Last week, Lithuania green-lit defence procurement of components from China; President signed decree on education minister’s dismissal
Seimas election’s political campaign begins in Lithuania
The political campaign for another election – to the Seimas – began in Lithuania on Friday, the 12th of April. On this day, a presidential decree stating that the regular Seimas election will be held on the 13th of October also came into force. The Electoral Code provides that parties and natural persons who intend to stand as independent candidates for the election to the Seimas may register as participants of the Seimas election campaign.
Zelenskyy in Vilnius says Ukraine needs invitation to NATO
Ukraine needs an invitation to join NATO, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in Vilnius on Thursday, the 11th of April. “There are no other alternatives for our security, we need this invitation to the Alliance. Ukraine and our people, our fighters deserve it,” he told a press conference after the Three Seas Summit. NATO leaders agreed at the Vilnius summit in June that Ukraine would be invited to join NATO, when it meets the requirements and once NATO member countries agree on that. However, the likelihood of this happening in Washington this July remains vague. The Ukrainian president said, however, it was important for Europe to show that “Europe is not afraid and that NATO is not afraid of its own rules”.
Lithuania wants broad European accord on recognition of Palestine
Lithuania advocates for a broad European consensus on the recognition of a Palestinian state, Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on Thursday, the 11th of April. According to Landsbergis, it is difficult to say when EU member countries will agree on Palestine. “The EU is divided into three groups: a group of states that is completely opposed to any step forward, a group that wants it to be done more quickly, and there is the centre,” the minister said. “Lithuania has always been at the centre, and our fundamental, principled stance is that Lithuania supports a two-state solution, while, of course, also respecting the principles of international law,” he added.
Lithuania’s first Michelin-starred restaurants to be unveiled in June
The first Michelin-starred restaurant or restaurants in Lithuania are expected to be unveiled in June, Economy and Innovation Minister Aušrinė Armonaitė said on Thursday, the 11th of April. Michelin announced in a press release on Thursday that “the inaugural selection” of Lithuania’s top restaurants will be unveiled in Vilnius on the 13th of June. The Michelin Guide is an internationally well-known and prestigious ranking of restaurants, where they are evaluated according to various criteria and awarded Michelin stars.
Lithuania green-lights defence procurement of components from China
The Lithuanian parliament on Wednesday, the 10th of April, gave the green light for defence industry companies, which often struggle to find reliable drone or other product component manufacturers at favourable prices, to purchase these components from China and other suppliers deemed as unreliable. The respective amendments to the Law on Public Procurement were passed in a vote of 77 to three with 21 abstentions. Under the amendments, goods intended exclusively for scientific research, experiments, studies, or experimental development purposes, or for support to foreign states will be exempted from the restrictions between May 2024 and May 2025. MP Linas Slušnys of the ruling conservative Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats said that opening the market to Chinese products “is not the most cheerful” decision, but Lithuania cannot produce, for example, drones without certain components.
Man suspected of assault on Russian embassy in Vilnius arrested
A Vilnius court on Wednesday, the 10th of April, issued a three-month arrest warrant for a man suspected of two attacks on Russia’s embassy in the Lithuanian capital, a spokesman confirmed. The Lithuanian national, born in 1974 and known to the police, was detained on Monday, the 8th of April. The police suspect that the man threw bottles with an inflammable liquid at the Russian embassy last weekend. A pre-trial investigation is underway into damage to property caused in a publicly dangerous manner. Such offenses are punishable by a fine, restriction of liberty, arrest or prison terms of up to five years.
President signs decree on education minister’s dismissal
President Gitanas Nausėda on Wednesday, the 10th of April, signed a decree on the dismissal of Education Minister Gintautas Jakštas after he stepped down on Tuesday, the 9th of April. Jakštas claimed earlier his decision to resign was the result of instructions given by persons from the prime minister’s team “without the possibility of discussion”. Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė discussed the minister’s resignation with the president earlier in the day. She said after the meeting that Social Security and Labor Minister Monika Navickienė would now be an acting education minister. Jakštas resigned following public outrage over the newly introduced intermediate exams for 11th graders, which are set to become an integral part of the school graduation exams, with teachers claiming that they had not had time to prepare for them.
