Last week: prosecutors asked court to liquidate controversial association, plans on rebuilding Ukraine’s Kyiv, Borodianka, Irpin detailed, President paid official visit to Iceland, Lithuania to send 30 instructors to UK to train Ukrainian troops.
Lithuania posts 904 new COVID-19 cases, four deaths
Lithuania recorded 904 new coronavirus infections and four deaths from COVID-19 over Thursday, August 25, official statistics showed on Friday, August 26. Of the new cases, 673 were primary, 215 were secondary and 16 were tertiary. The number of hospital patients now stands at 142, including nine ICU cases. The 14-day primary infection rate has edged down to 554.1 cases per 100,000 people, with the seven-day percentage of positive tests at 49.2 percent. The daily number of new coronavirus cases remains well below the peak of over 14,000 reached in early February. More than 1.2 million people in Lithuania have tested positive with COVID-19 at least once. Some 69.9 percent of the Lithuanian population have received at least one coronavirus vaccine jab so far.
Prosecutors ask court to liquidate controversial association
Lithuania’s Prosecutor General’s Office said on Friday, August 26, it had asked a court to liquidate the International Forum of Good Neighbourhood, an association founded by Algirdas Paleckis, a controversial Lithuanian figure convicted for spying for Russia, as illegally established.
Border guards deter 124 irregular migrants away
Lithuanian border guards deterred over Thursday, August 25, 124 migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally, the State Border Guard Service said on Friday, August 26. The previous record this year was reported on July 29 and 30 when 109 illegal migrants tried to enter Lithuania from Belarus.
Lithuanian border guards have sent almost 13,000 people back to Belarus since August 3, 2021, when they were given the right to deny entry to irregular migrants.
The number includes repeated attempts by the same people to cross the border. Almost 4,200 irregular migrants crossed into Lithuania from Belarus illegally last year.
Photo exhibition on Hong Kong Way opened
A photo exhibition has been opened at the Lithuanian Seimas on Thursday, August 25, reminding of the protests that took place in Hong Kong three years ago and led to an action inspired by the Baltic Way. Opening the exhibition, Marius Matijoašitis, chairman of the Lithuanian Parliamentary Group on Parliamentary Relations with Hong Kong (People’s Republic of China), said that in both Lithuania and in Hong Kong, the people who formed human chains were striving for the same things – democracy, the rule of law, and respect for human rights.
President paid official visit to Iceland
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, together with the presidents of Latvia and Estonia, attended on Thursday, August 25, in Iceland the celebration of the 31st anniversary of the re-establishment of diplomatic relations with the Scandinavian country. During his visit to Reykjavik until Friday, Nausėda met with Iceland’s President Gudni Th. Johannesson and Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir. He also visited a geothermal power station and met with members of the Lithuanian community.
Lithuania will contribute to Ukraine’s reconstruction in Kyiv, Borodianka, Irpin
Lithuania will help Ukraine to build a mobile settlement and a school in Borodianka, and will also contribute to the reconstruction of a Kyiv bridge and the construction of a kindergarten in Irpin, Lithuanian Minister of the Economy and Innovation Aušrinė Armonaitė said on Wednesday, August 24.
Agreements on these objects were reached by representatives of Lithuanian institutions during a recent visit to Ukraine.
Presenting this process at a government meeting later, the minister said it would be split into two phases, including the urgent reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure and also a more complex reform process.
Lithuanian president backs visa restrictions for Russians
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said on Wednesday, August 24, he supports calls to restrict the issuance of tourist visas to Russian citizens, saying that all of Russia must feel the consequences of the war in Ukraine.
According to Nausėda, some still believe that the war in Ukraine was started by President Vladimir Putin, not by Russia.
The Czech Republic, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, has proposed that a visa ban for all Russian citizens be added to the bloc’s existing sanctions against Moscow. These measures are expected to be discussed at EU foreign ministers’ meeting next week.
Klaipeda seaport posts 19% loss of cargo
Lithuania’s seaport of Klaipeda handled 20.5 million tons of cargo in January-July, down 19% from the same period last year. The CEO of the Association of Lithuanian Stevedoring Companies said this week the result is pessimistic but not as bad as expected. During the first seven months of the year, Klaipeda saw the biggest drop in bulk cargo volumes as they dropped 53% to 5.8 million tons, and general cargo volumes rose 15% to 10.3 million tons.
Lithuania to send 30 instructors to UK to train Ukrainian troops
Lithuania will send two rotations of instructors to the United Kingdom to train Ukrainian troops there, Lithuanian Minister of National Defense Arvydas Anušauskas said on Tuesday, August 23. Ukrainian conscripts started undergoing training in the UK in July. In total, up to 10,000 Ukrainian volunteers with almost no military skills will be trained in the UK under a bilateral agreement, with more than a thousand British military personnel participating in the program. The several-week-long training course is based on the British military training program and covers areas of basic troop skills, weapon handling, battlefield support, field skills, patrol tactics and the legal aspects of armed conflicts.
Lithuania steps protection of its border with Russia
Lithuania has stepped up the protection of its sea and land borders with Russia in the face of threats posed by the neighbouring country, Lithuanian Interior Minister Agnė Bilotaitė said on Monday, August 22. She underlined in her latest Facebook post that such a state of preparedness was necessary in view of military buildup in the neighbouring Russian region of Kaliningrad. Speaking to reporters later in the day, the minister pointed out that Klaipeda has eight strategic facilities, including the LNG terminal, adding that Lithuania must be as prepared as possible when assessing Russian threats in Lithuania. She says the radar system, upgraded earlier this year, as well as a fleet of service maritime vehicles is helping border guards to react more quickly and carry out border surveillance functions more efficiently. The minister also vowed to continue paying special attention to equipping officers.