Canada’s first ambassador to Lithuania, Jeanette Sautner, has taken office on 10 July 2023 after presenting her diplomatic credentials to President Gitanas Nauseda, BNS reports. Nauseda said that the opening of the Canadian embassy in Vilnius would open new opportunities to further strengthen bilateral relations. He thanked Canada for its contribution to strengthening the security…
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…
Despite diplomatic tensions, buses between Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, and the Belarusian capital, Minsk, are running at full capacity, LRT reports. Buses remain the only form of public transport between Lithuania and Belarus, as train services have remained suspended since the start of the coronavirus pandemic and Lithuania’s airspace is closed to Belarusian aircraft. Moreover, Lithuania…
Foreigners outside Lithuania will be able to apply for national visas only through an external service provider selected by the Lithuanian Migration Department (LMD) as of 1 July 2023, BNS reports. Previously, such visa applications were processed by Lithuanian diplomatic missions, consular offices, or visa centres abroad. The new rules require that all applications for…
Following the introduction of stricter entry procedures for Russian citizens in the Baltic States in September 2022, over 4,000 Russians have been denied entry, Rustamas Liubajevas, commander of Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service (VSAT), announced, LRT reports. He said that Estonia had turned away 1,850, Lithuania 1,278, and Latvia 890 Russian citizens. Liubajevas revealed that…
Lithuania has reintroduced border control measures, which will remain in place until the end of the NATO summit in Vilnius, BNS reports. Border checks will be carried out from 8am on 7 July 2023 until 8am on 13 July 2023. Travellers crossing internal EU borders will have to present a valid travel document and third-country…
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…
The death of a Lithuanian volunteer, Valerijus Polkovnikovas, in Ukraine has caused controversy as it was initially believed to be related to frontline injuries, which later turned out to be untrue, Baltic News Network reports. Defence Minister Arvydas Anusauskas first expressed condolences and praised the fallen fighter in a social media post but quickly deleted…
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…