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LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN, August 3, 2023

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN


IN THIS ISSUE:

  1. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, August 3, 2023
  2. Four irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
  3. Lithuanian president, Polish PM to meet in Suwalki to discuss security situation
  4. Lithuania reports 26 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
  5. Lithuanian expats to hold congress in Palanga, unveil sculpture in Trakai
  6. More than 140 Lithuanian-capital companies operating in Russia (media)
  7. There are now 4,000 Wagner mercenaries in Belarus – Morawiecki
  8. We need to get ready for Belarusian border closure, if situation gets worse – Nauseda
  9. There are now 4,000 Wagner mercenaries in Belarus – Lithuanian, Poland (expands)
  10. There are now 4,000 Wagner mercenaries in Belarus – Lithuanian, Poland (corrects)
  11. Polish PM 'positive' about Ukrainian grain checks in Baltics – Lithuanian president 
  12. Baltic PMs commit to complete power grid synchronization by February 2025
  13. EU commission welcomes Baltic deal to complete grid synchronization by Feb 2025
  14. Zurauskas appointed Lithuania's ambassador to Romania
  15. Jewish community calls for Kristaponis monument's removal as GRRCL shunts

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, August 3, 2023

VILNIUS, Aug 03, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, August 3, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to visit Poland's Suwalki region and meet with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki.

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

VILNIUS, Aug 03, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away four migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Thursday morning.

Latvia reported 15 attempts at illegal border crossings on Wednesday, and 163 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Tuesday, according to the latest available information.

A total of 1,480 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year. Over 11,200 irregular migrants were turned away in 2022.  

Lithuanian border guards have prevented almost 20,800 people from crossing in from Belarus since August 3, 2021, when they were given the right to turn away irregular migrants. The number includes repeated attempts by the same people to cross the border.

The SBGS says that illegal migration to Lithuania and the EU is being facilitated by Belarusian officials.

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

 

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Lithuanian president, Polish PM to meet in Suwalki to discuss security situation

VILNIUS, Aug 03, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda is meeting with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in northeastern Poland on Thursday to discuss the security situation in the Suwalki Gap following the relocation of some of the mercenaries of the private Russian military group Wagner to Belarus.

Nauseda is to meet with Morawiecki as part of his working visit to Poland's Suwalki region.

The two officials will discuss "the security situation at the border with Belarus, the threats posed by the presence of the Wagner paramilitary groups in Belarus, and the readiness to counter them," Nauseda's office said in a press release on Wednesday. 

Last weekend, Morawiecki said over 100 mercenaries had moved close to the Suwalki Gap, adding that the situation "is becoming even more dangerous" because of Wagner's presence in Belarus. 

The Polish Defense Ministry has said that two Belarusian helicopters violated Polish airspace at the eastern border on Tuesday.

Nauseda said earlier this week that Wagner's presence near the Lithuanian border is too tempting "not to use it for various provocations". 

Polish officials have said that Poland might close its border with Belarus. 

The Suwalki Gap is a land strip of around 100 kilometers on the Lithuanian-Polish border that is wedged between the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad on the west and Belarus on the east.

In a military conflict, the seizure of the land corridor would cut off the land route for NATO allies to the Baltic countries.

 

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Lithuania reports 26 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths

VILNIUS, Aug 03, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 26 new coronavirus infections and no deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Thursday morning.

The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals now stands at nineteen.

The 14-day primary infection rate has edged up to 9.3 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 7.8 percent.

The number of new coronavirus cases hit the peak in Lithuania in early February 2022 when more than 14,000 new infections were recorded daily.

Around 1.19 million people in Lithuania have tested positive for COVID-19 at least once.

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 expats to hold congress in Palanga, unveil sculpture in Trakai

VILNIUS, Aug 03, BNS – Members of the Lithuanian World Community (LWC) on Thursday will unveil the sculpture of the World Lithuanian Angel in the district of Trakai before heading to the Baltic Sea resort of Palanga for the expatriate organization's congress. 

The LWC has said the events mark the 65th anniversary of the organization.

The four-meter-high sculpture of the angel by Saulius Lampickas, a folk artist, will be unveiled on the Hill of Angels in the district of Trakai as a symbol of the unity of Lithuanians around the world. 

The congress in Palanga, entitled "For Lithuanians, Citizenship and Solidarity", is expected to bring together members of the LWC Board, representatives of Lithuanian communities from 30 countries, and Lithuanian officials.

The participants will discuss the organization's strategic directions, its cooperation and interaction with Lithuanian institutions, the fight against disinformation, the building of civic awareness among the diaspora, and other topical issues.

LWC Chairwoman Dalia Henke says the meetings will focus on the vision of the future and current issues facing the community, rather than on its history.

"Although the congress is dedicated to the 65th anniversary of the LWC, we will focus less on history (...) and more on the present and the future: how to strengthen Lithuanian communities, how and in which areas to interact more with Lithuania," Henke said in a statement. 

