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LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN, December 18, 2023

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN


IN THIS ISSUE:

  1. Ministers to sign plan for German brigade deployment in Lithuania
  2. Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
  3. Baltic, Polish PMs' Tallinn meeting cancelled
  4. Lithuania, US sign new defense cooperation plan in Washington
  5. 7 out of 10 people in Lithuania against voting from age of 16 – survey (media)
  6. Lithuania reports 91 new COVID-19 cases, one death
  7. Lithuanian minister to discuss ways to prevent Russians from entering intl competitions
  8. Veolia transfers almost EUR 35 mln to Vilnius
  9. Ministers sign plan for German brigade deployment in Lithuania
  10. Judicial punishments for corruption offenses too light in Lithuania – OECD report
  11. One-fifth of Lithuania’s incumbent mayors were members of Soviet Communist Party (media)
  12. Rinkevicius to lead Lithuania's re-established Coast Guard Frontier District
  13. Lithuania's LTG Link kicks off ticket sales to Riga
  14. Lithuanian president discusses brigade deployment, air defense with German defmin
  15. Lithuanian minister calls on sports feds to up pressure to prevent Russians from competing
  16. Lithuania submits request to EU Commission for EUR 387 mln RRF loan
  17. Plan: entire German brigade deployed in Lithuania by 2027, schools for families (expands)
  18. Lithuania's Independence Act signatory Genzelis dies
  19. Lithuania receives EUR 300 mln loan from European Investment Bank
  20. Lithuanian transpmin speaks about plans to build new arrival terminal at Vilnius Airport
  21. 20 pct more destinations once new Vilnius Airport terminal is built – minister
  22. Lithuanian parlt strips MP Grazulis of his mandate
  23. NATO jets in Baltics scrambled 5 times over Russian aircraft last week
  24. Bird flu detected at commercial farm in Lithuania for first time ever
  25. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, December 19, 2023
  26. Lithuanian ForMin: new Russia sanctions will require more responsibility from EU cos

Ministers to sign plan for German brigade deployment in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS – Lithuanian and German Defense Ministers Arvydas Anusauskas and Boris Pistorius will sign a plan for the deployment of a Bundeswehr brigade in Lithuania on Monday in Vilnius.

The plan to will consolidate the two countries' intentions regarding the German brigade in Lithuania and the further course of action for the unit's full-scale deployment, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said earlier.

Under the plan, German troops will arrive in Lithuania gradually, starting in 2024, and the deployment is expected to be completed by 2027.

The action plan has been prepared by a joint working group of the German and Lithuanian Defense Ministries. Under the plan, the core of the German brigade will consist of five battalions, including tank and artillery battalions. In total, Germany intends to deploy around 5,000 German soldiers and civilians in Lithuania, with families expected to join them for the long rotation period.

German troops will be stationed in Rudninkai and Rukla. Some of them will live in Vilnius and Kaunas, and additional logistic points will be created in other parts of Lithuania.

Discussions on the deployment of such a brigade in Lithuania started after Russia invaded Ukraine. Germany announced its specific commitment in June.

The brigade's Forward Command Element is currently deployed in Lithuania.

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

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Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Monday morning.

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

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.

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Baltic, Polish PMs' Tallinn meeting cancelled

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS - The planned meeting of the Baltic and Polish prime minister in Tallinn will not take place, the Lithuanian government's press service said on Sunday, saying that the meeting has been cancelled as Estonian Prime Minister Kajsa Kallas got COVID-19.

"The quadrilateral meeting of the prime ministers of Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Poland and the trilateral meeting in the format of the Baltic Council of Ministers, which were due to take place on December 17-18, have been cancelled," the statement reads.

Because of that, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte's visit to Tallinn has also been cancelled.

The four prime minister were due to discuss regional security and defense issues, the forthcoming NATO summit in Washington, support for Ukraine, sanctions against Russia and Belarus, EU border security and other topical issues on the EU agenda.

Also cancelled are Simonyte's Monday meetings in the trilateral format of the Baltic Council of Ministers, which was due to be held to discuss regional security, support for Ukraine, and the unified implementation of sanctions against Russia and Belarus.

By Sniegė Balčiūnaitė

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Lithuania, US sign new defense cooperation plan in Washington

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS - Lithuania and the US are stepping up their cooperation as they have signed a new bilateral defense cooperation plan for 2024-2028 in Washington, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

The document was signed by Vaidotas Urbelis, the defense policy director at the Lithuanian Defense Ministry, and US Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander.

The document outlines the main areas of cooperation the Lithuanian Defense Ministry and the US Department of Defense will focus on over the upcoming years. The two countries will continue strengthening deterrence in the Baltic region, ensuring the US military presence in the region, US support for the strengthening and development of Lithuania's defense capabilities, the smooth execution of Lithuanian acquisitions from the US, defense industry cooperation, joint exercises and training, and more.

The Lithuanian Defense Ministry and the Department of Defense signed the first defense cooperation plan back in 2019.

The content of the newly signed plan will be regularly reviewed and updated as required.

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7 out of 10 people in Lithuania against voting from age of 16 – survey (media)

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS - Seven out of 10 people in Lithuania do not think that voting in municipal council and mayoral elections should be allowed from the age of 16, according to a survey by Baltijos Tyrimai for the public broadcaster LRT. 

70 percent disagree with the idea, 22 percent think young people should be allowed to vote in elections, while 8 percent had no opinion on the matter or did not answer the question.

The Constitution stipulates Lithuanian citizens who are 18 years old on the day of the election are eligible to vote.

Youth organizations and some parliamentarians believe 16-year-olds should also have the right to vote in local elections.

The survey of 1,018 Lithuanians aged 18 and over was carried out by Baltijos Tyrimai, a Lithuanian-British market and public opinion research company, on November 16-27.

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Lithuania reports 91 new COVID-19 cases, one death

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 91 new coronavirus infections and one death from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Monday morning.

The 14-day primary infection rate has risen to 548.7 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 37.1 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 1.36 million people in Lithuania have tested positive for COVID-19 at least once.

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

Two-thirds of the country's population have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab so far, according to the statistics.

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Lithuanian minister to discuss ways to prevent Russians from entering intl competitions

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS – Lithuanian Education, Science and Sport Minister Gintautas Jakstas is holding a meeting on Monday to discuss possible ways to prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating in international competitions.

"The minister has invited representatives of Lithuanian sports federations and organizations to discuss the existing ways to prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes from entering international sports competitions," Nomeda Barauskiene, the head of the ministry's Communications Department, told BNS.

It was reported early this month that the IOC on Friday gave the green light to the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes under a neutral flag in the Paris Olympics next year, except in team events, if they do not actively support the war in Ukraine. Only eight athletes from Russia and three 

athletes from Belarus currently qualify as neutral athletes, the IOC says.

