Articles by Lithuania Tribune

There is no basis for equating post-war Soviet persecution of partisans in Lithuania with genocide, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled. […]

Lithuanian government struggles to prevent LNG terminal from inflating heating bills

Under the new scheme, proposed by the Lithuanian government to finance the maintenance of the Klaipėda liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, heating prices might inch up a little in several municipalities, but would drop in most others, the parliament was told on Tuesday. […]

Lithuanian government under pressure to redraw constituencies before next elections

Lithuania’s Constitutional Court issued a ruling on Tuesday, saying that disparities in voter numbers in each of Lithuania’s 71 constituencies were unconstitutional. This puts pressure on Lithuanian lawmakers to make necessary adjustments before the next general elections next year. […]

Could Lithuania mediate in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks?

During a meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė stressed the need for Israelis and Palestinians to go back to peace talks. She also hinted that Lithuania could serve as a broker in the negotiations. However, with Lithuania’s record of supporting Israel and opposing any Palestinian moves to establish themselves in the international community, Vilnius would not be a likely choice for a mediator, a political scientist says. […]

Lithuania’s defence budget 2016-2018 focuses on developing priority capabilities and combat training

October 20, 2015 Lithuania Tribune 0

Draft National Defence System Budget 2016-2018 has been submitted for consideration by the Lithuanian Parliament. With an aim to implement the strategic priorities of the activities of the National Defence System for the nearest future, the demand for defence appropriations for 2016 is EUR 574.0 million, or 1.48 percent of GDP. The sum exceeds the adopted Defence Budget 2016 by EUR 149 million, the Ministry of National Defence reports. […]

Variation in constituency sizes is unconstitutional, Lithuania’s top court rules

October 20, 2015 Lithuania Tribune 0

Lithuania’s Constitutional Court ruled on Tuesday that current regulations concerning the size of electoral constituencies is unconstitutional. […]

Logistics specialists to support Lithuanian troops in Exercise Trident Juncture 2015

Logistics and movement control specialists of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and Mobile Refuelling Unit will provide logistical support to Lithuanian and allied troops taking part in NATO‘s Exercise Trident Juncture 2015 in Spain until 6 November, the Ministry of National Defence reports. […]

President Grybauskaitė meets with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin

President Grybauskaitė: Difficult challenges for Lithuania and Israel

President Dalia Grybauskaitė, who is in Israel on an official visit, met with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin. The meeting – the first between the Lithuanian president and the president of Israel, who was elected last year – focused on the most relevant issues relating to regional security and bilateral cooperation. The Israeli president, who emphasizes his Litvak roots, and Dalia Grybauskaitė also discussed measures to strengthen Israel’s ties with Lithuania, the presidential press service said. […]

Lithuanian land force personnel train in multinational exercise across Europe

Lithuanian soldiers assigned to various units of the Lithuanian Land Force take part in a spectrum of multinational training events and military competitions in Germany, Latvia, Spain and the United Kingdom, the Ministry of National Defence reports. […]

President Grybauskaitė says her visit to Israel to give new momentum to relations

President Dalia Grybauskaitė is making an official visit to Israel on 19-21 October. She will be accompanied by the ministers of foreign affairs and economy as well as by Chair of the Jewish Community of Lithuania, Faina Kukliansky, the presidential press service said. […]

Lithuania signs agreement to purchase weaponry together with Sweden

On 15 October, Colonel Darius Užkuraitis and Dan Ohllsson, on behalf of defence ministries of Lithuania and Sweden, respectively, signed an agreement on cooperation in defence procurement, the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence reports. […]

Lithuanian parliament wants to take away president’s right to appoint prosecutor general

Members of the Committee on Legal Affairs of the Lithuanian parliament (Seimas) have suggested to change the procedure of appointing prosecutor general. Under current regulation, the prosecutor general is appointed by the president, with parliament’s approval; a new bill suggests letting the government pick the candidate. […]

Official launch of Rail Baltica segment between Kaunas and Polish border

A segment of Rail Baltica between Kaunas and the Polish border is officially opening on Friday. The Lithuanian prime minister says it is now up to Poland to upgrade its network so that transportation of cargo and passengers on the railway can begin. […]

Culture

Vilnius Yiddish Reading Circle turning to prewar Kaunas

After a month of concentrating on prewar Yiddish newspapers from Vilnius (Yiddish Vílne), the weekly Yiddish Literary Reading Circle, now in its 17th year, turns in its next session, this coming Sunday, 18 October 2015 at 1 PM (1300) sharp, to readings from Yiddish newspapers in interwar Kaunas (Yiddish Kóvne). […]

NATO experts welcome Lithuania’s defence reforms

On 13-14 October, NATO defence planning experts conducted a visit in Lithuania to assess the status quo of Lithuania’s defence capabilities and prospective defence reforms. NATO experts were particularly interested in the steps Lithuania made to respond to changing security situation in the region, Lithuania’s Ministry of National Defence said. […]

US army setting up supply centre in Marijampolė

The Lithuanian army has confirmed that United States is setting up a centre to service American troops deployed in the Baltics. […]

Lithuanian president says her Israeli visit will have ‘international significance’

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė, who is planning a visit to Israel this week, says that the Lithuanian-Israeli relations have never been as good as they are now. She adds that the four-day visit might have international significance due to current tensions in Israeli-Palestinian relations. […]

Polish-Lithuanian gas interconnection funding deal to be signed in Brussels