The final results of the first round of Lithuania's presidential election put Ingrida Simonyte's lead over Gitanas Nauseda at 3,935 votes.

The Central Electoral Commission (CEC) updated the results after finishing counting the votes of Lithuanian citizens who voted abroad on Monday.

The final results published by the election watchdog show MP Simonyte, the candidate of the conservative Homeland Union–Lithuanian Christian Democrats, coming first with 31.21 percent of the vote and independent economist Nauseda second with 30.93 percent.

High voter turnout among Lithuanians living abroad in Sunday's presidential election is a basis for starting discussions on establishing one or two separate election constituencies abroad, Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius says.

On 13 May, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius participated in the Eastern Partnership Foreign Ministers' meeting in Brussels.

The Lithuanian Foreign Minister named the Eastern Partnership as one of the most successful policies of the European Union and emphasized its huge practical benefits to ordinary people. 

L. Linkevičius reiterated also Lithuania's strong political commitment to an ambitious Eastern Partnership policy in the future.

Today, May 14, an agreement of fourteen members of the European Union on simplification of military mobility procedures was signed at a meeting in Brussels. 

The programme aimed at concerting and simplifying the procedures applied to cross-border movement of forces between EU members states will be headed by Lithuania.

Lithuania will chair the Managing Committee of the programme: its task is to supervise the implementation and provide guidelines to subordinate expert tasks forces which will be developing technical requirements.

Eurostat announces that industrial production fell down by 0.3% in euro area and 0.1% in EU28 In March 2019 compared with February 2019.

In February 2019, industrial production fell by 0.1% in the euro area and remained stable in the EU28. In March 2019 compared with March 2018, industrial production decreased by 0.6% in the euro area and increased by 0.4% in the EU28.

The highest increases were observed in Lithuania (+3.5%), Denmark (+1.8%) and Slovakia (+1.2%).

Vilnius Airport has launched automated border control gates to facilitate the flow of passengers through the airport, Lietuvos Oro Uostai (Lithuanian Airports) said on Friday.

No other airport in the Baltic countries and Poland currently has such a system, the airport's operator said.

"In addition to the State Border Guard Service (VSAT) counters, we now offer passengers the possibility of self-service border checks," Vilnius Airport CEO Dainius Ciuplys said in a press release.

Smart Energy Fund powered by Lietuvos Energija (Lithuanian Energy), and managed by Contrarian Ventures along with Honda, Japanese automobile manufacturer, and other partners invested in Moixa, UK-based company developing smart energy storage devices and virtual power plants technologies, informed representative of the Lietuvos energija.

The UK smart battery specialist has received fresh funding of around 10 mln EUR. Smart Energy Fund managed by Contrarian Ventures has invested 500 thousand EUR. Other investors include ITOCHU Corporation, a Japanese investment house and Fortune 500 company and UK-based venture capital investor First Imagine! Ventures.

Construction is being launched on a 15-million-euro Moxy hotel, part of the Marriott Group, in Lithuania's second-biggest city of Kaunas, with the developers planning to build more Moxy and Marriott hotels in the Baltic countries, informe LETA/BNS.

The new hotel in Kaunas will target primarily young professionals.

Janusz Mitulski, head for development in Central and Eastern Europe at Marriott International, says Kaunas was chosen because of its geographical location and potential.

Officially opened on Friday, the pavilion is the stage of the Sun & Sea (Marina) opera performance by Rugile Barzdziukaite, Vaiva Grainyte and Lina Lapelyte.

The audience can view more than 20 performers lying down on 35 tons of sand and singing for eight hours from above. Visitors are also welcome to join the performers on the artificial beach. They are required to pre-register and bring their bathing suits and towels and lounge on the beach for at least three hours.

In 1932, Arbit Blatas opened the first private gallery in the Baltics in Kaunas. On May 11, the exhibition of the world-recognised Litvak artist will be opened in his hometown.

On May 11, during Gallery Weekend Kaunas, the exhibition “Arbit Blatas (1908–1999): from Kaunas to New York” will be opened at the M. Žilinskas Art Gallery.

Born in Kaunas, Neemija Arbitblatas was a world-recognised Litvak artist of outstanding talent who used to call himself by the creative name Arbit Blatas.

