Last week, the top news in Lithuania were Opposition MPs quarrelling with the ruling coalition, the Finance Ministry calling for suspension of Russia’s World Bank membership and the Foreign Minister asking for Japan’s assistance in unblocking Odessa port.
Border guards turn six irregular migrants away on border with Belarus
Lithuanian border guards have turned away six migrants over Thursday, June 9, attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Friday, June 10. On Wednesday, June 8, Lithuanian border guards pushed 11 migrants back, and the SBGS recorded no illegal attempts to cross the border from Belarus on Tuesday, Monday, last Friday and Saturday. A total of 1,892 people have been prevented from crossing from Belarus into Lithuania at non-designated places so far this year.
Opposition MPs quarrel with the ruling block
Lithuania’s opposition parties expect the country’s ruling block to end in a negotiating group to resolve the ongoing conflict, an opposition MP says. MP Andrius Mazuronis of the Labour Party political group, told Žinių Radijas radio channel on Friday, June 10, that such a group would help eliminate sizzling emotions. The ongoing conflict between the ruling parties and the opposition erupted after the Seimas debated on Tuesday, June 7, an opposition-initiated interpellation for the agriculture minister. As lawmakers were only left to vote on whether to accept the minister’s answers, the opposition asked for a recess until the next parliament sitting, hoping to change the balance of political forces in the vote on Thursday, June 9. However, the ruling block convened an unscheduled meeting on Wednesday morning and accepted the agriculture minister’s answers. In protest, the opposition snubbed the Seimas sitting on Wednesday, June 8, and held its separate sitting on Thursday, June 9.
Israel’s UNIPaaS sets up in Lithuania
Israeli fintech company UNIPaaS announced on Friday, June 10, it has set up its branch UNIPaaS Financial Services Europe in Lithuania. The company was registered in Vilnius on June 1, and its CEO says it’s awaiting a license from the central Bank of Lithuania to provide financial services, adding that the company will present its plans in Lithuania in more detail only after receiving it. Established in 2020, UNIPaaS states on its website it already has offices in the US and the UK and will soon have one in the Netherlands. The company’s services are designed to simplify business-to-business payments in digital markets.
Read also: BNN ANALYSES | Lithuania’s inflation spirals out, but IMF placates – it should recede by the end of 2022
Finance ministry calls for suspension of Russia’s World Bank membership
Lithuanian Finance Minister Gintare Skaistė called on Thursday, June 9, for the suspension of Russia’s membership in the World Bank as a country that violates fundamental value-based principles, and also called against giving in to Russia’s blackmail over the looming global food crisis. Russia is trying to change the narrative and make the international community question the usefulness of the existing sanctions, the minister said. The war has highlighted some of the differences between WB members and is complicating strategic decisions on aid to Ukraine, Skaistė said, stressing the need for united coordination and highlighting the real causes of the food crisis.
Court rules Chinese-owned firm non-compliant with national security interests
Chinese-owned Energetikos Tinklų Institutas (ETI) has failed its final attempt to overrule unfavourable decisions of a governmental commission and the Lithuanian government, as a result of which the country’s power transmission system operator Litgrid decided to reject ETI’s offer for the reconstruction of Lentvaris transformer substation’s 110 kV power distribution station. The Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania on Wednesday, June 8, upheld the decision of Vilnius Regional Administrative Court to reject ETI’s request to cancel Litgrid’s decision to reject ETI’s proposal and eliminate it from the tender, the court said.
Government approves tighter regulation of cryptocurrency business
The Lithuanian government on Wednesday, June 8, approved tighter regulation of cryptocurrency sector in response to the increasing number of virtual currency companies settling down in Lithuania and in particular moving to the country from Estonia and in view of the growing risks posed by this process. Finance Minister Gintarė Skaistė told the Cabinet that many Estonian companies had moved to Lithuania in the wake of tightened regulation of this sector in Estonia. Citing the available data, the minister said that 188 companies of virtual currency service providers had been established in Lithuania in 2021, up from eight in 2020. Simonas Krėpšta, board member of the central Bank of Lithuania, stated that amendments were necessary given the risks related to the crypto sector.
Lithuania’s annual inflation hits 18.9 percent in May
Lithuania’s annual inflation hit 18.9 percent in May, Statistics Lithuania reported on Wednesday, June 8, adding the average annual rate stood at 10.5 percent in April. Annual inflation was mainly affected by the rising prices of fuels and oils, heating, milk and milk products, solid fuels, bread and grain products, meat and meat products, gas, restaurant, cafe, vehicle maintenance and repair services, electricity and vegetables, as well as the dropping prices of air passenger transport services. The prices of consumer goods rose 22 percent over a year, and those of services grew 11.5 percent.
Lithuania reports 212 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death
Lithuania recorded 212 new coronavirus infections and one death from COVID-19 over Tuesday, June 7, Statistics Lithuania announced on Wednesday, June 8. Some 184 of the new cases were primary and 28 were secondary. More than 1 million people in Lithuania have tested positive with COVID-19 at least once. Some 69.8 percent of the Lithuanian population have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab so far.
Foreign minister asks for Japan’s assistance in unblocking Odessa port
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis asked on Monday, June 6, while in Tokyo for Tokyo’s assistance in building a coalition to have Ukrainian grain safely shipped out of the port of Odessa which is now under Russia’s blockade. He did that by asking the Japanese representatives to raise the issue pertaining to the unblocking of Odessa at the G7 meetings to help find quick and effective ways to get Ukrainian grain back to global market. Odessa is a vital port, especially for grain exports, and its blockade risks causing a global food shortage.
Week in Lithuania: Opposition MPs quarrel with ruling parties; Finance Ministry calls for suspension of Russia’s World Bank membership