This decision has caused outrage in some countries, and the presidents of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have called the decision disappointing and expressed hope it will be reversed.

Russian and Belarusian athletes have been sanctioned in many sports since February 2022 when Russia attacked Ukraine. However, several Olympic federations have eased restrictions on athletes from these countries over the past year and allowed them to return to competition under certain conditions.

In March, the International Olympic Committee lifted the total ban on Russian and Belarusian athletes and allowed them to compete as neutral athletes, provided they do not support the conflict in Ukraine and are not linked to the military.

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Veolia transfers almost EUR 35 mln to Vilnius

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS – Veolia has announced that it has paid the city of Vilnius almost 35 million euros in compensation following the Stockholm International Arbitration Court's ruling two weeks ago in the seven-year dispute between the French energy group and the Lithuanian capital.

“Veolia has transferred the amount of 34.8 million euros to the deposit account in Paris specified by the legal representatives of the Vilnius City Municipality and [the municipal heat supply company] Vilniaus Silumos Tinklai (VST). This amount covered the balance of the sums awarded to each party by the Stockholm Arbitration,” the company told BNS.

The arbitration ruled that Vilnius had to pay 26.8 million euros to Veolia, and Veolia had to pay 44.8 million euros as well as accrued interest of 16.8 million euros, it said.

"After offsetting the amounts awarded to each party, Veolia and Vilniaus Energija paid 17.9 million euros and almost the same amount of interest accumulated [during the years of litigation] – a total of 34.8 million euros,” the company said.

Vilnius Municipality and VST have said in a statement that according to the arbitration award, Veolia and Vilniaus Energija, a local company controlled by the French group, have to pay the city 83 million euros in damages, comprising more than 61.5 million euros in cash (including about 3 million euros in legal costs) and 21.5 million euros in assets.

At the same time, the municipality and its heat supply company have to pay around 26.9 million euros to the former lessees of the capital's heating sector, including 10.9 million euros for assets and about 16 million euros for litigation costs, according to the statement. 

Meanwhile, Veolia calculates that it has to pay Vilnius around 35 million euros after deducting about 26 million in damages awarded to the group, including interest, from roughly 61 million euros awarded to the city, including 41.7 million euros for emission allowances and some 17 million euros in interest. 

From this amount, the municipality and VST will have to pay a success fee of around 10 million euros to Profile Investment, a Luxembourg-based venture capital fund.  

The city and VST sought 560 million euros in damages from Veolia at the Stockholm arbitration court. The French group says, however, that they demanded around 850 million euros plus interest from it.

The municipality says that the arbitration court ruled that Veolia and Vilniaus Energija had breached the terms of the 2002-2017 lease agreement by misappropriating emission allowances, and recognized other breaches of the 15-year agreement.

Veolia and Vilniaus Energija have said, however, that the court dismissed most of the municipality's claims. According to them, despite efforts by the municipality and VST to portray Veolia during the proceedings as a corrupt company manipulating facts, spreading false statements and failing to fulfil its contractual obligations, the court rejected all these allegations.

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Ministers sign plan for German brigade deployment in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS –Lithuanian and German Defense Ministers Arvydas Anusauskas and Boris Pistorius have signed a plan for the deployment of a Bundeswehr brigade in Lithuania in Vilnius on Monday.

The plan to will consolidate the two countries' intentions regarding the German brigade in Lithuania and the further course of action for the unit's full-scale deployment, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said earlier.

Under the plan, German troops will arrive in Lithuania gradually, starting in 2024, and the deployment is expected to be completed by 2027.

The action plan has been prepared by a joint working group of the German and Lithuanian Defense Ministries. Under the plan, the core of the German brigade will consist of five battalions, including tank and artillery battalions. In total, Germany intends to deploy around 5,000 German soldiers and civilians in Lithuania, with families expected to join them for the long rotation period.

German troops will be stationed in Rudninkai and Rukla. Some of them will live in Vilnius and Kaunas, and additional logistic points will be created in other parts of Lithuania.

Discussions on the deployment of such a brigade in Lithuania started after Russia invaded Ukraine. Germany announced its specific commitment in June.

The brigade's Forward Command Element is currently deployed in Lithuania.

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

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Judicial punishments for corruption offenses too light in Lithuania – OECD report

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS - Courts in Lithuania are too lenient in issuing punishments for corruption offenses and the country's population is still reluctant to report corruption, according to a new report by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Cited by Lithuania's Special Investigation Service, the report raises concerns about a “very low rate” of confiscation in bribery cases. The measure was imposed in less than 10% of cases in which a defendant was fined. Even when ordered, in some cases courts confiscated the bribe from the official and not the proceeds obtained by the briber.

The OECD points out that, although shareholder culpability is not necessary under

Lithuania's Criminal Code, the courts have consistently required the consideration of shareholder culpability to establish and prove the link between the owners/shareholders of the company and the criminal offence committed by the company's manager or employee in order to prosecute the company.

According to the OECD, such a requirement does not accord with the realities of the modern corporation and is thus not permitted under the Anti-Bribery Recommendation. In practice, such a requirement will allow many companies to escape liability for foreign bribery. Therefore, the OECD recommends that Lithuania immediately amend its criminal law.

OECD experts also recommend that criminal laws provide for the possibility for the court to take into account the company's anti-corruption compliance program in mitigating criminal liability for a corruption offense, and to impose an obligation to introduce such a program if the company does not have one in place.

The report also states that Lithuania has launched pre-trial investigations into all the cases that have come to light where Lithuanian citizens or companies may have bribed public officials abroad, but such cases have not been investigated proactively enough, and no efforts have been made to collect as much evidence as possible in Lithuania, without waiting for legal assistance responses from foreign authorities.

Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska says the OECD recommendations are timely and also stressed the need for "more effective sanctions, confiscation of assets, investigations and prosecutions for an anti-corruption breakthrough.

The OECD report contains a total of 49 recommendations Lithuania will have to implement within two years and report back to the OECD working group.

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One-fifth of Lithuania’s incumbent mayors were members of Soviet Communist Party (media)

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS – Twelve of Lithuania's sixty mayors were members of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU) and most of them have not disclosed this in their biographies, the 15min news portal reported on Monday.

According to the news portal, an examination of the biographies of all 60 mayors, data in the Lithuanian Special Archive and public sources, as well as telephone interviews with some of them, have revealed that twelve of them are former members of the CPSU.

Five of them are Social Democrats: Birstonas Mayor Nijole Dirginciene, Kaunas District Mayor Valerijus Makunas, Kupiskis Mayor Algirdas Raslanas, Prienai District Mayor Alvydas Vaicekauskas, and Kedainiai Mayor Valentinas Tamulis.

