Lithuania’s Prime Minister, Ingrida Simonyte, expressed confidence in Defence Minister Arvydas Anusauskas, BNS reports. Earlier, Anusauskas was criticised by President Gitanas Nauseda and other politicians for allegedly disclosing restricted information about the purchase of tanks for the Lithuanian Armed Forces. Simonyte insisted that Anusauskas had not disclosed classified information but conceded that the minister should…
Lithuania’s opposition Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVZS) has nominated MP Aurelijus Veryga as the party’s candidate for president, BNS reports. Veryga served as adviser to Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius in 2009-2012 and as health minister in 2016-2020, including during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Veryga joined LVZS in 2018. Lithuania will hold presidential…
Latvian municipalities will be able to organise their school networks in accordance with the financing available, Education Minister Anda Caksa stated, LETA reports. Speaking in an interview with TV3, Caksa said that any school closures were for the municipalities to decide. Under the Education Ministry’s proposal, schools in cities will have to have at least…
Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry will provide premises at the Lithuanian embassy in Kyiv for Iceland’s ambassador to Ukraine, BNS reports. Iceland’s Foreign Minister, Thordis Kolbrún, expressed gratitude for the cooperation. Iceland’s embassy to Ukraine is currently based in Polish capital Warsaw.
Latvian ministries and other institutions have submitted proposals for priority budget measures worth EUR 1.983bn for 2024, according to the Ministry of Finance, LETA reports. Finance Minister Arvils Aseradens said that funding requests were EUR 250mn lower than in 2023. The largest requests were for teacher wages, health care, and defence. Other requests included covering…
Latvia must prepare for Russia’s policy to remain aggressive over the long term, Latvia’s new ambassador to NATO, Maris Riekstins, stated, LETA reports. Speaking in an interview with LTV, Riekstins said that recent events suggested that Russian leader Vladimir Putin saw extending the war in Ukraine over many years as the only way out of…
Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry has handed in a diplomatic note to Belarus following the launch of the second power unit of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant (BelAES) in Astravyets, BNS reports. Lithuania urged Belarus not to operate the second unit until all safety problems have been resolved. The Foreign Ministry noted that Belarus had failed to…
Latvia’s National Alliance, Latvian Association of Regions (LRA), Movement For, and Progressives have failed to reach agreement on reducing the number of deputy mayors in the Riga City Council, LSM reports. The combined political group of Movement For and Progressives wants to cut the number of deputy mayors from the current three to just one,…
Lithuania and Poland may close their borders with Belarus in the event of serious incidents involving the Russian mercenary group, Wagner Group, along the frontier, BNS reports. Reuters cited Poland’s Interior Minister, Mariusz Kaminski, as saying that such a possibility was being discussed with neighbouring countries. Lithuania’s Deputy Interior Minister, Arnoldas Abramavicius, confirmed that there…