"We will talk about Lithuanian civil resistance, a topic that has been sitting in drawers for years because it was no longer relevant," she said. "We will talk about how to fight disinformation and how the diaspora should act if Day X comes."  

The congress will open on Friday with a discussion on how to strengthen cooperation between Lithuanian regions and Lithuanian expat communities, how to promote civic awareness and how to build strong ties between Lithuanian regions and the diaspora to achieve the common goal of a prosperous and united Lithuania.

The discussions will focus on aid to Ukraine and the role of the diaspora in ensuring Lithuania's national security on Saturday and on preparations for next year's Song Festival on Sunday.

Founded in New York back in 1958, the LWC is the largest non-governmental organization of Lithuanians living abroad.

The LWC says that it currently unites 53 Lithuanian communities around the world.

 

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More than 140 Lithuanian-capital companies operating in Russia (media)

VILNIUS, Aug 03, BNS - More than 140 companies with Lithuanian capital are listed in the Russian Uniform State Register of Legal Entities, the Lithuanian business news website vz.lt reports, having analyzed Russia's legal registers in cooperation with the Estonian business publications Aripaev and Delovye Vedomosti.

According to the register, these companies reported revenue of around 368 million euros and a net profit of 37.86 million euros (at the exchange rate on 1 August) last year.

And the companies owned by Kaunas Mayor Visvaldas Matijosaitis and his business partner Liudas Skieras and engaged in engaged in manufacturing, trade, transport and other activities are leading in terms of revenue received in Russia, the Lithuanian business news website reports.

Some of the executives of the companies the vz.lt talked to assured that their companies in Russia are not actively operating, adding that it’s difficult to closed them down or de-register them, and there's no possibility of selling their shares, and, thus, the processes of their liquidation or the transfer of shares have stuck.

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There are now 4,000 Wagner mercenaries in Belarus – Morawiecki

SUWALKI REGION, Poland, Aug 03, BNS - There are currently some 4,000 Wagner mercenaries in Belarus, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki says.

"According to our data, there are about 4,000 mercenaries. (...) Maybe a bit more," the Polish prime minister told reporters on Thursday after meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Suwalki, Poland.

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We need to get ready for Belarusian border closure, if situation gets worse – Nauseda

SUWALKI REGION, Poland, Aug 03, BNS – Vilnius, Warsaw and Riga must be ready to close their borders with Belarus together, if the security situation deteriorates because of the presence of Wagner mercenaries in Belarus, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, who is in Poland now, says.

"We must work together, we must not only take measures at the national level, but we must have very clear algorithms in place on what we need to do, if the situation becomes even more complicated, including a possible closure of the border with Belarus," the president told reporters on Thursday. "But this should be done in a coordinated way between Poland, Lithuania and Latvia," he added after meeting with Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Poland's Suwalki region.

Despite Sweden's planned accession to NATO, the so-called Suwalki Corridor remains a target of Russian and Belarusian provocations, Nauseda stressed.

"Some people say the agreement reached at the NATO summit on Sweden's future membership is changing the geopolitical situation, and the strategic importance of the Suwalki Corridor is diminishing. I certainly do not agree with this view and I believe that the Suwalki Corridor remains a potential target of provocation by both Russia and Belarus," Nauseda said.

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There are now 4,000 Wagner mercenaries in Belarus – Lithuanian, Poland (expands)

(Updated version: updates throughout)

SUWALKI REGION, Poland, Aug 03, BNS - There are currently some 4,000 Wagner mercenaries in Belarus and they are close to the Lithuanian and Polish territories, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki say.

"According to our data, there are about 4,000 mercenaries. (...) Maybe a bit more," the Polish prime minister told reporters on Thursday after meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Suwalki, Poland.

"We have compared the data that we both have and can state the fact that they its very similar. That the number of Wagner fighters deployed on the territory of Belarus exceeds or is close to 4,000, and that some of the fighters have come close to our border and have taken up positions in the Grodno region," Nauseda also stated. "This situation is convenient for provocations both on the Polish-Belarusian and Lithuanian-Belarusian borders."

For his part, Morawiecki says Russia is testing Poland and its allies' reaction by using Wagner mercenaries.

"Wagner is particularly threatening. The group's units are being moved close to NATO's eastern flank in order to destabilize it. These are real threats that have been confirmed by our allies," the Polish prime minister said.

In his words, Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to "create chaos" and thus destabilize the situation in Poland and Lithuania.

"Members of the Wagner group can be used to push illegal migrants from Belarus into Poland (...). They can pretend to be illegal migrants to enter Poland's territory and that of other countries on the eastern flank," Morawiecki says when listed potential threats.

Last weekend, the Polish Prime Minister said that more than 100 mercenaries had approached the Suwalki Corridor. The presence of Wagner in Belarus, he said, "makes the situation even more dangerous". The country's defense ministry also reported that two Belarusian helicopters violated Polish airspace on the eastern border on Tuesday.

Nauseda said earlier this week that Wagner's presence near the Lithuanian border creates too great a temptation for mercenaries to use their presence for various provocations.