The list also includes two members of the Farmers and Greens Union – Anyksciai Mayor Kestutis Tubis, and Klaipeda District Mayor Bronius Markauskas, one Conservative – Pasvalys District Mayor Gintautas Geguzinskas, and one member of the Liberal Movement – Rietavas Mayor Antanas Cerneckis, as well as Kelme District Mayor Ildefonsas Petkevicius of the Freedom and Justice Party, Salcininkai District Mayor Zdislav Palevic of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania, and Kaunas Mayor Visvaldas Matijosaitis of the United Kaunas (Vieningas Kaunas).

Many of them described their roles in the Soviet Communist Party as insignificant and trivial, even those who held positions in the executive structures of the time.

Many of the ex-Communist mayors interviewed also said that they had nothing to hide from their past, and that they did not mention this fact in their questionnaires because there was simply no question about it.

Late in October, the Seimas adopted amendments to the Electoral Code that will require candidates to declare not only their current party membership but also their prior party affiliation, including that of the Soviet Communist Party, and in the three elections to be held next year, candidates will have to answer a question about their membership of the Soviet Union Party.

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Rinkevicius to lead Lithuania's re-established Coast Guard Frontier District

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS – Juozas Rinkevicius, 52, will lead the Coast Guard Frontier District within Lithuania's State Border Guard Service, which will be re-established as of next year, the border service said on Monday.

Rinkevicius is currently serving as a deputy commander of the SBGS's Pagegiai Frontier District.

Under SBGS commander Rustamas Liubajevas' order, Rinkevicius has been promoted the rank of an internal service colonel.

Rinkevicius joined the SBGS in February 1996. 

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

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

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Lithuania's LTG Link kicks off ticket sales to Riga

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS – LTG Link, the passenger arm of Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, LTG), Lithuania's state-owned railway company, on Monday starts selling tickets for a new train from Vilnius to Riga, which will start running on December 27.

A standard ticket costs 24 euros, with prices varying depending on the class chosen, LTG Link said in a press release.

Direct trains to Riga will run daily, leaving Vilnius for Riga in the morning and returning in the afternoon. It will take just over 4 hours to get from Vilnius to Riga by train, and the duration of the trip may change slightly only as a result of repairs or other works.

Passengers will be carried between the capitals of Lithuania and Latvia on a modern diesel-powered Pesa 730 ML train with 142 seats and four bicycle racks. It will be accessible for people with disabilities and hot and cold snacks and drinks will be available throughout the journey.

Last Friday, LTG Link received a safety certificate from the European Union Agency for Railways for its operations in Latvia, allowing it to carry passengers in the neighboring country. The route was agreed by the transport ministers and prime ministers of the three Baltic States.

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Lithuanian president discusses brigade deployment, air defense with German defmin

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Monday met with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to discuss preparations for the stationing of a German brigade in Lithuania, strengthening air defense in the region, and support for Ukraine.

“The productive and effective cooperation between Lithuania and Germany in preparing for the permanent stationing of the brigade is encouraging. We are grateful to Germany for its leadership and long-term commitment to collective security,” a press release from the presidential office quoted Nauseda as saying.

The Lithuanian leader and the German minister also discussed the importance of implementing defense plans and the rotational air defense model approved at the NATO Summit in Vilnius.

According to Nauseda, progress in implementing the Vilnius decisions is necessary before the NATO Summit in Washington, especially in implementing the decisions on strengthening air defense in the Baltic region and the entire eastern flank of NATO.

The Lithuanian president also stressed the need for continued military support for Ukraine, as faster and more effective support means a quicker end to the war and a victory for Ukraine.

Lithuanian and German Defense Ministers on Monday signed a plan for the deployment of a Bundeswehr brigade in Lithuania.

Under the plan, German troops will arrive in Lithuania gradually, starting in 2024, and the deployment is expected to be completed by 2027.

The action plan has been prepared by a joint working group of the German and Lithuanian Defense Ministries.

Under the plan, the core of the German brigade will consist of five battalions, including tank and artillery battalions. In total, Germany intends to deploy around 5,000 German soldiers and civilians in Lithuania.

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Lithuanian minister calls on sports feds to up pressure to prevent Russians from competing

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS – Lithuanian Education, Science and Sport Minister Gintautas Jakstas calls on sports federations to keep up pressure to prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes from taking part in international competitions.

“We have to mobilize and increase pressure on international sports federations – they are the ones who can prevent more aggressor countries’ athletes from entering the Olympics,” the minister said on Monday after a meeting with sports representatives, which was held to discuss ways to prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes from entering the Olympics.

"We all agree that Russian and Belarusian athletes should not take part in the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games or any other international competitions while the war in Ukraine continues," he said, thanking the sports community for its "strong position" in support of Ukraine.

Jakstas urged national sports federations to appeal, individually or in coalitions with federations from other countries, to European or international federations calling to change the system of qualification for the Olympics and to prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes from qualifying.

It was reported early this month that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) gave the green light to the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes under a neutral flag in the Paris Olympics next year, except in team events, if they do not actively support the war in Ukraine.

Only eight athletes from Russia and three athletes from Belarus currently qualify as neutral athletes, the IOC says.

This decision has caused outrage in some countries, and the presidents of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have called the decision disappointing and expressed hope it will be reversed.

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Lithuania submits request to EU Commission for EUR 387 mln RRF loan

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS – Lithuania has submitted a request to the European Commission to disburse a 378-million-euro loan from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) under the supplemented New Generation Lithuania plan.

Subject to a positive assessment by the Commission, the money should be made available in April next year, the Finance Ministry said on Monday.

Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste has said that the reforms in the areas of social security, healthcare, defense and green finance will provide Lithuania with funds for further investments.

“They will increase the country's economic growth potential, resilience to future shocks, the use of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency and cybersecurity,” a press release from the ministry quoted Skaiste as saying.  

Once a payment request has been submitted to the Commission, it is normally evaluated within two months and, after approval by the EU Council, the funds are released.

The New Generation Lithuania plan, supplemented by 1.75 billion euros in new investments, was approved by the Economic and Financial Affairs Council in Brussels in early November. The loan installment for the first five indicators is now being requested.

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Plan: entire German brigade deployed in Lithuania by 2027, schools for families (expands)

Updated version: updates throughout

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS – The Lithuanian and German defense ministers have signed an action plan on the deployment of a Bundeswehr brigade in Vilnius on Monday, and it sets out deadlines for the relocation of military units and commitments on living conditions for soldiers' families, including schools and kindergartens for children.

Anusauskas says an initial team will arrive in Lithuania in the spring and it "will grow into the brigade's stationing element that will be based in Vilnius by the end of the year". This element will consist of around several hundred soldiers, and some of them will arrive with their families.

