Lithuania: President snubs Foreign Minister for EU commissioner job

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has suggested that he does not want to see Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis appointed to the European Commission (EC), BNS reports. Nauseda argued that Lithuania should seek an economic portfolio rather than a foreign policy one in the new commission, stressing that economic portfolios were equally important. He pointed out that…

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Lithuania: Parliament votes for leaving cluster bomb ban

The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has voted in favour of withdrawing from the Convention on Cluster Munitions, with 103 MPs in favour, 1 against, and 3 abstentions, BNS reports. Once President Gitanas Nauseda signs the law, Lithuania will withdraw from the convention six months after notification. Defence Minister Laurynas Kasciunas argued that the convention restricted…

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Baltic: Members of US House Baltic Caucus visit Latvia, Lithuania

US congressmen Donald Bacon of Nebraska and Salud Carbajal of California have visited the Baltic States, LSM reports. In Latvia, the two members of the US House of Representatives met with Prime Minister Evika Silina, Foreign Minister Baiba Braze, and Defence Minister Andris Spruds to discuss political, economic, and defence cooperation, the NATO summit in…

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Lithuania: EU commissioner quits post to take up EP seat

Lithuania’s EU commissioner, Virginijus Sinkevicius, will step down, having been elected to the European Parliament, BNS reports. He served as European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries since 2019. Sinkevicius has since been elected vice-president of the Greens/European Free Alliance group in the European Parliament. Saulius Skvernelis, chairman of the opposition Union of Democrats…

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