Polish officials have hinted at the possibility of closing the border with Belarus altogether.

The Suwalki Corridor is a roughly 100-km-wide stretch of the Lithuanian-Polish border, with Russia's Kaliningrad region in the west and Belarus in the east. In the event of war, its seizure would close the land route to the Baltic states for the NATO allies, which is why the protection of this territory is one of the most pressing issues.

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There are now 4,000 Wagner mercenaries in Belarus – Lithuanian, Poland (corrects)

(corrects to 'some of them are close' in the lead)

 SUWALKI REGION, Poland, Aug 03, BNS - There are currently some 4,000 Wagner mercenaries in Belarus and some of them are close to the Lithuanian and Polish territories, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki say.

"According to our data, there are about 4,000 mercenaries. (...) Maybe a bit more," the Polish prime minister told reporters on Thursday after meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Suwalki, Poland.

"We have compared the data that we both have and can state the fact that they its very similar. That the number of Wagner fighters deployed on the territory of Belarus exceeds or is close to 4,000, and that some of the fighters have come close to our border and have taken up positions in the Grodno region," Nauseda also stated. "This situation is convenient for provocations both on the Polish-Belarusian and Lithuanian-Belarusian borders."

Later, speaking to Lithuanian journalists, Nauseda noted that the number of Wagner mercenaries in Belarus was not final and could reach 10,000 in the future.

"Clearly, the number of Wagner fighters in Belarus is not final and there's a plan to deploy up to 10,000 Wagner fighters. The process is now only halfway through. This is a serious force," Nauseda said.

For his part, Morawiecki says Russia is testing Poland and its allies' reaction by using Wagner mercenaries.

"Wagner is particularly threatening. The group's units are being moved close to NATO's eastern flank in order to destabilize it. These are real threats that have been confirmed by our allies," the Polish prime minister said.

In his words, Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to "create chaos" and thus destabilize the situation in Poland and Lithuania.

"Members of the Wagner group can be used to push illegal migrants from Belarus into Poland (...). They can pretend to be illegal migrants to enter Poland's territory and that of other countries on the eastern flank," Morawiecki says when listed potential threats.

"We may have different views on Wagner fighters' intentions in Belarus, but one thing is absolutely clear: it would be too great a temptation for both Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko not to take advantage of the presence of Wagner fighters in their close vicinity for possible provocations," the Lithuanian president noted.

Last weekend, the Polish Prime Minister said that more than 100 mercenaries had approached the Suwalki Corridor. The presence of Wagner in Belarus, he said, "makes the situation even more dangerous". The country's defense ministry also reported that two Belarusian helicopters violated Polish airspace on the eastern border on Tuesday.

Nauseda said earlier this week that Wagner's presence near the Lithuanian border creates too great a temptation for mercenaries to use their presence for various provocations.

Polish officials have hinted at the possibility of closing the border with Belarus altogether.

The Suwalki Corridor is a roughly 100-km-wide stretch of the Lithuanian-Polish border, with Russia's Kaliningrad region in the west and Belarus in the east. In the event of war, its seizure would close the land route to the Baltic states for the NATO allies, which is why the protection of this territory is one of the most pressing issues.

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Polish PM 'positive' about Ukrainian grain checks in Baltics – Lithuanian president 

SUWALKI REGION, Poland, Aug 03, BNS - Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, who is on a visit to Poland on Thursday, said he had received a positive reaction from Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki to a proposal to facilitate Ukrainian grain exports through Baltic ports by moving customs and other checks from the Ukrainian-Polish border to the ports.

"The Polish prime minister's reaction was very positive," Nauseda said in Poland's northeastern region of Suwalki.  

"This made me optimistic and I think that now our ministries have to work closely with the Polish authorities to continue this conversation and try to implement the changes as soon as possible," he added.

Following Russia's withdrawal in July from a deal allowing Ukraine to export grain via the Black Sea, Lithuania is calling on the European Union to use Baltic ports for grain shipments.

Vilnius says that moving customs and other inspection procedures from the Polish-Ukrainian border to Baltic ports would make exports smoother.

"We have to do everything possible to make the alternative supply of grain through the territory of Poland to Baltic ports as smooth and efficient as possible," said Nauseda. 

The president noted that the grain issue "is being used in geopolitical games and Russia is again playing this card".

Following its withdrawal from the deal, Russia has started to attack Ukraine's port infrastructure and promises to supply African countries with cheaper agricultural produce.

Lithuania says Baltic ports have a combined capacity to handle 25 million tons of grain annually.

 

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Baltic PMs commit to complete power grid synchronization by February 2025

VILNIUS, Aug 03, BNS – The Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian prime ministers have signed a joint declaration committing to synchronize the Baltic electricity grids with the Western European system by February 2025, almost a year earlier than previously planned, the Lithuanian government said on Thursday.

The government's press office confirmed to BNS that the prime ministers had signed the document remotely. 