Under the signed agreement, the brigade's key deployment to Lithuania will take place between 2025 and 2026.

"In 2027, the German brigade in Lithuania should reach full operational capability, meaning that all its units will be fully staffed and equipped in the country and ready to carry out their tasks," Anusauskas said, referring the brigade's deployment as a nationwide project.

The core of the German brigade will consist of five battalions, including tank and artillery battalions. Berlin intends to deploy a total of around 5,000 German brigade soldiers and civilians in Lithuania, with families expected to come with them due to the long rotation period.

"The Bundeswehr has never deployed so many troops on a permanent basis. This will be a new thing. It will be a really big brigade," German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters.

Cost sharing

The German troops will serve in Rudninkai and Rukla, some will live in Vilnius and Kaunas, and additional logistic points will be created in other parts of Lithuania.

The German-led NATO multinational battalion deployed in Lithuania since 2017 will also be integrated into the brigade, which is expected to be done by 2026.

According to the signed document, the brigade "will be subordinate to the German 'Division 2025' as a heavy combat brigade."

"Besides very good conditions for training and exercises, Lithuania will establish or make available both civilian and military infrastructure, taking into account German requirements as agreed to by both sides," the document reads.

It also states that the responsibilities and financial arrangements, including host nation support services as well as funding and operation will be agreed and detailed "in technical arrangements to be developed in 2024".

Experts call the deployment of the Berlin brigade in Lithuania a flagship project of the "Zeitenwende", the new era of security and defense policy that Germany has declared after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

According to the German minister, Berlin's policy changes prove that his country has "grasped the new security policy realities".

"We are sending a clear signal to those who threaten peace and security in Europe," Pistorius said.

Improved transport, new schools

As Lithuania gears up for the deployment of German troops, Anusauskas says the country's still needs to agree on all the requirements for the future infrastructure in order to start design and construction work.

"Of course, financial resources will be needed to build the infrastructure. To some extent, these are planned, but as the scope of the work to be done has grown somewhat from the original plans, we will certainly need to think about additional funding and sustainable sources," the Lithuanian minister said.

To host German troops, Lithuania has also committed to create attractive conditions for the accompanying families.

"The accommodations for families will be available in the cities of Vilnius and Kaunas or in their close proximity. Two main options will be taken forward: using an existing housing rent market and developing living quarters in a dedicated area," the plan reads. "Good travel conditions (especially flight connections) between Germany and Lithuania as well as the improvement of traffic links (in particular local public passenger transport) between the cities of Vilnius and Rudninkai as well as Kaunas and Rukla are desirable."

In the mid-term, Germany intends to establish one or two Bundeswehr schools abroad and German-language childcare facilities in Lithuania.

Discussions on the deployment of such a brigade in Lithuania started after Russia invaded Ukraine. Germany announced its specific commitment in June.

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Lithuania's Independence Act signatory Genzelis dies

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS - Bronislovas Genzelis, a signatory of Lithuania's Independence Act, has died at the age of 89, the Club of the Signatories of the Act of Independence confirmed it to BNS on Monday.

Born on February 16, 1934 in Aukstadvaris, Trakai County, Genzelis was a well-known Lithuanian philosopher, political and public figure.

In 1959, he graduated from Moscow University where he studied philosophy.

He was a member of the Communist Part from 1958 to 1990, and also was a member of the initiative group of the Lithuanian national revival movement Sajudis.

In 1990-1992, Genzelis served as a deputy of the Supreme Council-Reconstituent Seimas, and voted for voted in favor of Lithuania's Independence Act on March 11, 1990 alongside other signatories.

In 1992-1996 Genzelis was a member of the Seimas and chaired the Committee on Education, Science and Culture.

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Lithuania receives EUR 300 mln loan from European Investment Bank

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS – Lithuania on Monday received a 25-year loan of 300 million euros from the European Investment Bank (EIB).

The funds transferred to the national treasury will support investment in competitiveness, job creation and green and digital transformation.

Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste says that Lithuania has taken advantage of the EIB's attractive lending conditions at a time of high interest rates.

The loan will bear interest at a fixed annual rate of 3.052 percent.

The 300-million-euro loan is the first under a 1-billion-euro EIB commitment to back investment targeting all regions of Lithuania. It is a product designed specifically for co-financed projects supported by the European Structural and Investment Funds.

The EIB provided loans of 1.1 billion euros and 1.3 billion euros to Lithuania, respectively, in the previous EU funding periods. The EIB's total financing in Lithuania has reached 4.6 billion euros since 1994.

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Lithuanian transpmin speaks about plans to build new arrival terminal at Vilnius Airport

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS – The arrival terminal of Vilnius Airport, which was built 70 years ago, will change its function in the future and its current function of handling arrivals will be handed over to a newly built terminal, Transport Minister Marius Skuodis has said.

“We will present [the plans] to you soon, at the beginning of next year, but the fact is that the development of Vilnius Airport will not end with this construction and there will be many more constructions," he told reporters at Vilnius Airport on Monday.

According to Simonas Bartkus, director general of Lietuvos Oro Uostai (Lithuanian Airports, or LTOU), the operator of Lithuania’s airports of Vilnius, Kaunas and Palanga, the old arrival terminal is no longer suitable.

"As airport operators, what we would like the most is to have that function changed because that part of the terminal does not meet the needs of the airport, the needs of our employees, so we are looking for options to change that function", he said on Monday.

According to Skuodis, Lithuanian Airports will announce an architectural tender for the entire Vilnius Airport as early as in 2024.

Bartkus told BNS in an interview in September that, given the growing passenger traffic, the arrival terminal no longer meets today's needs, but as the heritage conservationists do not allow its demolition, a new terminal could be built and it could be done within five years.

According to Bartkus, the old building could house shops, cafés, an aviation museum, creative and conference spaces.

The arrival terminal of Vilnius Airport was built in 1954 and entered into the Register of Cultural Property in 1984. Since 1993, the building has only been used as an arrival terminal.

By Goda Vileikytė

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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20 pct more destinations once new Vilnius Airport terminal is built – minister

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS – The number of flight destinations from Vilnius will go up by 20 percent in 2025 once the departure terminal at Vilnius Airport is built, Lithuanian Transport and Communications Minister Marius Skuodis says.

The terminal will be equipped with the latest generation of security equipment, and passengers will no longer have to remove liquids or computers from their luggage, which will increase throughput by around 20-30 percent, the head of Lietuvos Oro Uostai (Lithuanian Airports, LTOU), the airport operator in Lithuania, says.

"If today we have about 60 regular destinations through the airports, the number goes up to 80 all the time in the summer. Next year (2025 - BNS) we plan to have around 100 regular destinations. Clearly, quality, not quantity, that matters, and for us to reach major hubs, …so we will definitely have good news, and airports have all the instruments now to ensure that," the minister said at an event said on Monday to mark the completion of the installation of the main structures for the new terminal.

