Last week, Foreign Minister invited Egypt to open embassy in Vilnius; Wizz Air, Ryanair cancelled flights from Vilnius to Tel Aviv
Military to make another flight to Israel to evacuate some 35 people
Lithuania’s Spartan military transport aircraft made its third flight to Israel on Friday, the 13th of October, to evacuate at least 35 people to Turkey, the National Crisis Management Center (NCMC) said. Lithuania dispatched the aircraft, Spartan, to the region after Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel last weekend. The military plane transported 29 passengers from Tel Aviv to Antalya in its first evacuation flight on Wednesday, the 11th of October. and flew another 42 people, mostly Lithuanian citizens, from Israeli to Turkey on Thursday, the 12th of October. The aircraft will be on standby in Turkey until the 15th of October.
Email threat messages sent to Lithuanian schools
Brutal threats were sent by email to Lithuanian schools, kindergartens and other institutions continued in early hours of Friday, the 13th of October. The police said some 140 bomb threats were sent to various schools across the country. The number later grew to 633, yet the police denied the bomb threats were specifically targeting Jewish institutions. Matonis said some of the bomb threats may have included Jewish schools. Recently, the authorities in Estonia and Latvia reported receiving similar bomb threats. Lithuania’s intelligence agency, the State Security Department (VSD), said the threats across the Baltic states appeared “to be a targeted and coordinated attack carried out at the initiative of hostile states.”
Teachers’ trade union in Lithuania suspends strike until late November
One of the teachers’ trade unions in Lithuania on Thursday, the 12th of October, announced its decision to suspend the strike it has been holding for almost two weeks over working conditions until the end of November. And it plans to resume the industrial action in the run up to the adoption of the 2024 state budget in the parliament. Formally, the strike will continue but the leadership of the Lithuanian Education Employee’s Trade Union, led by Andrius Navickas, urged teachers to return to schools. The government proposes raising pay for teachers at least 10% from January and September to bring the average teacher’s salary up to 130% of the national average wage. However, Navickas union demands two 15% pay rises from January and September. The Education, Science and Sport Ministry says it does not have the financial capacity to offer more funds to raise teachers’ salaries at a faster pace.
Foreign Minister calls for long-range missiles to Kyiv
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis on Thursday, the 12th of October, called on allies to provide long-range missiles to Kyiv after being updated by his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba on the situation in the country which is fighting back against Russia’s military aggression.
Seven irregular migrants deterred on Lithuania’s border with Belarus
Lithuanian border guards turned away seven migrants over Thursday, the 12th of October, attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Friday, the 13th of October. A total of 2 052 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 around 21 200 people from crossing in from Belarus since the 3rd of August, 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.
Lithuania holds exercise for hybrid threat response services
Lithuania on Thursday, the 12th of October, held an interaction exercise for hybrid threat response services under the Interior Ministry. The Interaction 2023 exercise at the Padvarionys Frontier Station involved the State Border Guard Service, the Public Security Service and the police. This marks the first time that such a practical (tactical) exercise aimed at addressing hybrid threats has been organized in Lithuania, according to the Interior Ministry. The exercise was based on a scenario where the services had to react to an attack on the Padvarionys Frontier Station. The “large-scale terrorist attack” on Israel, which has shaken the whole world in recent days, underscores the need to strengthen resilience to hybrid threats and interaction among the interior systems’ services, according to Interior minister Agnė Bilotaitė.
Foreign Minister invites Egypt to open embassy in Vilnius
Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, who is in Cairo, has called on Egypt to consider opening an embassy in Vilnius. “Finally, I urged the minister to consider the possibility of opening an Egyptian embassy in Vilnius, which would further boost our relations,” Landsbergis said on Wednesday, the 11th of October, his meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. The Lithuanian minister also said he sees the potential to strengthen cooperation with Egypt in the fields of information and communication technologies, maritime, agrotechnologies (smart fertilizers), food industry and renewable energy.
Winners of offshore wind farm tender confirmed
Ignitis Renewables, part of Ignitis Grupes (Ignitis Group), Lithuania’s state-owned energy group, and its strategic partner Ocean Winds have been confirmed as winners of Lithuania’s first the 700 MW offshore wind farm. The Lithuanian group announced the official confirmation by the country’s National Energy Regulatory Council, which held the tender, via the Nasdaq Vilnius Stock Exchange.
Child kidnapper to stand trial for illegal border crossing
A Lithuanian man who kidnapped his nine-month-old daughter and took her to Russia will stand trial for illegal border crossing in Kaliningrad, a court said on Wednesday, the 11th of October. Algirdas Švanys, 37, took his daughter and crossed the Russian border illegally from Lithuania using his inflatable boat in late August He took food, warm clothes and documents with the intention of taking the child away from her mother. According to the court’s statement, his actions are deemed an illegal crossing of the Russian state border without a mandatory permit. The report states that Švanys is a Russian citizen. The child was returned to her mother on the 1st of September when she went to Kaliningrad. And they came returned to Lithuania the same day.
Interior Ministry suggests longer residence permits for Belarusians
Lithuania’s Interior Ministry said on Tuesday, the 10th of October, it is proposing issuing longer-term residence permits to Belarusian citizens who cannot return to their country and they would need renewing every three years, instead of annually right now. Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė has drafted an amendment to the Law on the Legal Status of Aliens to allow three-year temporary residence permits to be issued to foreigners who are unable to return to their country of origin. The changes would apply to foreigners who are persecuted by a non-democratic regime, have suffered or are likely to suffer from repression by that regime, and are, therefore, unable to return to their country of origin. Currently, such persons, mainly Belarusian nationals, are granted temporary residence permits for a maximum period of one year.
Lithuania deploys border guards to protect key energy infrastructure
Key infrastructure in Lithuania is under additional protection of officers for the country’s State Border Guard Service after Lithuania raised the level of vigilance in response to reports that the Finnish-Estonian gas pipeline was damaged. “Since these are waters and we have appropriate equipment and taking into account the fact that we have appropriate capabilities and vessels, we have asked other institutions to get involved as well,” Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė said on Tuesday, the 10th of October. She confirmed that the Klaipėda-based LNG terminal and the NordBalt submarine power cable between Lithuania and Sweden are among the facilities where the level of vigilance had been raised.
Wizz Air, Ryanair cancel flights from Vilnius to Tel Aviv
Wizz Air and Ryanair has cancelled their scheduled flights from Vilnius to Tel Aviv amid the ongoing military conflict in Israel with Hamas, the companies said on Monday, the 9th of October. Wizz Air said it was contacting affected passengers directly via email or text and providing them with rebooking or refund options, as well as accommodation. Ryanair flied from Vilnius to Tel Aviv on Fridays and Sundays.
Week in Lithuania | E-mail threat messages flood Lithuanian schools; teachers’ trade union puts off strike until late November