Ingrida Simonyte, Krisjanis Karins and Kaja Kallas inked the declaration a day after the three Baltic electricity transmission system operators signed an agreement on the disconnection from the Russian-controlled BRELL system and synchronous connection to the Continental European grid in February 2025.   

"This is a clear commitment not to extend the BRELL contract and to complete all the necessary work by the agreed deadline," Simonyte said in a press release.

 "While we believe that the Baltic electricity systems would, in principle, be ready for synchronization earlier than by February 2025, it is important to act in unison on the remaining tasks, which were agreed upon at both political and operator levels," she added. 

In their declaration, the prime ministers agreed to "redouble concerted efforts and full mobilization in ensuring political support for de-synchronization from IPS/UPS and achieving the synchronous operation of the Baltic States' electricity systems with the Continental European Network not later than by February 2025". 

They also endorsed the Baltic TSOs' agreement that identifies the concrete steps needed to disconnect from the BRELL ring and synchronize the Baltic grids with the Continental European system. 

Under the agreement, the Baltic countries will jointly withdraw from the BRELL contract, concluded with Russian and Belarusian operators, in the summer of 2024, half a year before synchronization.

It also calls for completing the necessary work, such as the installation of the first synchronous condensers and of control systems and the reconstruction of the third line between Estonia and Latvia, by the agreed date. 

An agreement signed by the Baltic leaders and the European Commission in 2018 set the end of 2025 as the deadline for Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to synchronize their power grids with the Continental European system. 

However, Lithuania has consistently proposed to bring the deadline forward to February 2024, saying that synchronization is possible before all related infrastructure projects are completed. 

Latvia and Estonia argued that synchronization in late 2025 would allow avoiding risks related to system stability and higher electricity prices for consumers.

The Lithuanian State Defense Council at the start of last week instructed the government to seek an agreement with Latvia and Estonia on disconnecting from the Russian IPS/UPS system and synchronizing with Western Europe in early 2025.

Baltic energy ministers also agreed in Riga last week on synchronization in February 2025.

 

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EU commission welcomes Baltic deal to complete grid synchronization by Feb 2025

VILNIUS, Aug 03, BNS – The European Commission on Thursday welcomed the three Baltic countries' agreement to synchronize their electricity grids with the Continental European system by February 2025. 

European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said in a press release that the agreement by Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia "will enable us to complete the full integration of the three Baltic states into the EU electricity grid almost one year earlier than previously intended".

"Today's agreement is a symbol of European solidarity in action," she said. "The project will not only bring energy security in the region and complete the EU integration of the three Baltic States, but will also support the implementation of the Green Deal by ensuring secure, affordable and sustainable energy for the Eastern Baltic Sea region and the Union as a whole."

Simson said the Baltic grids' synchronization "has been a priority EU energy infrastructure project for the Commission for many years, receiving substantial EU funding, and will continue to receive support until it is completed".

 

By Giedrius Gaidamavičius

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Zurauskas appointed Lithuania's ambassador to Romania

VILNIUS, Aug 03, BNS – President Gitanas Nauseda on Thursday appointed Arturas Zurauskas as Lithuania's ambassador to Romania.

The diplomat is to take up his new duties on August 21.

When his nomination was discussed by the government, Zurauskas said that he saw maintaining existing security ties and cooperating more closely toward a stronger response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine as his main tasks as ambassador.

"It is also important for us to deepen coordination and contribute to Romania's active support for Moldova's integration (into the European Union)," he said.

The diplomat also said he would seek closer economic cooperation with Romania.

Zurauskas has in the past served as Lithuania's ambassador to Latvia, China and Greece.

He was appointed Lithuania's ambassador to Azerbaijan in 2012, but resigned from the post a year later after recordings of his tapped phone conversations were leaked online.

In the conversations, the diplomat and his colleague shared personal views on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict and the internal situation in Turkmenistan, and made remarks about state leaders.

 

 

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Jewish community calls for Kristaponis monument's removal as GRRCL shunts

VILNIUS, Aug 03, BNS – The Jewish Community of Lithuania has once again called for the removal the monument to partisan Juozas Krikstaponis in Ukmerge after the director of the Genocide and Resistance Research Center of Lithuania failed to make a decision on its removal.

"The JCL calls on the GRRCL to take urgent action and, in accordance with the recommendations of the De-Sovietization Commission, to remove the monument to Krikstaponis from central Ukmerge," the Jewish community said.

Speaking with BNS on Tuesday, Vytas Luksys, the GRRCL's acting director, said Krikstaponis still has the status of a volunteer soldier, so no decision has yet been made on his removal.

In his words, the GRRCL turned to the Prosecutor General's Office last week for it "to analyze the archival certificate again and to decide on the legality of granting the status of a volunteer soldier".

Meanwhile, at its first meeting in late June, the so-called De-Sovietization Commission declared the monument to Krikstaponis in central Ukmerge as promoting totalitarian, authoritarian regimes.

The Jewish community believes this is "clear procrastination and an attempt to shift responsibility to another organization".

Faina Kukliansky, chair of the JCL, says Krikstaponis's involvement in the Holocaust is indisputable, as evidenced by the documents collected by the GRRCL and the certificate provided.