In 2024, work will take place inside the terminal where various types of technological solutions will be installed.

The new departure terminal is scheduled to open in 2025 after it has been connected to the airport's existing infrastructure. The airport will then be able to serve twice as many people as now.

LTOU CEO Simonas Bartkus says the new terminal will pay particular attention to aviation safety.

"The new terminal will be equipped with the latest generation of aviation security equipment specifically designed for screening passengers' hand luggage, so this new equipment will make it much easier for passengers to prepare for the whole process as passengers will no longer have to take liquids computers out of their suitcases," he told reporters on Monday.

"We will have more checkpoints and (...) that capacity, how many people we can serve every hour, will grow. (...) We expect the capacity to grow by about 20-30 percent," Bartkus added.

The new terminal is being built by Eikos Statyba for 41.5 million euros.

By Goda Vileikytė

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Lithuanian parlt strips MP Grazulis of his mandate

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS - The Seimas of Lithuania on Monday stripped MP Petras Grazulis of his mandate for breaking his oath as a lawmaker, thus preventing him from running for parliament or president for ten years after 86 lawmakers voted in favor, eight were against and four abstained.

The move needed the backing of at least 85 MPs out of the total of 141 during a secret ballot.

A total of 105 MPs voted.

The impeachment proceedings were launched after the Constitutional Court found that Grazulis had broken his oath and committed a serious violation of the Constitution when he voted for Social Democrat MP Linas Jonauskas.

The Constitution stipulates that "a person who has been removed from office or whose mandate of a Member of the Seimas has been revoked by the Seimas according to the procedure for impeachment proceedings for a gross violation of the Constitution or a breach of the oath may take an office that is specified in the Constitution and the commencement of which is, under the Constitution, linked with taking the oath provided for in the Constitution, if not less than ten years have passed from the decision of the Seimas by which the person was removed from office or his mandate of a Member of the Seimas was revoked".

A separate vote on stripping Grazulis of his mandate had been scheduled for Tuesday, December 19, but will no longer be necessary. The second vote had been initiated due to Grazulis' criminal conviction that has entered into force as the politician was convicted of abuse of power.

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NATO jets in Baltics scrambled 5 times over Russian aircraft last week

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS – NATO's fighter jets policing Baltic airspace were last week scrambled five times to identify and escort Russian aircraft flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea in violation of flight rules, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

On Wednesday, December 13, NATO jets took off to intercept an IL-20 attack aircraft and an IL-18 passenger aircraft flying from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad.

On Thursday, December 14, NATO jets were sent to intercept an IL-20 that was flying from Kaliningrad and returned back, and on Friday, December 15, were scrambled once again over the aircraft of the same type flying from Kaliningrad and then returning back to the exclave.

On Friday, December 15, NATO jets also took off to intercept an IL-20, this time flying from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia.

On Saturday, December 16, NATO jets were sent to intercept two TU-22M3 bombers and two SU-30SM fighter jets, which were flying in the international airspace from mainland Russia and returned back.

On the same day, NATO jets took off repeatedly to identify and escort the said four aircraft.

Neither of the Russian aircraft had filed flight plans but some were using their onboard transponders. None of them were in radio contact with the Regional Traffic Control Center. 

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

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Bird flu detected at commercial farm in Lithuania for first time ever

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS – A bird flu virus has been detected at a commercial farm in Lithuania for the first time ever, the State Food and Veterinary Service (SFVS) reported on Monday.  

Examination of samples taken from a 6,300-turkey farm in Marijampole District following mass birth deaths confirmed the H5N1 subtype of the flu virus.

Vaidotas Kiudulas, Lithuania’s Chief Veterinary Officer, said that the outbreak of the virus after a long break, and this time at a commercial farm, would also bring significant economic losses.

In Lithuania, the flu virus has previously only been found at small farms where birds are kept for own use. The most recent outbreak was recorded in March at a 34-bird farm in Varena District.

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, December 19, 2023

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Tuesday, December 19, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to meet with Klaipeda Mayor Arvydas Vaitkus in Klaipeda at 10.30 a.m., to attend a meeting at the Klaipeda State Seaport Authority to discuss issues related to the maritime economy, the infrastructure of the Port of Klaipeda, and the port's preparedness to act in the event of a crisis or a threat at 1.30 p.m., to give comments to the media at the Port Authority at 2.40 p.m.

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Lithuanian ForMin: new Russia sanctions will require more responsibility from EU cos

VILNIUS, Dec 18, BNS – The twelfth package of the European Union’s (EU) sanctions against Russia, adopted on Monday, will also require more responsibility from the Community’s companies, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said.

According to the ministry’s press release, an agreement has been reached to impose a prohibition on the direct or indirect import, purchase or transfer to the EU of diamonds of Russian origin, the provision of software for the management of enterprises and software for industrial design and manufacture.

In order to further limit circumvention, Monday’s decision also includes a ban on Russian nationals from owning, controlling or holding any posts on the governing bodies of the legal persons, entities or bodies providing crypto-asset wallet, account or custody services to Russian persons and residents.

The ministry points out that the new package of sanctions strengthens the responsibilities of EU exporters as they will be required to contractually prohibit re-exportation to Russia and re-exportation for use in Russia of particularly sensitive goods and technology, when selling, supplying, transferring or exporting to a third country.

Furthermore, today's decision of the EU expands the list of dual use goods and technologies, as well as goods and technology, which could contribute to the technological enhancement of Russia’s defense and security sector, to include, for instance, the laser sector’s goods, machine tools and machine parts, chemicals, and thermostats.

Also, the EU introduces further restrictions on imports of goods which generate significant revenues for Russia and thereby enable the continuation of its war of aggression against Ukraine, such as liquefied petroleum gas, pig iron, copper and aluminium wires, tubes and pipes.

The practical application of restrictions on vehicles crossing the EU's external border has been clarified, and the ban on the transit through Russia’s territory of certain goods and technologies exported from the EU has been extended to include those contributing to the strengthening of the country's industrial capacity.

The new sanctions package also adds 147 entities – 61 individuals and 86 businesses – to the list of sanctioned entities.

