Linas Jegelevičius
This week, the President of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, called on the European Union (EU) to approve legislation that would allow limiting migration, as this year 351 immigrants have already tried to enter the country from the Lithuanian-Belarusian border.
Twenty irregular migrants repelled on the border with Belarus
Lithuanian border guards have in the past 24 hours turned away 20 migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Friday, the 17th of February. A total of 351 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year. Lithuanian border guards have prevented almost 19,700 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.
An injured volunteer brought back to Lithuania
A wounded Lithuanian volunteer who was injured while fighting in Ukraine’s foreign legion has been brought back to Lithuania for treatment, a hospital spokeswoman confirmed on Friday, the 17th of February. The man is being treated at the Orthopedic Traumatology Clinic of the Hospital of Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kauno Klinikos. To believe the hospital’s press release, his condition is stable and his life is not in danger.
FT places Vilnius among European Cities of Future again
For the second consecutive year, Vilnius got the second spot among mid-sized cities in fDi Intelligence’s European Cities and Regions of the Future ranking, Go Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital’s business and tourism development agency, said on Thursday, the 16th of February. fDi Intelligence is the Financial Times’ specialist service for global investment professionals and institutions. In three categories, Vilnius performed better than last year, rising from third to second place in economic potential, from sixth to third in business friendliness and from third to second in human capital and lifestyle. However, it slipped from last year’s first position to second in the fDI strategy category. In the overall mid-sized cities category, Vilnius this year is ranked second after Zurich.
Burning of national flag reported
An incident in which a Lithuanian national flag was set to fire was reported to Kaunas’ police on Thursday, the 16th of February, as the nation marked State Restoration Day. The Kaunas County Chief Police Commissariat received the report that a Facebook user had uploaded a video showing how he or she was setting fire to a Lithuanian flag, the Police Department said. Under the Criminal Code, flag desecration is an offense punishable by a fine, restriction of liberty, arrest, or imprisonment for up to two years.
EU needs legislation to stave off illegal migration
The European Union must adopt the necessary legislation to protect itself against instrumentalised illegal migration, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said after meeting the European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson in Vilnius on Thursday, the 16th of February. Both discussed problems posed by irregular migration and possible solutions to them. Lithuania has come under criticism from both local and international human rights activists for its policy of turning away irregular migrants. Faced with an unpreceded influx of irregular migrants from Belarus in 2021, the Lithuanian interior minister signed a decree allowing border guards to turn away foreign nationals who cross the border at non-designated places.
Alleged violation of sanctions for Belarus probed
Kaunas Regional Prosecutor’s Office said on Wednesday, the 15th of February, it had launched a pre-trial investigation into an alleged violation of the existing international sanctions for the entry of goods into Lithuania from Belarus. According to the case materials, two trucks from Belarus arrived at the Vilnius Territorial Customs’ Raigardas road post on Monday, the 13th of February. They were checked and cleared to enter Lithuania. The provided transit declaration documents are alleged to contain the name of another company that is not on the sanction list.
LFGU chairman says mayoral candidate did not cross a red line
Stasys Jakeliūnas, a Lithuanian MEP and candidate for Vilnius mayor, did not cross the red line with his statements about the war in Ukraine, Ramunas Karbauskis, leader of the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union, said on Wednesday, the 15th of February, adding that the party’s candidate expressed his opinion. In his recent interview with the public broadcaster LRT’s news website, Jakeliūnas said that «the war in Ukraine is illegal but was partly provoked. Russia was provoked». The LFGU leader himself does not think that the war in Ukraine was provoked.
President to meet with Biden in Warsaw
President Gitanas Nausėda will meet with US President Joe Biden in Warsaw next week, the Lithuanian president’s office said on Tuesday, the 14th of February. The Polish capital will host a meeting between the US president and the leaders of the Bucharest Nine group of NATO’s eastern flank countries on the 22nd of February. The meeting is expected to focus on regional security issues, support for Ukraine, and preparations for NATO’s summit in Vilnius in July.
Army leadership discussed defense plans
The Lithuanian army’s leadership discussed the country’s defense plans with Lieutenant General Jurgen-Joachim von Sandrart, who is Commander of the Multinational Corps Northeast, over the weekend, the army said on Monday, the 13th of February. Lithuanian chief of defense Valdemaras Rupšys and the guest discussed preparations for the forthcoming NATO summit in Lithuania and the country’s military expectations at the military level. Strategic exercises and defense plans also received a lot of attention.
EC slashes Lithuania’s 2023 growth forecast
The European Commission cut Lithuania’s economic growth forecast for 2023 to 0,3 percent, according to the EU’s latest forecasts published on Monday, the 13th of February. Last fall, the EC expected the Lithuanian economy to grow by 0,5 percent this year. It no says growth will be slowed down by the business sector’s deteriorating financial situation, a drop in consumption, as well as global uncertainty. In 2024, however, Lithuania’s economic growth will accelerate to 2,5 percent.
LTG plans the country’s rail network’s long-term development
Lietuvos Geležinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, LTG), Lithuania’s state-owned railway company, announced on Monday, the 13th of February, it has launched a tender for a feasibility study on the future of the country’s rail network. The winner will be expected to produce guidelines for the railway system’s development by taking into account its commercial potential as well as the development of the rail networks in neighboring EU countries. The study will also have to include innovative and economically feasible proposals for the railway development scenarios of 10, 30, and 50 years According to the company, the main focus during infrastructure development should be on the European standard gauge alone and the synergy of the European standard-gauge (1435 mm) and broad gauge (1520 mm). The scenarios should include the development of line construction and station hubs, terminals, and other logistics chain development to increase the scope of operations and the network’s optimal transformation into to the European standard gauge.
Week in Lithuania: LTG plans rail network development; mercenary brought back to Lithuania
