The Finance Minister of Lithuania stated this week that potential investors are more concerned about national security issues than the amount of taxes, while the investigators have seriously delved into the issues of possible violations of sanctions.
Ministry hopes NATO will agree on the path to Ukraine’s membership
The meeting of NATO foreign ministers that ended on Wednesday, the 5th of April, gives hope that the Alliance will be able to agree on a path to Ukraine’s membership, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said. According to him, it is the duty of all of us to apply the most appropriate political instruments to help Ukraine step on a clear path to NATO membership, the door to which was opened already in 2008. The ministry stated in the press release that Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, who attended the NATO-Ukraine Commission meeting, reiterated that Ukraine’s ambition was to join NATO. Kuleba also expressed hope that the NATO summit in Vilnius would identify steps to bring Ukraine closer to accession. Lithuania will host NATO’s summit for the first time on July.
President in hot water over concealment of his Communist Party membership
President Gitanas Nausėda described on Wednesday, the 5th of April, joining the Communist Party of the Soviet Union as “a youthful indiscretion”. Earlier in the day, the presidential office confirmed that Nausėda was a member of the Communist Party that ruled Lithuania during the Soviet occupation. He joined the party in May 1988 and did not take part in the party’s activities after the national revival movement Sajudis started. A famous Lithuanian journalist made the revelation first. When Nausėda ran for president in 2019, he did not answer the question in the Central Electoral Commission’s questionnaire on whether he belonged or had belonged to a political party or political organization. According to the presidential office, this question was in the optional part of the questionnaire. The president says he wanted to dedicate his life to science and wanted to pursue a career as a scientist after completing his economic studies at Vilnius University.
Finance minister says investors more concerned about country’s security, not taxes
Investors are more concerned about the country’s security, and not its tax system, Lithuanian Finance Minister Gintarė Skaistė said after the government on Wednesday, the 5th of April, approved a proposal to introduce a temporary solidarity contribution for banks, which, according to opponents, would harm the country’s investment environment. Gediminas Šimkus, chairman of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania, also said that, in his view, the solidarity levy would not affect the country’s investment environment. Earlier on Wednesday, the government approved a proposal to introduce a temporary solidarity contribution for banks. Money raised from this new levy will be used to finance military mobility and dual-use – civilian and military–transport infrastructure projects, as well as military infrastructure projects. The latter need has increased due to Russia’s war in Ukraine. The levy is expected to raise around 410 million euros, including 130 million euros in 2023, 230 million euros in 2024 and 50 million euros in 2025.
Lithuania to seek over 100 million euros damages from Minsk
Lithuania will seek at least 120 million euros in damages from Belarus over the irregular migration crisis, Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska said on Wednesday, the 5th of April. Nonetheless, Dobrowolska stressed that a more precise estimate of damages was still being prepared. Earlier on Wednesday, the Cabinet approved in principle the Justice Ministry’s proposal to sue Belarus over the smuggling of migrants to the country. The minister said that the Foreign Ministry would on Wednesday send a note to Belarus proposing to resolve the dispute in arbitration and allowing six months for this process. With no agreement reached in this format, Vilnius would refer the dispute to the International Court of Justice. Lithuania claims that Belarus has acted in violation of the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. Dobrowolska could not specify how long the litigation with Belarus might last. Lithuania has refused entry to a total of 20,000 migrants from Belarus since the 3rd of August, 2021 when Lithuanian border guards were given the right to turn away irregular migrants. The number includes repeated attempts by the same people to cross the border.
FCIS opens probe into alleged violation of sanctions
Lithuania’s Financial Crime Investigation Service said on Tuesday, the 4th of April, it had opened a pre-trial investigation into a possible violation of the existing international sanctions after a Danish-registered plane was detained in Lithuania’s western resort town of Palanga as it planned to fly to Pskov, Russia. On the 16th of March, the Denmark-registered plane operated by a pilot, a Russian citizen with a Lithuanian residence permit, flew to Palanga from Sweden. After the plane landed and the pilot requested refuelling, it turned out that he was planning to further fly to Pskov in Russia. Having assessed the circumstances, the civil aviation authorities banned the plane from taking off. It is currently parked at Palanga Airport. The EU regulation prohibits granting permission to land, take off or fly over the territory of the European Union to all Russian air carriers, including private carriers, aircraft registered in Russia, aircraft not registered in Russia, and owned, chartered, or otherwise controlled by Russian natural or legal persons.
President says Finland’s NATO membership reinforces the security of the Baltic region
Finland’s formal accession to NATO as a full member reinforces the security of the Baltic Sea region and the entire Eastern flank of the Alliance, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said on Tuesday, as he congratulated President Sauli Niinisto of Finland on officially joining NATO as the 31st member of the Alliance. The Lithuanian leader also said he looked forward to meeting the president of Finland at the NATO Summit in Vilnius. He expressed his expectation to also congratulate Sweden on NATO membership and underlined that Lithuania was ready to work together to achieve this goal. Finland shares a 1,340 kilometer border with Russia, so its accession to the Alliance more than doubles the size of NATO’s border with Russia.
A high-profile corruption case reaches court
The corruption case in which Valdas Sutkus, former president of the Lithuanian Business Confederation, and Mantas Zalatorius, former president of the Association of Lithuanian Banks, are accused of corruption offenses has been handed over to court, Lithuania’s law enforcement said on Monday, the 3rd of April. Charges have also been brought against the director of a company and a legal entity, a closed joint stock company where Sutkus is the CEO, the Prosecutor General’s Office said. Sutkus and Zalatorius are accused of influence peddling and document forgery. Sutkus is also charged with bribery and Zalatorius is charged with the embezzlement of large-value foreign property. The aforementioned company’s director is charged with bribery and document forgery, and the legal entity is charged with influence peddling document forgery and bribery. The case has been handed over to the Vilnius Regional Court.
Lithuania leaps 27 places in Global Soft Power Index 2023
Lithuania has moved 27 places up to the 60th in the Global Soft Power Index 2023, from 87th spot in 2022, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry reported on Monday, the 3rd of April, citing the results of the research study. The country’s score shows that Lithuania’s focused diplomacy has achieved excellent results in strengthening international partnerships, the ministry pointed out. According to the ministry, one of the most significant improvements was achieved in the International Relations pillar consisting of three metrics: influence in diplomatic circles, being helpful to countries in need, and maintaining good relations with other countries. Lithuania’s efforts in mobilizing aid to Ukraine and its people as well as its support for democracy around the world were not left unnoticed, either, the ministry said.
Week in Lithuania: Corruption case reaches court; President concealed his Communist Party membership