In a certificate published in 2016, the GRRCL stated that the battalion Krikstaponis served in as a company commander could have been used by the German occupation authorities in 1941-1943 to persecute and exterminate Jews, POW, and civilians in Belarus.

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Aug 07 2023

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN, August 1, 2023

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN


IN THIS ISSUE:

  1. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, August 21, 2023
  2. Nine irregular migrants turned away on Lithuania's border with Belarus
  3. Lithuanian formin on national security issues: 'If you can say less, then say less'
  4. Lithuania reports 31 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
  5. Banks in Lithuania to step up cyber security cooperation, information exchange
  6. Lifosa should continue operating but sanctions shouldn’t be eased – presidential office
  7. Banks in Lithuania to step up cyber security cooperation, information exchange (expands)
  8. Banks in Lithuania to step up cyber security cooperation, information exchange (further expands)
  9. Lithuania's LFGU will nominate Veryga for president
  10. Lithuanian president calls for stepped up prosecution after meting with new SIS chief
  11. Icelandic diplomat to work at Lithuanian Embassy in Kyiv
  12. Lithuania's anti-corruption body seeks EUR 746,000 in extra funding – chief
  13. Lithuanian, Dutch forces land aircraft in atypical locations during exercises
  14. Published info on tank acquisition was of 'restricted use' – Lithuanian president
  15. Published info on tank acquisition was of 'restricted use' – Lithuanian president (expands)
  16. Poland's Wagner assessment may be election-impacted, no threat denial – Nauseda
  17. US, EU policy towards China undergoing transformation – Lithuanian president

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, August 21, 2023

VILNIUS, Aug 01, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Tuesday, August 1, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to meet with Linas Pernavas, head of the Special Investigation Service at 11 a.m.

SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen to meet with US Ambassador to Lithuania Robert S. Gilchrist at 10a.m.; an interview with Poland's English-language channel TVP World at 11.20 a.m.

DEFENSE MINISTER Arvydas Anusauskas to meet with US Ambassador to Lithuania Robert S. Gilchrist at 10.45 a.m.

FOREIGN MINISTER Gabrielius Landsbergis to meet with US Ambassador to Lithuania Robert S. Gilchrist at 1 p.m.

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

VILNIUS, Aug 01, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away nine migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Tuesday morning.

Latvia reported 43 attempts at illegal border crossings on Monday, and 228 irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Sunday, according to the latest available information.

A total of 1,476 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year. Over 11,200 irregular migrants were turned away in 2022.  

Lithuanian border guards have prevented almost 20,700 people from crossing in from Belarus since August 3, 2021, when they were given the right to turn away irregular migrants. The number includes repeated attempts by the same people to cross the border.

The SBGS says that illegal migration to Lithuania and the EU is being facilitated by Belarusian officials.

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

 

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Lithuanian formin on national security issues: 'If you can say less, then say less'

VILNIUS, Aug 01, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis believes that it is better to say less when it comes to national security issues. 

His comment came on Monday, a week after Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas made public information on Lithuania's plans to purchase tanks for its armed forces.

"The minister may draw certain conclusions, apparently by analyzing the information that has been presented, perhaps by segmenting it, that he feels that he has the right to make some of it public, but nevertheless, when it comes to extremely sensitive issues of national security, I would say that there is one rule: if you can say less, then say less," Landsbergis told LRT TV. 

Following last week's meeting of the State Defense Council, Anusauskas unveiled plans to send Germany a letter of intent to purchase Leopard tanks. He detailed the circumstances surrounding the choice of tanks in a Facebook post the next day.

Anusauskas and defense officials say that this does not mean that Lithuania has already decided to buy Leopard tanks out of the three options considered, but some politicians maintain that the minister has undermined Lithuania's negotiating position with German manufacturers by revealing the country's inclination. 

Anusauskas and the Defense Ministry insisted that no classified information had been made public. However, MP Agne Sirinskiene asked the Prosecutor General's Office to look at whether the defense minister had disclosed a state secret.

President Gitanas Nauseda said on Monday that he could continue working with Anusauskas, but was waiting for the prosecutors' assessment of his behavior.

Lithuania is looking to buy tanks as part of its plans to create an army division. Officials say this could cost the country around 2 billion euros.

 

By Greta Zulonaitė

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Lithuania reports 31 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths

VILNIUS, Aug 01, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 31 new coronavirus infections and no deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Tuesday morning.

The 14-day primary infection rate has edged up to 8.4 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 7.5 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.

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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Banks in Lithuania to step up cyber security cooperation, information exchange

VILNIUS, Aug 01, BNS – The central Bank of Lithuania, commercial banks operating in Lithuania and the country's National Cyber Security Center said on Tuesday they had agreed to step up their cooperation in the field of cyber security.

The agreement provides for "faster and better cooperation in the field of cyber incidents", Simonas Krepsta, a board member at the Bank of Lithuania, told reporters, adding that banks will also exchange information on cyber security.

