In Lithuania, the special requirements for Ukrainian driver’s licenses have been abolished, and the legislators have asked the Constitutional Court to decide on the compliance of the Istanbul Convention with the Lithuanian Constitution.
Lithuanian, Polish presidents observe military exercise in Klaipėda
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda observed the Strong & United 2023 exercise of NATO-allied Special Operations Forces (SOF), in the seaport of Klaipėda on Friday, the 7th of July. The multinational exercise’s demonstration program on the Dane River involved Lithuanian and Polish SOF units, which were training together to respond to potential threats in different situations, the Lithuanian Armed Forces have said. The program also included helicopters, motorcycles, quad bikes, special boats, and the storming of a building.
LTG Cargo to buy electric locomotives for 100 million euros
LTG Cargo, the freight arm of Lietuvos Geležinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, LTG), is set to buy electric locomotives for the first time in its history for transporting freight between Vilnius and the seaport of Klaipeda, with around 100 million euros planned to be invested in the project, LTG Cargo said Wednesday, the 5th of July. The company has launched an international public procurement procedure for the purchase of and technical support for locomotives and the supply of spare parts for at least three years. The exact number of locomotives will be determined after negotiations with the suppliers, the state-owned railway group said. The group announced in late June that LTG Link, its passenger arm, was buying 15 new electric and battery-powered trains from Stadler Polska, the Polish subsidiary of the Swiss rolling stock manufacturer Stadler Rail, for a total of 226.5 million euros.
Latin-based non-Lithuanian characters in passports complies with Constitution
Legislation allowing the original spelling of the names of some Lithuanian citizens in Latin-based non-Lithuanian characters in documents does not run counter to the Constitution, the Constitutional Court ruled on Wednesday, the 5th of July. The court examined a petition questioning the constitutionality of the legislation by written procedure. The petition was filed by 30 MPs, mostly from the opposition Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union. The legislative amendments, in effect since May 2022, allows the original spelling of non-Lithuanian names in Latin-based characters without diacritical marks – “w”, “q” and “x” – in personal documents in certain cases. This applies when a Lithuanian citizen assumes their spouses’ non-Lithuanian surname and when the surname of a Lithuanian citizen’s parents or one of their parents is spelled in non-Lithuanian characters in the source document. After the amendments came into force, some Lithuanian nationals of Polish background, including Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska, changed the spelling of their names.
Government updates state border protection cover plan
Lithuania’s government on Wednesday, the 5th of July, approved the state border protection cover plan adapted to new threats. According to the Interior Ministry, in the event of a high threat level, the updated cover plan will ensure “timely and operational reinforcement of forces at the Lithuanian border, without the need for additional inter-institutional coordination”. The plan sets out criteria according to threat levels, when and to what extent the Lithuanian Armed Forces, the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union, and other responsible intelligence institutions and services are to be deployed.
Government approves strategy for Indo-Pacific region
Lithuania’s government on Wednesday, the 5th of July, approved the country’s Indo-Pacific region strategy in order to strengthen Lithuania’s relations with its partners in the East Asia region. The strategy sets out the key interests of Lithuania’s activities in the region and priority areas. The document aims to contribute to enhancing Lithuania’s security and economic prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, the Foreign Ministry said. The document notes that the region’s strategic importance and influence on global geopolitical and economic processes has increased significantly in recent years, and these changes have a direct impact on Lithuania and the European Union.
Lithuania scraps requirement for Ukrainians regarding driving licenses
Ukrainians will no longer be required to take a theory and practical driving test to exchange their Ukrainian A and B category driving licenses for Lithuanian ones. The Cabinet on Wednesday, the 5th of July, approved the respective agreement signed by Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė and her Ukrainian counterpart, Ihor Klymenko, in Brussels on the 30th of May. The government’s resolution completes the procedures for approving the agreement on the mutual recognition and exchange of national driving licenses. The Interior Ministry has said that the agreement will take effect in a few months, once all the necessary procedures have been completed in both countries.
Seimas Speaker speaks out on impeachment of MP Žemaitaitis
The Seimas should initiate impeachment proceedings against MP Remigijus Žemaitaitis over his anti-Semitic comments even if he apologises, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, speaker of the Lithuanian parliament, said on Wednesday, the 5th of July. The heads of the ruling coalition parties’ political groups in the Seimas said in a statement on Tuesday that Žemaitaitis’ statements could be seen as a violation of his oath of office, and called on him to admit his mistake and publicly apologise before NATO’s summit in Vilnius. If Žemaitaitis fails to make “a sincere and proper apology”, the MPs said they would be ready to initiate impeachment proceedings “regardless of the outcome of the investigation by the Prosecutor General’s Office”. Žemaitaitis posted several ostensibly anti-Semitic remarks on his Facebook page in June. His remarks were condemned by Lithuanian leaders and foreign diplomats.
Lithuanian Railways’ FY net profit slumps as revenue falls
Lithuania’s state-owned railway group Lietuvos Geležinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, LTG) saw its audited net profits slump to 1.2 million euros in 2022, down from 23.5 million euros in 2021. Annual revenue fell by 6.7 percent to 434.1 million euros, the group said, adding that it will pay no dividend to the state this year. LTG CEO Egidijus Lazauskas says that the group managed to maintain its financial stability despite numerous shocks. “Last year we faced a series of challenges: Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine, the energy crisis, instability in the construction market, and the disruption of supply chains that are important for the region,” Lazauskas said in a press release on Tuesday, the 4th of July. LTG’s freight volumes dropped by 39 percent to 31 million tons last year, from 51 million tons in 2021. The group forecast that its freight volumes might plunge to 26.5 million tons in 2022 due to the war in Ukraine, sanctions against Russia and Belarus, and customers’ decisions to cut their links with the two countries. LTG transported 4.7 million passengers in 2022, up 35 percent year-on-year.
Lawmakers start debate on Constitutional Court petition over Istanbul Convention
The Lithuanian Parliament Seimas on Tuesday, the 4th of July, started debating whether the Istanbul Convention is in line with the country’s fundamental law. The respective draft resolution passed the first reading in the parliament with 55 votes in favour, two against, and four abstentions. Under the draft resolution, the Seimas will ask the Constitutional Court whether the Istanbul Convention’s norms on social gender, gender-based violence against women, and the inclusion of information on non-stereotypical gender roles into the official education curriculum, among other things, are in line with the Lithuanian Constitution. Lithuania signed the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence back on the 7th of July, 2013, but the Seimas have not yet ratified it. The Lithuanian Catholic Church and some politicians, however, argue that the Convention may require Lithuania to change its concept of gender and introduce unacceptable attitudes towards homosexuality.
Week in Lithuania: Latin-based non-Lithuanian characters allowed in passports; LTG Cargo buys locomotives
