Economy
Year: 2016
Economy
Court orders freeze on EUR 20 mln worth of funds of Veolia’s subsidiary
A Vilnius court has ordered a freeze on almost 20 million euros worth of funds of Vilniaus Energija (Vilnius Energy), a local district heating supplier controlled by France‘s Veolia, a move that the company describes as “an assault” against it and plans to contest. […]
Defence
Lithuanian businesses get no access to millions of euros from Boxer contract
The Lithuanian Defence Ministry does not say why it did not make use of the so-called offset mechanism in the procurement of Boxer infantry fighting vehicles, thus not giving local businesses a chance to earn at least 60 million to 80 million euros, the business daily Verslo Žinios reported on Tuesday. […]
Global LT
Join commission of Seimas, Lithuanian expats to continue work
A joint commission between the Seimas and the Lithuanian World Community (LWC) will continue its work in the new parliament, the daily Lietuvos Žinios reported on Tuesday. […]
Defence
Kazakh, Belarusian arms inspectors to visit NATO exercise
A group of arms control inspectors from Kazakhstan and Belarus are to visit this week military training areas in Lithuania and the Iron Sword 2016 multinational exercise that is currently underway in the country, the Defence Ministry said on Monday. […]
Defence
NATO jets scrambled twice last week over Russian warplanes
NATO air-policing jets were last week scrambled from Lithuania twice to identify and intercept Russian warplanes flying above the Baltic Sea. […]
Uncategorized
Regions of Russia – equal subjects of federation or hostages to centre?
Based on its Constitution, Russia is a federation. It is natural, given the state‘s size and regional differences. Furthermore based on social and economic indicators the federal subjects are vastly different – from Chechnya where a bloody war raged and risks of instability remain to Siberia, blessed with rich oil and gas reserves. […]
Global LT
Opera singer Montvidas performs for the Belgium Lithuanians
Special evening was held at the Embassy of Lithuania in Brussels on the 14 November. The Belgium Lithuanian community had an exceptional opportunity to hear a live performance delivered by the opera singer Edgaras Montvidas as well as to get to know his unique personality. […]
Opinion
Putin’s Russia – can hitting rock bottom destroy the system?
The election of the Russian Duma was a paradox. On the one hand, fourteen parties were on the list; only seven parties were permitted to run five years ago. Ela Pamfilova, considered to be a liberal, has replaced an old associate of Vladimir Putin, Vladimir Churov as the Chairwoman of the Central Election Commission and PARNAS (People’s Freedom Party). Other opposition parties’ representatives have openly criticized the President live, on national television. […]
Foreign affairs
President Grybauskaitė: US should stay leader in security architecture
The United States have always been the guarantee of democracy, peace and freedom, therefore, it is important that it stays the leader of the global security efforts, says Lithuania’s President Dalia Grybauskaitė. […]
Economy
Employers suggest written pledge to raise wages for Labour Code
Lithuanian employers are considering a possibility of a public pledge to raise wages in exchange of consideration of their proposals of regulation of labor relations, delfi.lt news portal said, adding that trade unions are cautious about the proposal. […]
Defence
No general conscription for Lithuania before 2020
Should Lithuanian politicians decide to introduce general conscription, preparations would take at least four years and require more funding, experts say. […]
CORPORATE
New Seimas Speaker – I suggest we “close” this question
Next year’s budget is turning into a task for the new cabinet, which has yet to form and the new Seimas, which started work this week. The President has already presented the candidacy of Saulius Skvernelis for the post of PM, next week he will likely become the head of cabinet with little to no resistance and will announce his ministers. The new Seimas Speaker Viktoras Pranckietis discussed the coming term on the Savaitė show on LRT TV. […]
Society
Peasant considers two name versions in passport
Lithuania’s ruling Peasant and Green Union is considering a new idea on spelling non-Lithuanian names in passports. The party suggests entering both versions – in Lithuanian characters and in Latin characters – on the main page of the passport, with only the Lithuanian version entered in registers. […]
CORPORATE
Kojala – we have to remain calm and see NATO as one unit
On Friday the BBC published a text on the fate of the Baltic States with Donald Trump taking power in the United States. The publication points out that Lithuania is afraid of potential Russian aggression […]
CORPORATE
“Peasants” to resolve demographic crisis through stricter abortion regulations?
The state and the Church are separate in Lithuania, but is the latter separate from Seimas? This parliament, it appears will present a number of laws based on Church doctrine. This will most likely receive […]
CORPORATE
Lithuanians value the EU, but feel unimportant
Recent polls show that the Lithuanian population view their membership in the European Union positively and acknowledge its benefits. At the same time the data shows that the citizens believe that their opinion is unimportant […]
Politics
Alleged CIA prison in Lithuania on international prosecutors’ radar screen
Lithuania may face additional international pressure over suspicions that Americans operated a secret prison for terror suspects near Vilnius a decade ago as prosecutors of the International Criminal Court (ICC) are considering launching a full-scale investigation into allegations that prisoners were tortured at the Central Intelligence Agency’s secret detention facilities. […]
Uncategorized
Apathy of Russian society: can the youth change it?
The results of the elections to the Russian Duma, which took place on 18th September, showed that voters have an apathetic attitude towards the situation in the country, and do not cultivate any warm feelings for the ruling United Russia Party. President Vladimir Putin‘s party secured a win, yet voter activity reached a record low especially in the capital Moscow, where voter turnout was less than 35% (actually believed to be even lower). The elections unfortunately indicate something else – that the opposition has completely lost its connection with wider society. Not one credible critic of the Kremlin made it into the Duma. Neither representatives of the opposition nor civil society activists have hitherto managed to unite and mobilise the disillusioned against the kleptocracy. […]
Opinion
U.S. presidential election as a wake-up call for women in leadership
The defeat of Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election has resulted in well-founded concerns for the U.S. and Europe. Lithuania is no exception. Currently, our concerns about the safe future are being addressed and soothed by highest U.S. officials, including Vilnius-residing Ambassador Anne Hall who shortly after the announcement of the election results reassured us about the U.S. commitment to its alliance with Lithuania. […]