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Dec 22 2023

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN, December 15, 2023

LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN


IN THIS ISSUE:

  1. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, December 15, 2023
  2. Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
  3. Parliament to host conference on Ukrainian migrants in Lithuanian labor market
  4. Lithuanian leader hails start of Ukraine's EU accession talks as 'new page' in history
  5. Lithuania reports 1,072 new COVID-19 cases, 2o deaths
  6. Nauseda suspects ForMin of pushing through "certain people" for Polish ambassador
  7. Lithuanian govt vows to cover rent for 5 years, if Vilnius is picked as AMLA home
  8. Decision on support for Ukraine still needs "to brew a bit" – Lithuania's Nauseda
  9. Decision on support for Ukraine still needs "to brew a bit" – Lithuania's Nauseda (expands)
  10. Technical details to be agreed after approval of German brigade plan – Lithuanian defmin
  11. Lithuania's decision on tanks expected next year – minister
  12. First Leopard 2 tanks to return to Ukraine soon after repairs in Lithuania
  13. LSMU Rector Benetis elected president of Lithuania's Rectors' Conference
  14. Lithuania becomes repair hub for German tanks damaged on Ukraine's battlefields
  15. Lithuania hands over new ammunition shipment to Ukraine
  16. Lithuania's LTG Link to launch daily trains to Riga from December 27

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, December 15, 2023

VILNIUS, Dec 15, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Friday, December 15, 2023:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda attending an EU summit in Brussels.

DEFENSE MINISTER Arvydas Anusauskas to visit the training area in Gaiziunai where Leopard II tanks brought from Ukraine and repaired will be tested.

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Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus

VILNIUS, Dec 15, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Friday morning.

Latvia reported 12 attempts at illegal border crossings on Thursday, and three irregular migrants were not allowed into Poland on Wednesday, according to the latest available information.

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.

 

 

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Parliament to host conference on Ukrainian migrants in Lithuanian labor market

VILNIUS, Dec 15, BNS – The parliament is hosting on Friday a conference on the situation of migrants from Ukraine in the Lithuanian labor market.

Its participants will discuss key challenges faced by labor migrants and look at how to solve their problems and help them integrate in the Lithuanian labor market. 

Over 82,000 Ukrainian citizens and their family members currently live in Lithuania. While 29,500 migrants have found employment, they often encounter difficulties due to poor legal literacy, language barriers and financial vulnerability.

The conference brings together representatives from the US and Ukrainian embassies and the Ukrainian Ombudsperson's Office as well as Lithuanian ministries, the parliament, the Migration Department and the State Labor Inspectorate.

The conference is organized by the Lithuanian Trade Union Alliance in cooperation with the Centre for Combating Human Trafficking and Exploitation, and the public institution Socialinis Architektas.

 

By Sniegė Balčiūnaitė

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Lithuanian leader hails start of Ukraine's EU accession talks as 'new page' in history

BRUSSELS, Dec 15, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda hailed EU leaders' decision on Thursday to start membership talks with Ukraine as "a new page" in history.

"A new page, a historic page has been turned, and I am proud of the EU, which managed to find the strength and power to take this decision," Nauseda told Lithuanian journalists in Brussels on Thursday.

"And, of course, this is bad news for the Kremlin's master, who probably hoped that the decision would not be taken. We let him down," he added.

The president also said that the EU's unanimous decision is great news to Ukrainians who are fighting "a brutal and unequal war against an aggressor who is throwing all resources on the altar of war".

"For them, this is a huge boost to their soul and spirit to withstand this pressure and continue on the path of progress," he said. 

EU leaders agreed to open accession talks with Ukraine despite Budapest's opposition. 

The block also agreed to start membership talks with Moldova, grant candidate status to Georgia and open accession negotiations with Bosnia and Herzegovina "once the necessary degree of compliance with the membership criteria is achieved". The European Commission has been tasked with submitting a report by March with a view to taking such a decision.

According to diplomatic sources, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban agreed not to be present in the room when 26 other leaders backed the decision on Ukraine.

Before the talks can be launched, EU states must agree on a negotiating framework. The decision is tentatively expected to be taken in March but might face resistance from Hungary.

"This is a process. When I say that we have turned a new page, I mean that there will be many more pages. And each of them will have a very specific content," Nauseda said.

"But you have to agree that without opening this first page of the book, you cannot read the book. It means the process has started and it can only move upward, not backward," he added.

 

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Lithuania reports 1,072 new COVID-19 cases, 2o deaths

VILNIUS, Dec 15, BNS – Lithuania has recorded 1,072 new coronavirus infections and two deaths from COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, official statistics showed on Friday morning.

The 14-day primary infection rate has risen to 548.6 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 37.8 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 1.36 million people in Lithuania have tested positive for COVID-19 at least once.

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

Two-thirds of the country's population have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab so far, according to the statistics.

 

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Nauseda suspects ForMin of pushing through "certain people" for Polish ambassador

BRUSSELS, Dec 15, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says the nomination of the country's ambassador to Poland is stalling because he suspects the Foreign Ministry of trying to push through "certain people" for this position.

"I don't like the fact that this process is being politicized. And I can give you a very concrete fact that makes me think so: a competition is allegedly announced for the post of ambassador to Poland and, mysteriously, the candidates who took part in the competition have disappeared like in the Bermuda Triangle," the president told reporters in Brussels on Thursday.

Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis told BNS on Thursday night that he would not comment further on Nauseda's statements, while the minister's spokesperson Paulina Levickyte said the ministry regretted that "the president has inaccurate information".

"Back in 2021, the Foreign Ministry depoliticized the process of nominating ambassadors. The Foreign Ministry nominates exclusively career, professional diplomats for ambassadors after they score well during the ministry's internal selection processes," Levickyte told BNS.

Nauseda points out that the selection process leads him to believe that "certain people" are being pushed through to fill ambassadorial positions, bypassing other people who "may not be to the liking of the ministry's leadership".

"As long as I have such suspicions that this is the case, no ambassador, whether to Poland or to any other country, will be agreed upon and confirmed," Nauseda said.

He said this after Landsbergis claimed that the appointment of Lithuania's new ambassador to Poland was stalling by the presidential office, adding that the Foreign Ministry had submitted the first nominations for this post on time, almost 18 months ago. Landsbergis refused to give reasons why the president had not liked the candidates.

Presidential spokesman Ridas Jasiulionis told BNS earlier that the last nominated candidate was rejected because of his qualifications and because he did not speak Polish.

Lithuania's Ambassador to Poland Eduardas Borisovas was recalled on September 7 after his term expired, and the embassy is currently headed by Minister Plenipotentiary Audrone Markeviciene.

In Lithuania, ambassadors are appointed and dismissed by the president on a proposal from the government and with the approval of the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs.

By Milena Andrukaitytė, Augustas Stankevičius

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Lithuanian govt vows to cover rent for 5 years, if Vilnius is picked as AMLA home

VILNIUS, Dec 15, BNS – As the European Unions is establishing a new European authority for countering money laundering and financing of terrorism (AMLA), the Lithuanian government says it will cover the costs of equipping the necessary premises and rent for the first five years, if Vilnius is picked as its home, Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste says.

"We are committed, as a government, to cover the costs of rent, equipment and maintenance for five years, and we hope that this will increase the competitiveness of our application," Skaiste said on Friday at the conference "AMLA - we are waiting for you in Vilnius". 

