577 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine in February, President Gitanas Nauseda said on Wednesday.

"At the State Defense Council, we have approved a 200-million-euro package of long-term military assistance to Ukraine," Nauseda said at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Vilnius.

"We will send ammunition, generators, detonation systems to Ukraine again in January and M577 armored personnel carriers in February, and we will train Ukrainian soldiers," he added.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 10, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuania to send M577 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine in February – Nauseda (expands)

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Lithuania will send M577 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine in February, President Gitanas Nauseda said on Wednesday.

"We will send ammunition, generators, detonation systems to Ukraine again in January and M577 armored personnel carriers in February, and we will train Ukrainian soldiers," he said at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Vilnius.

Nauseda noted that Lithuania's State Defense Council has approved a long-term military aid package worth 200 million euros for Ukraine.

The Lithuanian leader also emphasized the need to ensure the continuity of long-term support from allies and partners for Ukraine.

"In order to be able to help Ukraine, the entire European defense industry must work faster (...) and adequately respond to the complex security situation," Nauseda said.

"The Western world must understand that this is not just a Ukrainian struggle; it is a struggle for peace and freedom for all of Europe and the whole democratic world," he added.

The Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that Lithuania will send various vehicles it purchased last year, including trucks, pickup trucks, ambulances, trailers and forklifts, to Ukraine this year.

Aid shipments will also include UAVs, anti-drones, remote detonation systems, ammunition and ammunition magazines, warm clothing kits and various equipment needed during the winter, it said.

Most of the latest aid is aimed at meeting the needs of the Lithuanian-led coalition for demining Ukraine and will include the purchase of a wide range of demining equipment, forklifts and fuel trucks, ammunition and dry rations. This aid is to be delivered to Ukraine this year and next year, according to the ministry.

Lithuania plans to train around 3,000 Ukrainian troops by the end of this year and will continue the rehabilitation of wounded soldiers.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 10, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuanian formin urges EU ambassadors to continue supporting Ukraine

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has urged EU ambassadors in Lithuania not to stop supporting Ukraine and to continue pressing Russia to stop the war it started.

"When Russia does not change its goals in Ukraine and beyond, its war machine is fully operational – in Europe, we must finally give up the way of thinking that is dominant in times of peace and decisively support Ukraine until its victory," Landsbergis was quoted as saying in a statement after his Wednesday meeting with EU ambassadors residing in Lithuania and accredited to the country.

At the meeting, Landsbergis stressed the need to provide sufficient, timely and forward-looking financial, military and political support to Ukraine without delay and to continue putting pressure on Russia by adopting new sanction packages, the Foreign Ministry said.

The minister also proposed making decisions on the use of frozen Russian assets for the reconstruction of Ukraine and ensuring the Russian government accountability.

Landsbergis voiced his support for the priorities formulated by the Belgian EU presidency and the common ambition to strengthen the EU's leadership in the context of rising geopolitical tensions.

The Lithuanian foreign minister also noted that following the EU's decision in December to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, the block must also agree as soon as possible on a clear mandate for these negotiations.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 10, Vilnius newsroom

Ukraine proves Russia can be stopped, now it has to wrest peace – Zelensky in Vilnius (expands)

(expands throughout the text)

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Ukraine has proved that Russia can be stopped and now it needs to wrest peace from it, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in Vilnius on Wednesday.

Zelensky said that this year will be decisive in many respects.

The Ukrainian leader noted that he came to Lithuania for his first visit abroad this year.

"This is not just a visit of gratitude; it is a visit of shared trust between the nations that live in the neighborhood of Russia," he said.

Zelensky said that neither Ukraine nor Lithuania will allow Russia to destroy their statehood.

"It is unfortunate to have such an inadequate neighbor which brings only misfortune and subjugation, but we will never again be hostages to geography," the president said.

"We will not allow Russia to destroy our statehood, because together we unite others," he added.

For his part, President Gitanas Nauseda said that Lithuania has supported and will continue to support Ukraine through all means – military, political and economic.