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Lifosa should continue operating but sanctions shouldn’t be eased – presidential office

VILNIUS, Aug 01, BNS - The state should be interested in keeping Lifosa, the sanctioned Kedainiai-based phosphate fertilizer plant, open, but the existing sanctions should not be eased, presidential advisor Vaidas Augustinavicius says.

"Lithuania certainly takes a principled approach to the implementation of the sanctions, which is why we shouldn’t be talking about easing or changing sanctions for aggressors," he told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Tuesday.

On July 3, EuroChem, Lifosa's Russian owner, said Lifosa may be temporarily mothballed, adding that if the Lithuanian authorities fail to agree on normalizing Lifosa's operations, consultations will be held on the plant's fate in general.

Augustinavicius says the state should be interested in the company's continued operations. 

"Lifosa employs around 900 people and is an important part of the ecosystem in the Kedainiai region, agriculture and the food sector. Well, the government's actions should probably be in line with this interest, and exchanging letters is not the way to achieve a certain result," the presidential advisor said.

He believes there are many possible solutions that could be considered by a special government working group.

Last week, around 300 protesters, including Lifosa employees, held a rally outside the government office in central Vilnius to demand that the company be protected from planned closure.

By Valdas Pryšmantas

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Banks in Lithuania to step up cyber security cooperation, information exchange (expands)

VILNIUS, Aug 01, BNS – The central Bank of Lithuania, commercial banks operating in Lithuania and the country's National Cyber Security Center said on Tuesday they had agreed to step up their cooperation in the field of cyber security.

The agreement provides for "faster and better cooperation in the field of cyber incidents", Simonas Krepsta, a board member at the Bank of Lithuania, told reporters, adding that banks will also exchange information on cyber security.

"It can be said that cyber resilience in Lithuania's financial sector, in the banking sector, is today moving to a new qualitative level," he added.

The agreement was signed by the major commercial banks operating in the country, including GF Bank, Jungtine Centrine Kredito Unija, Luminor, Revolut, SEB, SME Bank, Swedbank and Siauliu Bankas.

"We have decided to start with the segment of commercial banks segment, which are, of course, the largest financial institutions where our population has the largest number of accounts and funds," Krepsta said. "In the future, if this project proves successful, we plan to expand to other sectors, the payments sector and the insurance sector."

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Banks in Lithuania to step up cyber security cooperation, information exchange (further expands)

VILNIUS, Aug 01, BNS – The central Bank of Lithuania, commercial banks operating in Lithuania and the country's National Cyber Security Center said on Tuesday they had agreed to step up their cooperation in the field of cyber security.

The agreement provides for "faster and better cooperation in the field of cyber incidents", Simonas Krepsta, a board member at the Bank of Lithuania, told reporters, adding that banks will also exchange information on cyber security.

"It can be said that cyber resilience in Lithuania's financial sector, in the banking sector, is today moving to a new qualitative level," he added.

The agreement was signed by the major commercial banks operating in the country, including GF Bank, Jungtine Centrine Kredito Unija, Luminor, Revolut, SEB, SME Bank, Swedbank and Siauliu Bankas.

"We have decided to start with the segment of commercial banks segment, which are, of course, the largest financial institutions where our population has the largest number of accounts and funds," Krepsta said. "In the future, if this project proves successful, we plan to expand to other sectors, the payments sector and the insurance sector."

In his words, an assessment will be carried out every six months to look into how well banks are exchanging information.

For his part, Liudas Alisauskas, who leads the NCSC, says the information exchange platform was not "developed from scratch" as the well-known MISP platform was used.

"The product itself has been a great success and has gone like a tsunami around the world. It's a very good product that meets the security community's expectations. This platform is used by a very large number of countries," he said. "We did not create it, we just made use of it and made it available to the country's authorities."

Eivile Cipkute, president of the Association of Lithuanian Banks, says the exchange of information will be mainly about the nature of the attack and the threats it poses, rather than the measures taken to protect against them.

The Bank of Lithuania also points out that the European Central Bank plans a joint cyber security test next year to assess how prepared banks are to withstand large-scale cyber incidents.

A year later, periodic "penetration tests" should be carried out.

According to the Bank of Lithuania, 23 cyber incidents were reported by financial market participants last year and some of them linked to pro-Russian groups.

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Lithuania's LFGU will nominate Veryga for president

VILNIUS, Aug 01, BNS - The Council of the opposition Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union on Tuesday decided to nominate MP and former Health Minister Aurelijus Veryga for president.

Lithuania will elect a new president in May.

Veryga served as an adviser to then Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius on the prevention of drug, alcohol and tobacco use from 2009-2012. And he was the country's health minister from 2016 to 2020.

Veryga joint the party in 2018.

He's now a vice chair of the parliamentary Committee on European Affairs and is also a member of the Health Committee.

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Lithuanian president calls for stepped up prosecution after meting with new SIS chief

VILNIUS, Aug 01, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda with Linas Pernavas, the new head of the country's Special Investigation Service, on Tuesday and calls for measures to step up criminal prosecution, presidential advisor Darius Urbonas said after the meeting.

