Lithuania: Economy Minister rejects new taxes for defence

Lithuania’s Economy Minister, Ausrine Armonaite, rejected the idea of introducing new taxes to fund increased defence spending, BNS reports. Speaking in an interview with Ziniu Radijas, Armonaite insisted that additional money for defence should come from borrowed funds or through economic growth instead. Also, the government should use unused funds of state institutions, she said….

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Baltic: Number of foreign hotel guests still below pre-pandemic level

The number of nights spent by foreign visitors in the three Baltic capitals was highest in Tallinn in the first half of 2024, according to data from the Latvian Hotel and Restaurant Association (LVRA), BNS reports. Foreigners spent 1.075 million nights at accommodation establishments in Tallinn, followed by Riga with 851,000 and Vilnius with 699,000….

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Lithuania: Russian rep summoned over bombing of civilians in Ukraine

Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry summoned a representative of the Russian embassy in Lithuania to protest Russia’s intensified shelling of civilian targets in Ukraine, BNS reports. Russia’s bombing of educational buildings, hospitals, and civilian homes showed its complete disregard for human life and rules of war, the Foreign Ministry stated. The ministry pointed out that both the…

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Lithuania: Defence spending to be raised over 3% of GDP: President

Lithuania plans to allocate more than 3% of its GDP to defence, President Gitanas Nauseda announced, BNS reports. Speaking during a joint press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw, Nauseda said that Lithuania would follow Poland’s example of raising defence spending. Also, he said that the two countries would soon begin training Ukrainian…

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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: Telia to lay off 400 people

Swedish telecommunications group Telia Company plans to lay off 400 people in Lithuania, BNS reports. The company intends to lay off 200 employees at telecommunications operator Telia Lietuva and another 200 at its Vilnius-based competence centre, Telia Global Services Lithuania. The group will decentralise most of its operations, with decision-making moved to each country, as…

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Lithuania: Belarusians unable to claim cars at Klaipeda port

Sanctions have left Belarusians unable to claim imported cars at Lithuania’s Klaipeda State Seaport, LRT reports, citing local daily Vakaru Ekspresas. Belarusian media claimed that almost 4,000 cars bought by Belarusians from the US were stuck at the port. Vaidotas Sileika, chairman of the Association of Lithuanian Stevedoring Companies (LJKKA), confirmed that the information could…

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