At their Vilnius summit last summer, NATO leaders pledged to invite Ukraine to join the Alliance when all of the bloc's members agree and the country meets the conditions.

Kiyv expects the Alliance's leaders to give it a clearer membership perspective at this year's Washington summit.

"Lithuania will continue to actively support Ukraine on its path to membership of the Alliance," said Nauseda.

The Lithuanian president also said that Ukraine's place is in the European Union as well. The bloc's leaders agreed in December to launch accession talks with Kiyv.

"It is necessary to help Ukraine not only militarily, but also politically," Nauseda said.

"Lithuania understands its responsibility here very well, because we are Ukraine's voice where it may not be able to directly express its expectations," he said.

After their bilateral meeting, Nauseda and Zelensky signed a joint statement emphasizing the strategic ties between Lithuania and Ukraine, and their shared values and determination to defend Ukraine's independence.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 10, Vilnius newsroom

Lithuania's parl committee to propose to SDC to decide on military drone capability

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Lithuania's parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense will propose to the State Defense Council to make a decision on the development of drone capabilities in the army.

"The CNSD will submit to the SDC a three to four-page non-paper on how and in what directions the UAV and countermeasure capability should be developed in Lithuania," Laurynas Kasciunas, who chairs the CNSD, told the BNS on Wednesday.

He believes the state has to decide how it views and develops this capability.

On Wednesday, the committee held a close-door meeting with army representatives and was briefed about the place of drone capabilities within the national defense system. Kasciunas says the army;s existing and planned capabilities are too small.

"The capabilities that are now being developed are capabilities for a single major battle, not for a long-term war with Russia," Kasciunas said.

He also pointed out that Lithuania plans to acquire more reconnaissance drones, while combat drones seem to be in the background.

Kasciunas points out that they are intended to fight against heavy armored vehicles, and there is no mention of small combat drones.

Lithuania must, he said, create a center for the development, production, testing and training of UAVs in the country.

The CNSD will also propose giving UAVs a greater role in the national defense development program currently under consideration in the parliament.

According to the concept approved in 2017, the Lithuanian army plans to develop a reconnaissance drone capability within three years, while combat UAVs are being purchased only as part of anti-tank defense.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +370 5 205 85 10, Vilnius newsroom

Ukraine proves Russia can be stopped, now it has to wrest peace – Zelensky in Vilnius (further expands)

(expands throughout the text)

VILNIUS, Jan 10, BNS – Ukraine has proved that Russia can be stopped and now it needs to wrest peace from it, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in Vilnius on Wednesday.

Zelensky said that this year will be decisive in many respects.

The Ukrainian leader noted that he came to Lithuania for his first visit abroad this year.

"This is not just a visit of gratitude; it is a visit of shared trust between the nations that live in the neighborhood of Russia," he said.

Zelensky said that neither Ukraine nor Lithuania will allow Russia to destroy their statehood.

"It is unfortunate to have such an inadequate neighbor which brings only misfortune and subjugation, but we will never again be hostages to geography," the president said.

"We will not allow Russia to destroy our statehood, because together we unite others," he added.

Putin 'wants to occupy us completely'

Zelensky said that he has not felt or heard any pressure from Kyiv's partners to stop fighting and agree to cede its currently occupied areas to Russia.

"There is no pressure from our partners to halt our defense, military actions; there is no freezing of the conflict for now," said Zelensky in Vilnius.

The Ukrainian leader drew attention to Russian President Vladimir Putin's rhetoric.

"He is not going to stop; he wants to occupy us completely," he said. "Partners' doubts about the outcome and financial and military support to Ukraine, and the speed of their reaction only add strength and conviction to Russia."

Zelensky reiterated that Moscow's next target could be the Baltic states.

"The Russian president will not calm down until he destroys Ukraine. After Ukraine, you know very well who is at risk. We must understand that Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Moldova may be next," he warned.

The Ukrainian leader said that Russia may threaten Finland and Uzbekistan.

"The fact is that this will only happen if we do not withstand (Russia)," he said. "Putin won't finish all this until we all finish him together."

Call for political support to Kyiv