No Picture
Society

Euro adoption and crisis in Ukraine reduced Lithuanians’ optimism, according to poll

In December 2014 only every third Lithuanian claimed that the situation in the country has been improving. Compared with November 2014, the number of optimists decreased by 6 percent. According to sociologist and lecturer of Vilnius University, Professor Romas Lazutka, the outburst of pessimism at the end of the year was related to the change of national currency and the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine. […]

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Defence

Lithuania hands over command of NATO Mine Counter-Measures Group ONE to Netherlands

Lithuania officially ended over six-month long period of command of NATO Mine Counter-Measures Group ONE (SNMCMG1). On January 22, Commander Giedrius Premeneckas (Lithuanian Navy) handed over command of SNMCMG1 to Commander Peter A.J. Bergen Henegouwen (Royal Netherlands Navy) at Den Helder naval base of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Ministry of National Defence said. […]

Antano Gedrimo nuotr.
Opinion

Opinion: US reliability depends on Europe’s contribution to NATO

“The blunt reality is that there will be dwindling appetite and patience in the US Congress—and in the American body politic writ large—to expend increasingly precious funds on behalf of nations that are apparently unwilling to devote the necessary resources or make the necessary changes to be serious and capable partners in their own defense.” That’s Secretary of Defense Bob Gates on his way out of office, back in 2011. […]

Politics

Lithuanian president suggests changes to tighten residency permits

Lithuania’s President Dalia Grybauskaitė has proposed changes that would ban issuing residency permits to foreigners who are suspected of or charged with crimes, as well as put the Police Department, the State Border Guard Service and the State Security Department under the obligation of submitting conclusions about applicants to the Migration Department within 14 days. […]

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Defence

Local government bans Avia Solutions Group from settling near NATO airport

Administration of Lithuania’s northern city of Šiauliai has banned Avia Solutions Group from repairing airplanes in the near-by Zokniai airport, which accommodates NATO fighter-jets performing the Baltic air policing mission. […]

Seimas of Lithuania
Foreign affairs

Lithuania calls for further suspension of Russian delegations rights at Council of Europe PA

The plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to be held in Strasbourg on 26–30 January will address the question of whether to approve the credentials of the Russian delegation to be renewed in 2015 at the expiry of the sanctions applied by the PACE against the Russian delegation because of the annexation of Crimea and the escalation of military tensions in eastern Ukraine. […]

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Economy

British rail companies interested in Rail Baltica project

UK rail companies working in international projects and providing rail infrastructure services such as planning, construction and management of innovative and sustainable railways met the representatives of the Lithuanian Ministry of Transport and Communications. During the meeting, the companies had the possibility to learn more about Lithuania’s strategic project Rail Baltica 2 and other rail projects implemented in the country, the Ministry of Transport and Communication said. […]