Lithuania: NATO leaders gather for summit in Vilnius

NATO leaders and delegations have begun gathering in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, for the defence alliance’s summit due to take place on 11-12 July 2023, BNS reports. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda will meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the summit venue, the Lithuanian Exhibition and Congress Centre (LITEXPO), on 10 July 2023. Also, Nauseda…

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Lithuania: Pres. Nauseda pushes Lithuanian-Polish infrastructure projects

Lithuania and Poland need to increase their cooperation to speed up the synchronisation of the Baltic electricity grids with the European system, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda stated, BNS reports. Also, the two countries needed to accelerate the implementation of the Via Baltica highway, the Augustow-Alytus road, and the Rail Baltica railway projects, Nauseda said. Speaking…

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Baltic: Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish leaders warn of threats from Belarus

The presidents of Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland — Egils Levits, Gitanas Nauseda, and Andrzej Duda — have sent a joint letter to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and leaders of NATO member states to warn them of the threats posed by the developments in Belarus, BNS reports. In the letter, the three presidents pointed out…

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Lithuania: Gintautas Jakstas appointed new Education Minister

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.

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Lithuania: NATO invitation for Ukraine must be “clear”: Foreign Minister

The invitation for Ukraine to join NATO must be "clear and irrevocable," Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis stated, The Baltic Times reports. Speaking after a leadership meeting at the presidential palace to prepare for the NATO summit in Vilnius, Landsbergis reiterated Lithuania’s full support for Ukraine’s aspiration to join NATO. The meeting was also attended…

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Lithuania: NATO summit “not to disappoint” Ukraine: Pres. Nauseda

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda believes that NATO’s upcoming Vilnius summit will reach agreements that will "not disappoint" Ukraine in its fight against Russian invasion, LRT reports. Speaking in an interview with BNS, Nauseda said that the summit was unlikely to invite Ukraine to join the alliance after the war, however. Instead, NATO countries are expected…

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Latvia: Outgoing president makes last foreign visit to Lithuania

Latvia’s President, Egils Levits, paid his last foreign visit to Lithuania, meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, on 5 July 2023, LSM reports. Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics will take office as Latvia’s new president on 8 July 2023. Rinkevics will make his first official visit abroad as president to Estonia on 10 July 2023, ERR…

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Lithuania: Pres. Nauseda presses for more restrictions on Belarusians

Lithuania’s President, Gitanas Nauseda, called for revising existing national sanctions laws to impose stricter entry restrictions on Belarusian citizens, LRT reports. Speaking in an interview with BNS, Nauseda cited concerns over the potential presence of mercenaries from Russia’s private military company, Wagner Group, in Belarus. Parliamentary speaker Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen argued that there was no need…

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Lithuania: No need for same sanctions on Russians, Belarusians: Foreign Minister

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said that there was no need to impose identical restrictions on Russians and Belarusians in response to the possible relocation of Russian mercenary group Wagner Group to Belarus, BNS reports. Earlier, President Gitanas Nauseda criticised the decision of the Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, to override his veto and approve different…

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