Lithuanian customs to probe Vičiūnų Group’s exports to Russia
Following LRT.LT reports that a company of Vičiūnai Group, partly owned by Kaunas Mayor Visvaldas Matijosaitis, shipped sanctioned and dual-use goods to Russia, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė said on Tuesday, the 9th of April, that the Customs Department has been instructed to find out what products were exported. The authorities will then decide whether national restrictions should be tightened or whether the company should be subjected to liability for breaching sanctions. “We’ve agreed that a thorough internal investigation will be conducted within the Customs, and then I think we’ll be able to say what really happened here,” Šimonytė told reporters. The internal investigation is aimed at finding out whether the dual-use goods shipped to Russia are subject to strict EU sanctions or to Lithuania’s national restrictions on their exports to third countries, according to the prime minister.
Strasbourg court opens case over punishment for Border Group volunteers
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Monday, the 8th of April, opened a case against Lithuania over administrative penalties imposed on volunteers of Sienos Grupė (Border Group), an NGO providing humanitarian assistance to vulnerable asylum seekers, for unauthorised presence in the border area. The volunteers say that in December 2021 they entered the border area to help a Syrian citizen lying in the snow and unable to walk, and then called an ambulance for him. At the time, Lithuania was under a state of emergency and it was prohibited to enter the border area without an authorization of the State Border Guard Service (SBGS). The service fined the volunteers for their unauthorized presence, but they contested the decision in court, which also sided with the SBGS.
VRK registers eight presidential candidates
Lithuania’s Central Electoral Commission on Monday, the 8th of April, finished the registration of presidential candidates, and eight politicians will run for president on the 12th of May. The election watchdog registered are Giedrimas Jeglinskas, a former defence vice minister nominated by Democrats “For Lithuania”, Labor Party leader Andrius Mazuronis, Eduardas Vaitkus, a medical doctor who will be standing for election as an independent candidate, lawyer Ignas Vėgėlė, as well as MP Remigijus Žemaitaitis, leader of the Dawn of the Nemunas party. Last week, the CEC registered incumbent President Gitanas Nausėda, who is seeking re-election, Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, nominated by the ruling conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats, and Dainius Žalimas, dean of the Faculty of Law of Vytautas Magnus University, nominated by the Freedom Party, part of the ruling block.
Lithuania needs to decide how to contribute to EU’s new 5-billion-euro Ukraine aid fund
Lithuania is still deciding how to contribute to the EU’s recently agreed 5-billion-euro Ukraine Assistance Fund, Defence Ministry said on Monday, the 8th of April. It is estimated Lithuania will need to chip in 21.3 million euros. The EU agreed in mid-March to create the fund as part of the bloc’s off-budget European Peace Facility (EPF), which is used to partially reimburse member countries for the weapons they provide to Ukraine.
Defence minister says he has president’s support on commandant’s offices
Lithuanian Defence Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas said on Monday, the 8th of April, that he has the president’s support for the creation of commandant’s offices in peacetime as well. Earlier in the day, Kasčiūnas discussed his plans for commandant’s offices with the country’s President Gitanas Nausėda and Chief of Defence General Valdemaras Rupšys. The Lithuanian Seimas is now discussing the legalisation of commandant’s offices. In the event of war, they would act as a link between the country’s armed forces and the citizens who can defend the country with arms. However, commandant’s offices should be established in in peacetime, the defence minister underlined. His ministry plans to present the concept on Friday and hopes to discuss the issue at the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defence next week.
Week in Lithuania | Zelenskyy in Vilnius urges NATO invitation; Lithuania seeks European accord on Palestine recognition
