Lithuania: Belarusian activist denied asylum on national security grounds

The Lithuanian Migration Department (LMD) has refused to grant asylum to Belarusian activist Volha Karach on national security grounds, LRT reports. The State Security Department (VSD) revealed that Karach had cooperated with Russian intelligence services, providing them with information about the Belarusian regime and opposition. In exchange, Russian intelligence services helped Karach manage her image….

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Lithuania: Vilnius-Riga train service may be launched in 2024: minister

Lithuania’s Transport Minister, Marius Skuodis, hopes that state-owned passenger train operator LTG Link open a regular connection between the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, and Latvian capital Riga in 2024, BNS reports. Skuodis discussed the possibility of resuming a passenger train connection from Vilnius via Siauliai to Riga and Daugavpils with LTG Link’s CEO, Linas Bauzys. The…

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Lithuania: Minister not ruling out closure of Belarus, Russia borders

Lithuania does not rule out closing its borders with Belarus and Russia’s Kaliningrad region, Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite stated, The New Voice of Ukraine reports. She discussed the situation with the commander of the State Border Guard Service (VSAT). Bilotaite stressed that Lithuania must be prepared for various threats along the borders. Earlier, Lithuania decided…

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Lithuania: Supreme Court rejects Veolia’s appeal in case against state

Lithuania’s Supreme Court has rejected an appeal of French energy group Veolia and its Lithuanian partners against an unfavourable court ruling in their dispute with the Energy Ministry, Baltic News Network reports. Earlier, the Court of Appeal upheld a lower court decision to accept the ministry’s lawsuit for examination. Veolia and its partners, Vilniaus Energija…

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Lithuania: PM Simonyte, Pres. Nauseda most influential politicians

Lithuanian experts regard Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, President Gitanas Nauseda, and Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis as the country’s most influential politicians in 2023, according to Reitingai magazine’s poll for DELFI, BNS reports. Reitingai interviewed 999 public figures in May-June 2023 for the survey. A separate Spinter Tyrimai poll showed that the public regards Nauseda as…

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Lithuania: Klaipedos Nafta plans to increase LNG terminal capacity

Lithuania’s state-owned LNG terminal operator, Klaipedos Nafta, plans to expand the annual regasification capacity of its floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU), the Independence, from 3.75 bcm to 5 bcm, Baltic News Network reports. Earlier, the company planned to expand the Klaipeda-based terminal’s capacity to 6.25 bcm. CEO Darius Silenskis expects the company to make…

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Lithuania: Vilnius University fires Russian professor who denied Soviet occupation

Lithuania’s Vilnius University has dismissed Russian professor Andrey Desnitsky, who earlier denied the occupation of the Baltic States, LRT reports. Professor Mindaugas Kvietkauskas, dean of Vilnius University’s Faculty of Philology, said that Desnitsky, who had been working as a researcher and lecturer at the university since autumn 2022, had earlier written publications in which he…

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Lithuania: Deputy foreign minister resigns over drunk driving

Lithuania’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Mantas Adomenas, has resigned after being caught driving under the influence of alcohol, BNS reports. Police stopped him in the town of Alanta. Adomenas said that he had 0.62 permilles of alcohol in his bloodstream. He apologised for the incident and said that he would resign. Adomenas was appointed deputy foreign…

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Lithuania: Operators slam mandatory registration of prepaid SIM cards

Lithuanian mobile operators criticised the government’s plan to introduce mandatory registration of prepaid SIM cards as of 2024, LRT reports. The government argues that mandatory registration is necessary due to phone fraud and other criminal activity. Vytautas Bucinskas, head of business assurance at Telia Lietuva, pointed out that prepaid SIM cards were often used by…

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