On 25 April, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius congratulated Volodymyr Zelenski, who has been elected President of Ukraine, in Kiev.

“Big support of the nation in all regions of Ukraine offers you a unique opportunity to consolidate the country for ensuring Ukraine’s territorial integrity and independence, for continuing reforms, combating corruption, and implementing the Association Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine,” said Mr Minister and wished the new Ukrainian head of state attainment of aspired goals. 

Mr Minister handed over a periscope, a gift from Lithuanian volunteers, to the president-elect. Acquired on the funds donated by Lithuanian people, such periscopes have saved dozens of lives of the Ukrainian military on the frontline with Russia.

On Wednesday, May 1, at 12 a.m. an official commemoration and a public celebration will be held in Daukantas square next to the Presidential Palace to mark the 15th anniversary of Lithuania‘s membership of the European Union.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė, members of the Government and the Parliament, foreign ambassadors and defense attachés, youth and pupils’ organizations as well as city residents and guests will attend the celebration.

The commemoration will start with a solemn ceremony of hoisting Lithuanian and EU flags. During the official ceremony at the square, President Dalia Grybauskaitė, Speaker of the Parliament Viktoras Pranckietis and Foreign Affairs Minister Linas Linkevičius will congratulate all the people of Lithuania.

Public election committees will run in the European Parliament elections in Lithuania for the first time this year, reported LETA/BNS.

Laura Matjosaityte, head of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), noted this during Tuesday's ceremony of drawing lots for the ballot order for the May 26 elections.

In 2018, the employment rate of people aged 20 to 64 in the European Union (EU) stood at 73.2%, up compared with 2017 (72.2%). The Europe 2020 strategy target is to reach a total employment rate for people aged 20 to 64 of at least 75% in the EU by 2020, releases Eurostat.


This objective has been translated into different national targets in order to reflect the situation and possibilities of each Member State to contribute to the common goal.

The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a scheme to support electricity production from renewable energy sources in Lithuania. The measure, open to all types of renewable generation, will contribute to the EU environmental objectives without unduly distorting competition.

A ballet dancer of the “state pension age“ pirouetting for ten minutes and a famous jazz musician whose virtuosity is limited to a single note. Female musicians from the “Lithuania“ ensemble playing kanklės, a Lithuanian plucked string instrument, and hypnotising hand choreography. The rap hit “Candy shop“ turned into a lullaby. 

The evening of three performances by the performance artist and creator of contemporary opera, composer, sound artist, violinist and vocalist Lina Lapelytė at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art told the story about beauty, status, facade and the behind the scenes, body reality and its cultural images, power play, tradition, classics, pop and many other. All these stories are part of the Lithuanian culture festival taking place in Tel Aviv from March until the end of May under the title “Lithuanian Story“.

Featuring Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, Kristian Bezuidenhout, Harry Christophers, and – in the Gramophone Collection – Nielsen’s Violin Concerto.

In the May issue of Gramophone, on sale now, we bring you a fascinating cover feature on Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, the conductor whose exclusive signing to DG will allow the world to witness her unique relationship with the CBSO.

The Lithuanian Film Center, together with the Center for Equality Advancement and the Lithuanian Center for Human Rights, is launching a project which aims at ensuring that the film industry is a safe environment for all those involved.

The Film Center has received demands to ensure women’s equality in the film industry. During the 2017 #metoo movement, certain cases in the Lithuanian film industry and responses to them demonstrated that it is necessary to take specific measures to assess the extent of sexual harassment in the film industry, to increase its recognition, to take effective preventive measures and to make agreements that would secure the principles for a safe creative and working environment.

This year, CEUFF presented films by the leading European filmmakers, many of which were nominated and/or already recognized by the Oscars, Cannes, Venice and Berlin film festivals. CONGRATULATIONS to film director Arūnas Matelis, film producer Algimantė Matelienė and the Team for winning a prestigious Honorable Mention title. It was a true honor to present this unique film, a “bible of cycling”, here in Chicago. Thank you to the Chicago Lithuanians and all cinefiles of Chicago for coming out to see the film and for your votes! We look forward to new exciting films next year!