"400 employees are expected to work for this institution, European specialists, and the budget of this institution would stand around 70 million euros. It is certainly one of the larger European institutions, so the competition is really high," the minister added.

The location for the AMLA office has already been chosen and it will be based at the Yellowstone business center in Vilnius, Skaiste said.

"The readiness of this building is very high, and if the decision is made, we can just hand over the keys to AMLA as the building will be fully ready," Skaiste said, adding that it was essential for the application that the building met the highest energy standards. 

Lithuania submitted its application to set up the AMLA office in Vilnius in November. The decision on where the AMLA will be based and what specific mandate it will have is expected by the end of this year, and the new institution would start its operations in the first half of next year.

By Goda Vileikytė

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Decision on support for Ukraine still needs "to brew a bit" – Lithuania's Nauseda

BRUSSELS, Dec 15, BNS – As EU leaders failed to agree on a 50 billion euro aid package for Ukraine, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says a decision should be made next month when EU leaders will hold an extraordinary meeting.

"The decision still has to brew a bit so that we make that decision in January, very soon, at an extraordinary meeting," Nauseda told Lithuanian reporters in Brussels.

EU leaders' Thursday meeting lasted into early hours on Friday and they managed to sidestep Hungary's opposition regarding the start of membership talks with Kyiv. However, no agreement on four years of support for Kyiv was made.

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Decision on support for Ukraine still needs "to brew a bit" – Lithuania's Nauseda (expands)

Updated version: updates throughout

BRUSSELS, Dec 15, BNS – As EU leaders failed to agree on a 50 billion euro aid package for Ukraine, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says a decision should be made next month when EU leaders will hold an extraordinary meeting.

"The decision still has to brew a bit so that we make that decision in January, very soon, at an extraordinary meeting," Nauseda told Lithuanian reporters in Brussels.

EU leaders' Thursday meeting lasted into early hours on Friday and they managed to sidestep Hungary's opposition regarding the start of membership talks with Kyiv. However, no agreement on four years of support for Kyiv was made.

Commenting on the talks in Brussels, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban called on the EU to unblock all the billions of euros in funds for his country for Budapest to consider overriding its veto on further aid to Ukraine.

On the eve of the meeting, the European Commission unblocked 10 billion euros of frozen EU funds for Hungary after the country implemented a judicial reform which, the EC says, eliminated shortcomings in terms of judicial independence. Critics say this was an attempt to buy off Budapest's veto power.

The Commission, Nausėda and other leaders, however, deny that.

21 billion euros or so earmarked are still out of reach for Hungary until the country implements other reforms.

"I’ve always said that if someone wants to amend the budget law, and they want to for several reasons, this is a great opportunity for Hungary to make it clear that it should get what it deserves. Not half, then a quarter, but it must get the whole thing," Orban said in an interview with Hungarian state radio on Friday morning.

Asked whether such statements could be called blackmail, the Lithuanian president said that "whatever word we choose, Hungary is really setting itself against the Community".

"I like clear rules. Money in Lithuania, Hungary and Belgium must be used for its intended purpose, in other words, the country must fulfill certain requirements to be able to use the money," Nauseda said.

"We also have problems with some of the money because we are not implementing the tax reform. But this must be linked not to Ukraine, not to the Middle East, not to any other problems," he added.

The aid package for Ukraine over the next four years is expected to include 17 billion euros in grants and 33 billion euros in loans. Kyiv needs this money to sustain its war-torn economy.

Diplomatic sources say EU leaders considered sharing Hungary's share of the grants, but French President Emmanuel Macron said this could send a negative message about EU unity.

Alternatively, EU leaders also considered providing aid to Ukraine for 2024 only and providing it from the 26 EU countries that are in favor, and not from the common budget. However, in the end it was decided to continue negotiations in January.

"What we could have done, so to speak, to test ground to see how much consensus we have, we did that yesterday, we said that the position is what it is. In the meantime, we will still find opportunities to look for other solutions and to have options A, B, C," Nauseda said, adding that over the up coming weeks, "things could happen that could change Hungary's opinion".

"Therefore, there is no need to break it by force. I think the most important thing is that Ukraine receives the money on time, so nobody is going to wait until March or April," the Lithuanian president said.

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Technical details to be agreed after approval of German brigade plan – Lithuanian defmin

JONAVA DISTRICT, Lithuania, Dec 15, BNS – The action plan for the deployment of a German brigade to Lithuania, planned to be signed next week, will outline specific infrastructure setup and troop relocation timelines, with technical details for each facility to be defined in subsequent agreements, Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said on Friday. 

"A lot has been communicated, but (...) the letter of intent will define the time scale of what will be implemented," Anusauskas told reporters at the Gaiziunai training area in the central district of Jonava. 

"But, of course, there will be detailed technical agreements for each facility; that work will be continuous," the minister said. "From next year, there will be a reception group for the brigade here. The work is continuous, daily."

"There will be additional technical agreements in each case, and there will be more than one of them, in addition to the general agreement that we hope to prepare between Germany and Lithuania next year," he added. 

The plan, to be signed by Anusauskas and his German counterpart Boris Pistorius in Vilnius on Monday, will outline "the intentions of both countries regarding the deployment of the German brigade in Lithuania and the subsequent steps for its full deployment", the Lithuanian Defense Ministry has said.

The gradual stationing of the German brigade in Lithuania is planned to begin next year and be completed in 2027.

The core of the German brigade should consist of 5 battalions, including tank and artillery battalions.

In total, around 5,000 German brigade soldiers and civilians are expected to be stationed in Lithuania, with families likely to join them due to the long rotation period.

 

By Ignas Jačauskas

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Lithuania's decision on tanks expected next year – minister

GAICIUNAI TRAINING AREA, Jonava District, Lithuania, Dec 15, BNS - Lithuania will have to make a political decision next year on which tanks to buy for its army, Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas says, adding that the Defense Ministry has already gathered the necessary information for the State Defense Council to make this decision.

"No political decision has been made so far. The Defense Ministry has gathered everything, assessments, everything has been submitted. The SDC will make a political decision," he told reporters in Jonava District on Friday. "We need that decision next year."

Earlier this year, Lithuania sent a letter of intent to the German Defense Ministry for the purchase of Leopard tanks, but this does not yet indicate Lithuania's final decision to buy these particular tanks, the ministry said.

The ongoing discussions with Germany have focused on whether Lithuania could buy Leopard tanks by entering into one of the defense industry's existing or planned orders to get tanks sooner, Anusauskas said.

Lithuanian officials say they are now looking into three models of tanks produced by German, US and South Korean companies. And the German Leopard tanks best meet the operational requirements of the Lithuanian army, they say.

