Finnish investors attracted to Baltic states by cost competitiveness
Lithuania is not far behind Estonia in direct investments from Finland with low wage levels, small taxes and a hungry workforce, Invest Lithuania reports. […]
Year: 2015
Economy
Business trips expected to boost Lithuania’s tourism industry
The number of holiday-makers choosing Lithuania as their destination is falling, yet, there are increasingly more and more business tourists in the country, which allows expecting a modest growth in the sector in the upcoming 6 months, a Tourism Confidence Index compiled by the Confederation of Lithuanian Industrialists shows. […]
Uncategorized
Ukrainian ambassador: EU long believed Russia was developing democratically
The European Union has for many years believed that Russia was developing democratically, and even the Georgian war did not serve as a wakeup call, Ukrainian Ambassador to Lithuania Valery Zhovtenko says. […]
European Union
EP wants to designate 2016 European year to fight violence against women
Member of the European Parliament, Deputy Chair of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Vilija Blinkevičiūtė together with her colleagues from the European Parliament have proposed to announce 2016 a European Year to fight violence against women. […]
Foreign affairs
Lithuania considers making its national black list public
Lithuanian institutions suggest that the country should no longer keep secret the national black list of people barred from entering Lithuania due to potential threat to national security. […]
Foreign affairs
Lithuanian president accepts letters of credence from Canada’s ambassador
President Dalia Grybauskaitė accepted letters of credence from Alain Hausser, Canadian Ambassador to Lithuania, the presidential press service said. […]
Politics
High-profile candidates vie for vacant seat in Lithuanian parliament
A large group of prominent Lithuanian politicians will vie for a parliamentary mandate at the single-mandate constituency of Žirmūnai in Vilnius on 1 March. […]
British parliament committee says UK and EU “sleep-walked” into Ukraine crisis
The United Kingdom and the European Union are guilty of a “catastrophic misreading” of the moods in the Kremlin prior to the crisis in Ukraine, which led to a failure to appreciate what was to come, a report by Britain’s parliamentary committee says. […]
Defence
Selection criteria for Lithuanian state security chief “too restrictive”
The Lithuanian parliament may decide during its spring session to revise the provisions that are said to burden the search for candidates for chiefs of the State Security Department, the Lietuvos Rytas daily reports. […]
Opinion
Opinion: Is Minsk the end, or just the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine?
There is no doubt who gained most from the deal reached in Minsk on February 12th to end the conflict in Ukraine: Russian President Vladimir Putin. At a minimum, a frozen conflict will block Ukraine’s progress towards NATO and the EU; and if fighting resumes, the terms of the ceasefire will leave Ukrainian forces in a weaker position than now. […]
Society
Lithuanians do not buy more weapons due to geopolitical tensions
The war on Ukraine and the increasingly frequent reports about the possibility of Russian aggression in the Baltic states has not led to mass purchase of firearms by Lithuanians, the growth remains stable and in accordance to the tendencies of the past years, the Lietuvos Žinios daily reports. […]
Uncategorized
Moscow is getting ready for a hybrid war with Lithuania. Is the Polish minority going to be the flashpoint?
Another series of Russian provocations involving the Baltic states, related to the Ukraine war, makes so-called hybrid war scenario more and more realistic within the region of the Baltic Sea. The incidents that took place so far, such as the Internet existence of “People’s Republic of Vilnius” or the hooligan attacks on the Polish Embassy in Vilnius, seem to suggest that the Kremlin is going to use the Polish minority of Lithuania, along with the tough history of the Polish-Lithuanian relations, as the basis for its activities, aim of which would be to destabilize the region. […]
Economy
Economy
More details about Google expansion plans in Lithuania
Talks have been around for some time now that US internet giant Google is looking into expanding in Lithuania. At the moment, however, the company is only looking for a Lithuanian-speaking finance specialist for a job in Dublin and does not reveal any details about possible plans to settle in Vilnius. […]
Uncategorized
Sending peacekeepers to Ukraine but a “theoretical” possibility, Lithuanian foreign minister says
The Ukrainian request to deploy peace-keepers in its Eastern districts might be given theoretical consideration, if the situation stabilizes, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius says, adding that this would require a change in Russia‘s negative stance. […]
Politics
US congressmen among recipients of Lithuanian parliament’s award
The Lithuanian parliament has awarded the country’s allies in the United States, local representatives and officials for their contribution to Lithuania’s independence and statehood. […]
Defence
Europe must update its security strategy, Lithuanian defence minister says
The European security strategy does not reflect today’s realities and must be updated, says Lithuanian Defence Minister Juozas Olekas. […]
European Union
EU defence ministers understand threat from Russia, Lithuania’s Olekas says
Lithuanian Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas says that defence ministers of the European Union countries perceive the threat of a hybrid armed conflict rising from the East and the need for the EU to be ready to repel this threat. […]
Defence
Lithuania wants to buy self-propelled howitzers from Germany
During the European Union Defence Ministers’ meeting in Riga, Lithuanian Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas presented his German colleagues with Lithuania’s proposal regarding purchase of self-propelled artillery systems. […]
Economy
Lithuania sticks to its position on Rail Baltica financing model
Lithuania is sticking to its position on the Rail Baltica financing model and will ask the European Commission to provide around 160 million euros in funding directly and 30 million euros more through a joint venture based in Riga. Latvia does not object to that, with its transport minister saying that it is important to show that Lithuania is taking part in the project as a serious partner. […]