"The first thing that was pointed out was the need to strengthen the area of criminal prosecution. This was repeatedly mentioned by the president during the new director's appointment process. Recently, the SIS has been more focused on the prevention of corruption and international cooperation, and this is very good, but the service shares responsibility with all other institutions and their leaders in this area," Urbonas told the press conference.

Meanwhile, criminal prosecution and criminal intelligence are the exclusive competence of the law enforcement authorities, he underlined.

"What we see today is the need to strengthen the criminal prosecution capacity, to pay more attention to this area, so that the SIS is really able to investigate and detect criminal corruption-related activity," the presidential advisor said.

Nominated by the president, Pernavas assumed his new position in mid-June.

Before that, he served as Lithuania's police attaché in the United Kingdom and previously was Lithuania's police commissioner general.

Pernavas replaced Zydrunas Bartkus who left the SIS in March.

The SIS investigates corruption crimes, prevents corruption and provides analytical anti-corruption intelligence.

By Milena Andrukaitytė

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Icelandic diplomat to work at Lithuanian Embassy in Kyiv

VILNIUS, Aug 01, BNS – As Iceland decides to send a representative to Kyiv, Lithuania will provide them with a workplace and all the necessary facilities at its embassy, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

The move comes in support of Iceland‘s ambition to increase its presence in Kyiv, the ministry pointed out.

"We are honored to have been offered this co-operation with our very close friends, Lithuania who have a strong and established presence in Kyiv. We expect that our relations with Ukraine will continue to strengthen in the foreseeable future," Icelandic Foreign Minister Thordis Kolbrún Reykfjörð Gylfadóttir, adding that Iceland want to increase its support to Ukraine.

For his part, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis says Lithuania's assistance to Iceland is a proof of closer Nordic-Baltic cooperation.

"Together with Iceland’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and other Nordic colleagues we were in Kyiv, together we call for maximized transatlantic efforts to accelerate Ukraine's victory. As of now, 'shoulder to shoulder' is not only a metaphor but yet another proof of cooperation between Iceland and Lithuania," Lithuania's top diplomat said.

Iceland's Embassy to Ukraine is now based in Warsaw.

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Lithuania's anti-corruption body seeks EUR 746,000 in extra funding – chief

VILNIUS, Aug 01, BNS – Lithuania's Special Investigation Service (SIS) wants to recruit more staff to beef up its criminal prosecution function, but this requires an additional 746,000 euros, Linas Pernavas, the anti-corruption agency's new director, said on Tuesday. 

Pernavas told reporters after meeting with President Gitanas Nauseda  that the amount would finance 22 posts, adding that the SIS has disucssed the issue of increased funding with the Finance Ministry.

"We have estimated the amount to be 746,000 euros," he said. "Talks have just started and I do hope that our request will be heard."  

The SIS currently has a total of 320 posts, of which 45 are vacant and 22 "are not funded at all", according to the official. 

"Over the last few years, the service has paid a lot of attention, which is really good, to prevention, education and international activities – we are the leaders in our region," said Pernavas. 

"However, I think that criminal prosecution has been given far too little attention for objective reasons, that is, insufficient funding," the agency's new director said.

"Over time, the service's capacity for the prosecution function has, in my opinion, become disproportionate and this poses certain risks to the service's performance in detecting and investigating corruption-related criminal offences," he added.

The remaining 23 unfilled posts are vacant because the funds available for them are used to pay the agency's existing staff for overtime and for other needs, according to Pernavas. 

The director said that 19 CIS officers are currently involved in investigating criminal cases, a number that is "far too low".

"This is where we will be focusing our attention in the near future," he said.

Pernavas in June replaced Zydrunas Bartkus, whose term of office as SIS director ended in March.

The SIS investigates corruption crimes, prevents corruption and provides analytical anti-corruption intelligence.

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Lithuanian, Dutch forces land aircraft in atypical locations during exercises

VILNIUS, Aug 01, BNS - Lithuanian and Dutch special operations forces are carrying out tactical landing of aircraft at non-standard airfields and airborne landing control during an exercise, the Lithuanian army said on Tuesday, adding that the purpose of the exercise is to train specialists in battle management.

Such specialists often operate in enemy territory to deliver artillery or other weapon systems, military personnel, logistical supplies to hard-to-reach or locations distant from friendly forces, and also perform extraction of their own personnel.

This type of exercise enhances interoperability between NATO allies, with particular emphasis on the exchange of information between Special Operations Forces' joint fire support control specialists and aircraft pilots, the ability to conduct tactical landings at non-standard airfields and airborne landing control to deliver precise, unexpected strikes to the enemy to cause the greatest possible damage in the shortest time possible.

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Published info on tank acquisition was of 'restricted use' – Lithuanian president

VILNIUS, Aug 01, BNS – The information disclosed by Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas about plans to buy German Leopard tanks was of restricted use, President Gitanas Nauseda says.

