Baltic: Consultations with US on European, Indo-Pacific security

Baltic and US officials held high-level security consultations in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, on 12 September 2024, BNS reports. The meeting was attended by Jonatan Vseviov, secretary general of the Estonian Foreign Ministry, Andzejs Vilumsons, state secretary at the Latvian Foreign Ministry, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, and US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell….

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Lithuania: Ship with Russian chemicals barred from Klaipeda: PM

Lithuania will not allow a Maltese-flagged ship carrying ammonium nitrate from Russia to dock at the port of Klaipeda for repairs, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte announced, BNS reports. The vessel requested permission to enter the port to unload its cargo of 20,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate and carry out repairs by a company in Klaipeda….

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Lithuania: Homeland Union urges LSDP to reject new far-right party

The chairman of Lithuania’s ruling Homeland Union (TS-LKD), Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, has called for talks with the opposition Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP) over fears about the surge in support for the new far-right party, Dawn of Nemunas, ELTA reports. Speaking in an interview with Ziniu Radijas, Landsbergis warned that the Dawn of…

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Lithuania: Foreign Minister warns EU against China deals

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis criticised other EU member states for continuing to do business with China, BNS reported. Speaking after a meeting with US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell in Vilnius, Landsbergis noted that Lithuania was an example that it was “possible to survive without Russian gas and Chinese contracts.” He warned Lithuania’s…

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Lithuania: Homeland Union chair urges to block radicals from power

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, chairman of the ruling Homeland Union (TS-LKD), called on President Gitanas Nauseda to set up a “cordon sanitaire” to prevent radical political forces from coming to power after the parliamentary elections in October 2024, BNS reports. Speaking in an interview with Ziniu Radijas, Landsbergis warned that pandering to radical political…

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Lithuania: Far-right win in Germany part of “European trend”: minister

The victory of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in regional elections was part of a European trend, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said, BNS reports. He attributed AfD’s success to the coronavirus pandemic, the war in Ukraine, inflation, Russian disinformation, and other factors, and “maybe sometimes a lack of strategic leadership.” Landsbergis noted…

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Lithuania: Turkish bid to join BRICS “undermines trust”: Foreign Minister

Türkiye’s application to join the BRICS group undermines trust in the country, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis stated, BNS reports. He pointed to questions on how to reconcile positions within NATO between countries that support Ukraine and those that are pro-Russian. “All this undermines trust,” he added. Meanwhile, Asta Skaisgiryte, chief foreign policy adviser to…

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Lithuania: Parliament nominates Kubilius for EU commissioner

The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has approved the nomination of former prime minister, MEP Andrius Kubilius for Lithuania’s EU commissioner, BNS reports. Altogether 70 MPs voted in favour and 24 against, while 15 abstained. Kubilius said that Lithuania should seek portfolios related to defence, security, and EU enlargement in the new European Commission. He noted…

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Lithuania: Foreign Minister slams Mongolia for Putin visit

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis criticised Mongolia for the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the country, BNS reports. Landsbergis said that Mongolia’s refusal to arrest Putin despite the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant was “another crack in the system based on international law.” The ICC issued the arrest warrant on Putin over…

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