Indrė Makaraitytė
CORPORATE

Investing in Udovicki – dangerous for national security but support for the “Peasants” election?

The conservatives are burning candles, voters are putting unremoved waste on social networks, they are angry at the incessant traffic jams and the local press reports on bribing their voters before the municipal elections. But these are mere ripples on the surface because the truth is there are far more serious strategic issues at hand in the municipal elections. […]

Kaziuko mugė
LIGHT

Kaziuko mugė: 416 years of history alive in the streets of Vilnius

It’s not with the first flowers, the returning of birds, or the warmer temperatures that spring starts in Vilnius – Kaziukas Fair (Kaziuko mugė) marks its beginning on 1-3 March. Filled with songs, crafts, and scrumptious food, the city’s oldest and largest fair is an experience to remember. Taking over the streets of the Old Town, the fair cherishes some of Vilnius’ ancient traditions while also embracing modern ones, making for an adventure that is both dynamic and unique. From culinary heritage and innovative food experiments, traditional performances and modern entertainment, to archaic crafts and contemporary design pieces – there’s so much to explore. […]

Viktor Orban with Angela Merkel
Opinion

Two plus two is not necessarily four: German policy towards the Visegrád countries

Until 2015, very few people had heard of the term “Visegrád Group” in Germany, let alone had a sense about its purpose. At that time the group – also called “V4” after its four member states Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary – saw its main task in the coordination and exchange of information, national positions, as well as cooperation on „soft“ projects such as infrastructure. […]

Dovilė Jakniūnaitė
Opinion

No Good End in Sight: The Crumbling Iran Nuclear Deal

In May of 2018, United States President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), colloquially known as the Iran nuclear deal. This deal was one of Barack Obama’s biggest achievements in international politics, with many experts and policy actors widely endorsing and backing the agreement. Thus, Trump’s decision, although not totally unexpected, was met with disapproval not only in Iran, but also by other parties to the agreement, including Germany, U.K, France, Russia, and China. The U.S. withdrawal raises a lot of questions about the future of Iran, nuclear non-proliferation, as well as regional and international security. […]

An airplane landing
Economy

Flight number in January increases by 3.8%

In January 2019, the number of flights in the Lithuanian airspace handled by air traffic controllers made up 19 thousand, i.e. increased by 3.8 per cent, compared to the same period last year. Overflights accounted for three fourths (14.3 thousand) of the total flight number, and compared to the same period last year, their number increased by 3.4 per cent. […]

A farm of industrial hemp in Lithuania
Economy

Processing of industrial hemp: an additional value of 100-300 m EUR for Lithuanian economy

Lithuanian Farmers‘ Union (Lietuvos ūkininkų sąjunga, LŪS) is encouraging country‘s politicians to pass necessary legislation in order to fully legalize the processing of the industrial hemp. This decision would turn the cultivation and processing of the industrial hemp into a promising agribusiness sector, capable of creating a solid additional value to Lithuanian economy. […]

OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría
Opinion

Lithuania’s membership in the OECD: benefits are already here*

On 5 July 2018, Lithuania officially became the 36th member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). It was symbolic that at the time when Lithuania deposited its instrument of ratification of the accession with the French government, the depository of the OECD Convention, OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurría was on a mission to Vilnius. […]

Sushi
Economy

Lithuanians love sushi – last year they bought twice as much as a year before that

As foreign cuisine grows more popular in Lithuania, some of those dishes are becoming an irreplaceable part of people’s diets. One of the most popular dishes among Lithuanians is Japanese sushi. Demand nearly doubled over the last year. According to retailers, it’s easy to explain the secret behind the popularity of sushi – Lithuanians value the dish because of its flavour and because of how healthy it is. […]

Aušrinė Armonaitė
Politics

Smaller Seimas would easier succumb to control by large agribusinesses – MP Armonaitė

Aušrinė Armonaitė, Member of the Seimas, claims that the initiative of the Government to reduce the number of Members of the Seimas to 121 is a cheap trick in the presidential election campaign of the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union that shakes the very foundations of parliamentarianism and might strengthen the position of groups of influence in the Seimas. […]

Seimas
Politics

Lithuania to hold referendum to cut size of parliament

The Lithuanian parliament decided on Feb 14 to hold a referendum to cut size of the country’s parliament from 141 to 121. […]