"The published information was tagged as 'restricted use'," the president said in an interview with the delfi.lt news website on Tuesday, adding that there's a "very clear procedure" for such tagging.

"Its 'de-tagging' or, in other words, the publication of confidential information, also has the same publication procedure. And this has not been done", Nauseda said.

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Published info on tank acquisition was of 'restricted use' – Lithuanian president (expands)

VILNIUS, Aug 01, BNS – The information disclosed by Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas about plans to buy German Leopard tanks was of 'restricted use', President Gitanas Nauseda says.

"The published information was tagged as 'restricted use'," the president said in an interview with the delfi.lt news website on Tuesday, adding that there's a "very clear procedure" for such tagging.

Last week, after Anusauskas announced Lithuania's plans to buy German tanks and the reasons for his decision, Nauseda said the minister should not have made this information public.

The president said at the time the minister had disclosed restricted-use information, but the presidential office later added it was a political assessment, adding that the legal conclusion was to be made by the Prosecutor' General's Office.

MP Agne Sirinskiene later turned to prosecutors over possible disclosure of a state secret.

For his part, Anusauskas says he did not disclose any classified information, and his ministry stated that the minister's published information had no characteristics of classified information.

According to Nauseda, if the disclosure of such information had no consequences for future agreements, it would not be "the biggest problem in the world".

"But it may have (an impact - BNS) as it reveals our certain plans, even if they are not final," the president said. "It seems sometimes that people don't realize that sometimes such information has to do with very substantial money or investments made by other countries to gather such information, and we come in and put it on a plate."

The defense minister is generally disclosing too much information, Nauseda also added.

Nevertheless, speaking earlier this week, Nauseda said he could continue working with Anusauskas.

"We met with him on the occasion of the Medininkai anniversary, and everything is fine, we continue to communicate as we have been so far, surely, believe me, there are no sparks between us here," the president said in the interview.

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Poland's Wagner assessment may be election-impacted, no threat denial – Nauseda

VILNIUS, Aug 01, BNS – The upcoming election in Poland later this year may have influence on the country's assessment of the threat posed by Wagner mercenaries in Belarus, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says, adding, however, that it does not deny the threat itself.

"The Polish side is paying really a lot of attention to this. I will not go into the extent to which this is a consequence of the forthcoming election in Poland. Yes, we cannot rule it out", Nauseda said in an interview with the delfi.lt news website on Tuesday. "Sometimes things get deliberately exaggerated, but that does not deny the threat itself."

The Lithuanian president's comment followed Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki's statement at the weekend that more than 100 mercenaries approached the Suwalki corridor. Mateusz Morawiecki also said the situation was becoming even more dangerous and that this was a step towards a further hybrid attack on Polish territory.

Lithuanian and Polish officials have said that their countries would be ready to close the border with Belarus in case of serious border incidents.

Speaking earlier this week, Nauseda said Wagner's presence in Belarus, close to the Lithuanian border, poses a serious threat, adding, however, there are currently no signs or signals that provocations are planned in the near future.

Wagner mercenaries started moving to Belarus after their failed mutiny in Russia in June after authoritarian Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko allegedly helped to end this and allowdd mercenaries to come to Belarus.

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US, EU policy towards China undergoing transformation – Lithuanian president

VILNIUS, Aug 01, BNS – The United States and the European Union's policy towards China is undergoing a transformation and this country can no longer be viewed as a business partner only, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says.

"The US and EU policy towards China is going through a certain transformation, and we no longer can says that what we were saying two or three years ago is identical to what we are saying today," he said in an interview with the delfi.lt news website on Tuesday, adding that a process of re-evaluation of values is underway.

"Counterparts who used to emphasize the so-called model of partnership or cooperation with China have bow realized that not everything depends on our good intentions as China has its own interests, and those interests are very expansionist and very ambitious," Nauseda said.

"And that's why we need to be much more reserved as we no longer can cooperate with China and only develop business with China, as we used to. Today, we understand, and especially after the pandemic, that China can also be a source of risk, especially when it comes to supply chains, production chains, that it can weaken us considerably, if we do not protects these chains ourselves," the president said.

In his words, Europe is now much more aware of how to boost its resilience to such vulnerabilities.

"Whether we want it or not, we cannot escape the fact that China is a strategic rival. Not just an economic rival, but a rival that wants to impose its own rules on the world. And those rules are somewhat different from the rule of law and the democratic principles we are used to living by", Nauseda said.

At the NATO summit in Vilnius in July, leaders said that China's declared ambitions and coercive policies threaten the Alliance's interests, security and values.

The summit declaration also stated that China is using "a broad range of political, economic, and military tools to increase its global footprint and project power, while remaining opaque about its strategy, intentions and military build-up".

The document states that China also "seeks to control key technological and industrial sectors, critical infrastructure, and strategic materials and supply chains.  It uses its economic leverage to create strategic dependencies and enhance its influence.  It strives to subvert the rules-based international order, including in the space, cyber and maritime domains.

 

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Aug 02 2023

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