Year: 2014
Politics
Visaginas mayor detained on suspicions of office abuse
Dalia Štraupaitė, mayor of the Visaginas municipality in eastern Lithuania, is in detention, Panevėžys prosecutors have confirmed. […]
Energy
Lithuania’s new energy minister says he has no objections to nuclear energy
The newly appointed minister of energy Rokas Masiulis says he has no personal objections to developing nuclear energy. […]
Economy
Lithuanian government plans no major tax changes in 2015
Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius claims that the government is not planning to make any major changes to the tax system next year or introduce any new tax exemptions. He adds that a rise in the excise duty on alcoholic drinks is considered. […]
Foreign affairs
Opinion
Opinion: What does Russia’s trade embargo remind us of?
This summer, Russia banned imports of agricultural products from the European Union countries for one year, while various sanctions on Lithuanian dairy and meat products have been applied for a long time already. Ban on Lithuanian foods, excessive customs checks on Lithuanian trucks or other market restrictions are the means of political pressure. […]
Foreign affairs
Crew of Lithuanian ship detained by Russia safe, Foreign Ministry says
Lithuania’s Consul in St. Petersburg Vytas Babravičius has met with the crew of the Jūros Vilkas (Sea Wolf) fishing vessel that was detained by Russia. The crew are safe and not in danger, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. […]
Foreign affairs
President Grybauskaitė met with Hillary Clinton
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė met with former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in New York. The meeting focused on new challenges to European and global security, further development of transatlantic relations, and bilateral cooperation between Lithuania and the United States of America, the presidential press service said. […]
Foreign affairs
President Grybauskaitė at UN Climate Summit: Energy security is global issue
At the Climate Summit in New York, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė underlined that to make a difference in tackling climate change it was necessary not only to reduce pollution, but also to place a greater global focus on energy security and efficiency, the presidential press service said. […]
Economy
Russian embargo impact on Lithuanian economy overstated, financial analyst says
Advisor to the SEB Bank president, financial analyst Gitanas Nausėda says that the impact of Russia‘s food product embargo on the Lithuanian economy has been greatly overstated. […]
Foreign affairs
Lithuanian trade unions to start campaign of humanitarian aid for Ukrainians
Trade unions of Lithuania have pledged to initiate an all-European campaign to collect humanitarian aid for Ukrainian civilians affected by the war. […]
Economy
Controversial reactions to legalization of ritual slaughter of animals in Lithuania
The law legalizing ritual slaughter of livestock, which was passed by the Seimas, the Lithuanian parliament, has attracted controversy. While the local Jewish Community of Lithuania welcomed the law, animal rights activists said they will turn to the European Commission. […]
Opinion
Opinion: The EU and Russia – how to obtain independence legitimately
Once again there is an air of crisis across Europe. […]
Society
Lithuanian teachers’ unions postpone strike until end of negotiations
After a dispute between the joint representation of Lithuania’s education trade unions and the Ministry of Education and Science turned to a deadlock, there is still another chance to find a peaceful solution. Minister of Education Dainius Pavalkis agreed to settle the disagreement through a conciliator. […]
Society
Lithuanian president’s ex-aide pleads not guilty in court
The Lithuanian president’s former spokeswoman Daiva Ulbinaitė has pleaded not guilty on the charges of revealing a state secret. […]
Society
Energy
Lithuanian PM defends tax exemption on shale gas extraction
Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius does not give prominence to the environment minister’s concerns that if a three-year tax exemption on shale gas extraction is applied, a deposit would be depleted in that time and the state would not receive income. […]
Sports
On this day in sport: 23 September
As the Sydney Swans football club enter another AFL Grand Final it’s only fair that we return to Australia’s largest city to reflect on another Lithuanian milestone. […]
Economy
Lithuania legalizes ritual slaughter of animals
The Lithuanian parliament has legalized the ritual slaughter of livestock in a move that is expected to help farmers hit by Russia’s food import ban to sell their production to Muslim markets. […]
Economy
Lithuanian government turns to European Commission over detained ship
The Ministry of Agriculture has informed the European Commission‘s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries about the Lithuanian fishing vessel Jūros Vilkas (Sea Wolf) that was detained by Russia. […]