Members of the Lithuanian World Community (LWC) held a congress in Lithuania’s seaside resort of Palanga on 4-6 August 2023, Baltic News Network reports. The event marked the 65th anniversary of the organisation. The congress brought together representatives of Lithuanian communities in 30 countries and Lithuanian officials.
Lithuania has deemed 1,164 Belarusian and Russian nationals a threat to national security, according to the Lithuanian Migration Department (LMD), BNS reports. Altogether 910 Belarusian and 254 Russian citizens were denied residence permits or visas after the introduction of a mandatory questionnaire, which includes questions on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Lithuania restricted the…
The chairmen of the foreign affairs committees of the Baltic parliaments — Marko Mihkelson from Estonia, Rihards Kols from Latvia, and Zygimantas Pavilionis from Lithuania — will pay a joint visit to Taiwan, ERR reports. They will meet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, Legislative Yuan president You Si-kun, Prime Minister Chen Chien-jen, Foreign Minister Joseph…
The prime ministers of the three Baltic States have signed a joint declaration to speed up the synchronisation of the Baltic power grids with the continental European network, ERR reports. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that the Baltic States would disconnect from the Russian-controlled BRELL system as soon as it was technically possible. She…
Lithuania’s Prime Minister, Ingrida Simonyte, expressed confidence in Defence Minister Arvydas Anusauskas, BNS reports. Earlier, Anusauskas was criticised by President Gitanas Nauseda and other politicians for allegedly disclosing restricted information about the purchase of tanks for the Lithuanian Armed Forces. Simonyte insisted that Anusauskas had not disclosed classified information but conceded that the minister should…
Lithuania will close two of its six border checkpoints with Belarus following the arrival of Russian private military company Wagner Group’s mercenaries in Belarus, Deputy Interior Minister Arnoldas Abramavicius announced, BNS reports. He said that the plan was to close the Sumskas and Tverecius border checkpoints. Saulius Nekrasevicius, deputy director of the State Border Guard…
The number of foreign citizens living in Lithuania totalled 195,500 at the end of the first half of 2023, which was an increase of more than 6,000 from 189,411 in the beginning of 2023, according to the Lithuanian Migration Department (LMD), BNS reports. Foreigners accounted for 6.83% of the total population, which was up from…
Lithuania’s opposition Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVZS) has nominated MP Aurelijus Veryga as the party’s candidate for president, BNS reports. Veryga served as adviser to Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius in 2009-2012 and as health minister in 2016-2020, including during the height of the coronavirus pandemic. Veryga joined LVZS in 2018. Lithuania will hold presidential…
Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry will provide premises at the Lithuanian embassy in Kyiv for Iceland’s ambassador to Ukraine, BNS reports. Iceland’s Foreign Minister, Thordis Kolbrún, expressed gratitude for the cooperation. Iceland’s embassy to Ukraine is currently based in Polish capital Warsaw.