Last week, Interior Ministry said it favours extending statute of limitations for child sexual offences
Lithuania shuts down two border checkpoints with Belarus
At midnight of Thursday, the 17th of August, Lithuania closed two of its six border checkpoints with Belarus, Lina Laurinaitytė-Grigienė, spokesman for the State Border Guard Service (SBGS), said on the 18th of August. Blocks will be delivered to the closed checkpoints and concertina wiring will be set up in the near future. Lithuania says the closure comes in response to potential threats due to the relocation of some Wagner fighters to Belarus, although the move was approved by the Commission for the Development of Border Checkpoints back in May, more than a month before Yevgeny Prigozhin, the mercenary group’s leader, revolted against Russia’s military leaders.
Lithuania mulls increasing LNG terminal’s capacity
Lithuania explores expanding the annual regasification capacity of the Independence floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) from 3.75 billion cubic meters (bcm) to 5 billion bcm, less than previously thought, Darius Šilenskis, CEO of Klaipėdos Nafta, the terminal’s operator, said on Friday, August 18. Earlier, there were considerations to boost the capacity up to 6.25 bcm. The CEO reiterated that a final decision on the LNG terminal expansion is expected to be made in the last quarter of this year. Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys said in April 2022 that Lithuania was assessing options for financing the LNG terminal’s expansion, adding that they would depend on whether the investments would pay off.
Lithuania reports 50 new COVID-19 cases, no deaths
Lithuania reported 50 new coronavirus infections and no deaths from COVID-19 over Thursday, the 17th of August, the country’s public health authority, NVSC, said on Friday, the 18th of August. The number of COVID-19 patients in hospitals now stands at 18, including one ICU case. The 14-day primary infection rate has edged up to 13 cases per 100 000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 12.3 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.
Top court refuses to accept French company’s appeal
On Wednesday, the 16th of August, the Supreme Court of Lithuania did not accept an appeal from France’s energy group Veolia and its Lithuanian partners against an unfavourable court ruling in their dispute with the Energy Ministry claiming 240 million euros from them in compensation for the alleged damage to the state and consumers. This means that the Court of Appeal’s the 13th of July ruling upholding Vilnius Regional Court’s decision to accept the ministry’s lawsuit for examination remains in effect. Veolia and its partners Vilniaus Energija and Litesko sought that the state’s lawsuit against them should not be heard by a Lithuanian court. They argue that the dispute cannot be heard in Lithuanian courts without the foreign investor’s consent, which it did not give. Moreover, the parties have agreed to settle disputes outside Lithuanian jurisdiction.
Ministry favours same restrictions for Russian, Belarusian citizens
The Interior Ministry reiterated that Lithuania should apply the same restrictions to Russian and Belarusian citizens, but such legislation will be drafted and tabled by the Foreign Ministry or MPs, Interior Minister Agne Bilotaitė said on Thursday, the 17th of August. The parliament earlier this year passed a law on restrictive measures for Russian and Belarusian citizens, but the latter are subject to fewer restrictions. The Law on Restrictive Measures in Response to Military Aggression against Ukraine has imposed temporary restrictions for Russians and Belarusians to obtain Lithuanian visas and e-resident status, and bans them from bringing Ukrainian hryvnias into Lithuania. The measures are in place from the 2nd of May this year to the 3rd of May, 2024. However, Russian citizens face additional restrictions on entry to Lithuania and acquisition of real estate in the country. Lithuania also temporarily refuses to accept their residence permit applications. The parliament finally adopted the law in late April, overriding a veto from President Gitanas Nausėda, who proposed to impose the same restrictions on Russian and Belarusian citizens.
VU sacks Russian professor who denied Baltics’ Soviet occupation
Vilnius University announced of termination of contract with Andrey Desnitsky, a Russian professor who has denied the occupation of the Baltic States. Professor Mindaugas Kvietkauskas, dean of the Vilnius University’s Faculty of Philology, told LRT radio said Desnitsky, who has been working as a researcher and lecturer at Vilnius University since last fall, previously wrote publications while living in Moscow, in which he denied the Soviet occupation of Lithuania and the other two Baltic States. He told Russian audiences that Stalin did not occupy the countries but only insisted that they join the Soviet Union.
Lithuania aims to contribute to rehabilitation centres for Ukrainian troops
Lithuania wants to contribute to Ukraine’s planned rehabilitation centres for its service members, Lithuanian Government Chancellor Giedrė Balčytytė said on Monday, the 14th of August. She unveiled the initiative during a remote meeting with Ukrainian Health Minister Viktor Liashko during a remote meeting. The chancellor said Lithuania sees this area of support to Ukraine, which is fighting back against Russia’s military aggression, as one of its priorities. She said the initiative could become a model for a rehabilitation centre that not only provides high-quality treatment, but also develops new treatment methods and research, and shares knowledge and experience.
Bank sees over 700 insurance claims following storms
Swedbank P&C Insurance has so far registered more than 700 insured events throughout the Baltics related to the storm at the beginning of this month. Most of the claims were filed by home insurance policyholders, but numerous vehicles were affected as well. The worst damage was caused by wind and hail that accompanied the storm, the bank said on Monday, the 14th of August. Lithuania was hardest hit by the strong winds, with initial claims in home insurance totalling 340 000 euros, and some 130 000 euros in vehicle insurance.
Ministry favours extending statute of limitations for child sexual offences
The Lithuanian Justice Ministry said on Monday, the 14th of August, it recommends that the government support an extension of the statute of limitations for sexual offenses against children, but its proposed wording is not as strict as the one under discussion in the parliament. The Cabinet is expected to discuss the matter in the coming days. The draft amendment to the Criminal Code, which would extend the statute of limitations for sexual offences against minors by several dozen years, has passed its first reading in the parliament. Under the proposed amendment, the statute of limitations for this type of offence would start to run when the victim turns 35.
Deputy minister leaves office following drink-driving
Deputy Foreign Minister Mantas Adomėnas, who is stepping down after being caught drink-driving over the weekend, has left his office this week after handing over his functions to other vice-ministers. In a Facebook post last Saturday, Adomėnas informed the public that he had been stopped by the police while driving under the influence of alcohol. He said he regretted and apologised for this mistake and was resigning from his post. Landsbergis and Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė said they approved of his decision to step down.
Week in Lithuania | VU sacks Russian professor who denied Baltics’ Soviet occupation, top court refuses to accept French company’s appeal
