The three biggest risks to Lithuania’s financial system are the consequences of the war in Ukraine, the state of the economy, and cyber attacks, according to the Bank of Lithuania’s survey, ELTA reports. The risk of cyber attacks has increased significantly, the central bank noted. Dovydas Poderys, senior economist at the Bank of Lithuania, said…
The total area of forest destroyed by fire in Latvia in the first half of 2023 was more than in the past full three years, according to the State Forest Service (VMD), LETA reports. Altogether 508 forest fires were registered and 607 hectares of forest was destroyed in six months. By comparison, the total area…
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has appointed Gintautas Jakstas as the country’s new Minister of Education, Science, and Sport, ELTA reports. Prior to his appointment, Jakstas was Deputy Minister of Education. The previous Education Minister, Jurgita Siugzdiniene, resigned after an expense scandal. Following the resignation, Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska served as acting Minister of Education.
There is growing momentum within Lithuania’s ruling coalition to initiate an impeachment procedure in the parliament, the Seimas, against MP Remigijus Zemaitaitis due to his repeated antisemitic remarks, ELTA reports. The ruling parties are also preparing a joint statement to condemn Zemaitaitis’s actions, with hopes that opposition groups in the parliament will join the initiative….
Almost two thirds of residents in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, prefer to drink tap water, according to a Norstat LT poll for the municipal water supplier, Vilniaus Vandenys, ELTA reports. The survey showed that 71% of Vilnius residents preferred tap water to bottled water. In a similar survey done in 2021, just 44% of Vilnius residents…
A significant quantity of chemicals of unknown origin was discovered during an inspection of the property of Lithuania’s Public Security Service (VST) in Kaunas, according to the Ministry of Interior, DELFI reports. Arunas Paulauskas, deputy head of VST, said that the chemicals were originally transferred to VST by the Kaunas Prosecutor’s Office for storage and…
Switzerland’s EuroChem Group has announced its decision to temporarily suspend operations at its Lithuanian fertiliser plant, Lifosa, DELFI reports. The company said that sanctions have hindered the plant’s profitability. The Lifosa plant has been closed for scheduled repairs since May 2023. However, EuroChem has now confirmed that it has been unable to find a viable…
A group of MPs in Lithuania will submit to the parliament, the Seimas, a draft law to recognise the Communist Party of Lithuania (KPL) as a criminal organisation, ELTA reports. If approved, the law would impose legal consequences on KPL members who held leadership positions, restricting their participation in political and diplomatic activities in Lithuania….
The board chairman of Lithuania’s central bank, the Bank of Lithuania, Gediminas Šimkus, said that German banks would be welcome in Lithuania, ELTA reports. Speaking at an event hosted by Lithuania’s honorary consul in Germany, Šimkus noted that the Lithuanian banking sector was still concentrated, with only three major banks accounting for the majority of…