Lithuania wants to buy tanks as it plans to set up a division within its army.

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First Leopard 2 tanks to return to Ukraine soon after repairs in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Dec 15, BNS – The first batch of war-damaged Leopard 2 tanks have been repaired for Ukraine in Lithuania and will soon return to the battlefield, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Friday. 

Some of the repaired tanks were demonstrated at the Lithuanian Armed Forces' Gaiziunai training area in the central district of Jonava on Friday. 

"Lithuania has been consistently supporting Ukraine's fight for its independence, not only by sending military aid, but also by helping to repair Leopard tanks, which are badly needed on the battlefield," Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said in a press release. 

The exact number of the tanks has not been disclosed.

The tanks were repaired by Lithuania Defense Services (LDS), a joint venture between Germany's Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, Europe's largest military equipment manufacturers. 

The company was set up in Lithuania in 2022 for the maintenance and repair of combat vehicles operated by NATO allied forces stationed in the Baltic Sea region.

LDS' facilities in Jonava in October started repairing damaged Leopard 2 tanks brought to from Ukraine's battlefield.  

Lithuania has already organized the repair and return to Ukraine of self-propelled PzH2000 howitzers that had been handed over to Kyiv and participated in military operations, according to the Defense Ministry. 

 

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LSMU Rector Benetis elected president of Lithuania's Rectors' Conference

VILNIUS, Dec 15, BNS - Professor Rimantas Benetis, the rector of the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU), has been elected president of Rectors' Conference of Lithuanian University Colleges.

He will replace Vilnius Rector Professor Rimvydas Petrauskas who has served in this position for two terms.

Rectors elect the president for a one-year term by a simple majority of votes cast at the general meeting of conference members.

This organization coordinates relations among universities, as well as with public institutions, maintains relations with the European University Association and other international organizations, and acts as an expert on study, research and experimental development policy.

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Lithuania becomes repair hub for German tanks damaged on Ukraine's battlefields

GAIZIUNAI TRAINING AREA, Jonava District, Lithuania, Dec 15, BNS – "In a Ukrainian Leopard through a Lithuanian forest", Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas wrote in the caption of a video he posted on Facebook on Friday after he was given a ten-minute tank ride over rough terrain in one of the Lithuania's military training areas.

Lithuania is becoming a repair hub for German-made Leopard tanks damaged in combat in Ukraine, which is fighting back against Russia's military aggression.

"What can I say... A powerful, powerful tank," Anusauskas told journalists at the Gaiziunai training area in the central district of Jonava after the ride.

The minister was shown two repaired Leopard tanks slated to be transported back to Ukraine in January.

The tanks were repaired by Lithuania Defense Services (LDS), a joint venture set up in Lithuania last year by Germany's Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, Europe's largest military equipment manufacturers. 

Among few in Europe 

Tank repair operations in Lithuania started in October and, under the current contract, will continue until the end of next year.

LDS will repair Leopard 2 A6 and Leopard 2 A5 modifications damaged on the battlefield.

"For these variants, this is the only hub," LDS CEO Sebastian Dietz told reporters.

Other Leopard modifications are repaired in Poland.

Neither the Defense Ministry nor LSD would disclose the total number of Leopards brought to Lithuania for repairs.

"We will repair as many (tanks) as necessary and as many as will be delivered," said LSD COO Aivaras Kasuba.

"I cannot comment on how many; just like on the battlefield, we cannot plan how many vehicles will be damaged," he added.

Dietz said that all damages to the tanks brought to Lithuania had been sustained in combat.

"We have received all kind of damages from direct hits, mines, drone attacks, also water damages," he said. "So we have all kinds of the damages to the turret and to the vehicle."

On Friday, journalists were shown the post-repair testing of the tanks, during which Anusauskas had the opportunity to ride in a Leopard for the first time.

Neither LDS' facilities in Jonava District nor the damaged tanks currently under repair were shown, citing confidentiality and security reasons.

Cold War scenario comes true

Around ten people, both Lithuanians and Germans, are involved in the tank repair operations.

According to Dietz, repairs are commissioned by Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and carried out based on an agreement between the German Defense Ministry, which sent the tanks to Kyiv, and the Ukrainian Defense Ministry.

Kasuba said that the main reason why the tanks are repaired in Lithuania is that the German companies that own LDS are also the Leopard manufacturers.

The Leopard 2 tank was developed during the Cold War with a view to potential clashes with Soviet weaponry.

This scenario has come true, albeit probably not as envisaged by the politicians and generals of that time.

Almost 25 years after the Leopard 2 was presented to the West German army, the tanks are supplied to Ukraine, which has been resisting for two years now the invasion of Russia, which is using Soviet weapons.

This is what interests the Leopard 2 manufacturers, according to the company repairing the tanks in Lithuania.

"We are developing and collecting unique information and experience while repairing these tanks," said Kasuba.

"I can say that this is very important for the manufacturer, both technologically and tactically," he added.

 

By Saulius Jakučionis

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Lithuania hands over new ammunition shipment to Ukraine

VILNIUS, Dec 15, BNS - Lithuania on Friday handed over a new shipment of military aid to Ukraine, the Defense Ministry.

The Lithuanian army has taken several millions of rounds and several thousand grenades for short-range anti-tank grenade launchers to Ukraine as well as around 1,000 folding cots.

"We hear Ukraine's urgent requests and continue to provide support according to the needs expressed. We actively encourage our allies to do the same," Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said.

In addition to the regular transfer of military equipment, Lithuania is also actively training Ukrainian soldiers, providing medical treatment and rehabilitation, expert advice, and is contributing to international funds for Ukraine.

Lithuania has earmarked a 200 million euro military aid package for Ukraine for 2024-2026.

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Lithuania's LTG Link to launch daily trains to Riga from December 27

VILNIUS, Dec 15, BNS - LTG Link, the passenger arm of Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, LTG), Lithuania's state-owned railway company, has received a safety certificate from the European Union Agency for Railways for its operations in Latvia, allowing it to carry passengers in the neighboring country. 

Direct trains to Riga will run daily from December 27, leaving Vilnius for Riga in the morning and returning in the afternoon, the company said on Friday. It will take just over 4 hours to get from Vilnius to Riga by train, which will be similar to a car trip. 

Lithuanian Transport and Communications Minister Marius Skuodis says this is one of the most important projects of the year for him personally in the field of rail transport. 

"This means that there are no more obstacles to the Vilnius-Riga route and passengers will be able to reach the Latvian capital from December7 by taking a direct train from Vilnius! In Lithuania, this route will go via Kaisiadorys, Siauliai and Joniskis, and Jelgava in Latvia - in," the minister posted on Facebook. 

The route was agreed by the transport ministers and prime ministers of the three Baltic states.

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

Dec 22 2023

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