Foreign affairs
Belarus
Foreign affairs
Russia aiming to intimidate Europe in energy – Lithuania’s ambassador in Washington
Russia is using energy projects, such as the Astravyets nuclear power plant in Belarus and the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, to intimidate Europe, Lithuania’s Ambassador to the United States, Rolandas Krisciunas, said at a conference of the executive council, ministers and diplomats of the Community of Democracies last Friday. […]
Defence
Belarusian border guard suspected of violating Lithuanian border
The Lithuanian State Border Guard Service (VSAT) and prosecutors have confirmed yet another investigation into violation of the state border where a Belarusian border guard is suspected of unlawfully entering Lithuania. […]
Energy
Belarus building N-plant without public consent, parties to Aarhus convention admit
Parties to the UN Aarhus Convention acknowledged during their meeting in Montenegro on Thursday that in building the Astravyets nuclear power plant, Belarus had violated the right of the public, granted by the convention, to receive information and participate in environmental decision-making, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry said on Friday. […]
Defence
Minister of defense says there’s too much nervousness over Zapad
The public in Lithuania is too nervous about Zapad 2017, a large-scale military exercise that has started in Russia and Belarus, Defense Minister Raimundas Karoblis said on Thursday morning. […]
Foreign affairs
Defence
Zapad’s goal is ‘to frighten us ‘- Lithuanian president
The goal of Zapad 2017, a large-scale military exercise that Russia and Belarus will hold later this month, is “to frighten us”, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė, who will be visiting the United States during the drills, said on Friday. […]
Defence
Lithuania much better prepared for Zapad than in 2013 – Seimas panel heads
Lithuania’s security situation and preparedness ahead of next week’s Zapad 2017 military exercise in Russia and Belarus is much better than in 2013, the heads of the parliament’s Committee on National Security and Defense said on Wednesday after being updated on the security situation in the region. […]
Foreign affairs
Public deserves to be informed about Belarus’ N-plant – formin
Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius says that the public must be informed about the Astravyets nuclear power plant under construction close to Belarus‘ border with Lithuania and reiterates Vilnius’ demand that the project meet the Espoo Convention standards and that risk tests be performed under the EU rules. […]
Foreign affairs
Two-thirds of Lithuanians see Belarus’ N-plant as threat – poll
Two-thirds of the Lithuanian population think that the Astravyets nuclear power plant under construction in Belarus threatens the country’s safety, according to a RAIT opinion poll commissioned by BNS. […]
Defence
Seimas panel to get latest intelligence update on regional security
The Lithuanian parliament’s National Security and Defense Committee will Wednesday hear information about the regional security information from the State Security Department and the Second Investigations Department ahead of the Russian-Belarusian Zapad 2017 exercise due to kick off next week. […]
Culture
Minister of culture sees plans to perform Belarus ballet Vytautas in Vilnius as provocation
Plans to perform the Belarusian-produced ballet Vytautas (Vitaut) in Vilnius next January and link it to the official program for celebrations of the centenary of the restoration of Lithuania’s statehood is a demonstration of soft power and provocation, Culture Minister Liana Ruokytė-Jonsson said. […]
Foreign affairs
Lithuanian ministry drafts plan for blocking power from Belarus’ N-plant (Updated)
As part of efforts to force Belarus to ensure that its Astravyets nuclear plant is built safely and according to international standards, Lithuania’s authorities plan to restrict the transmission capacity for electricity from Belarus and to impose a transmission charge on power imports from it, as well as to ban the Kruonis Pumped Storage Plant from providing services to the neighboring country. […]
CORPORATE
What Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine want from the Brussels Summit
The European Union will hold the fifth Summit of the Eastern Partnership (EaP) in Brussels on November 24. There, the leaders of EU member states will meet with counterparts from Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Armenia […]
CORPORATE
Zapad exercise scenario inspires Belarussians – state “fabricated” on the Lithuanian border receives attention
Weishnoria – this is how the organisers of the Russian–Belarussian military exercise Zapad called the territory on the Lithuanian border, the territory of which is just a little larger than Estonia. Based on the scenario […]
Defence
Energy
The conditions for Baltic power system isolated operation test assessed
One of the most important preparation steps towards synchronisation – the Baltic power system isolated operation test will take place in 2019. This August, the study determining technical conditions for the test as well as preparatory measures, was completed. […]
Defence
US Army Europe commander to come to Lithuania
Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, the US Army commander in Europe, is coming to Lithuania on Thursday to discuss the security situation in the region. […]
Defence
US Army Europe commander to visit Lithuania
Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, the US Army commander in Europe, will start a two-day visit to Lithuania on Thursday. […]
CORPORATE
Zapad exercise scenario revealed – Lithuania as a peculiar named aggressor
“Weishnoria”, “Lubenia” and “Besbaria”. Such are the odd names of the made-up aggressor countries in the released Russian-Belarussian military exercise Zapad scenario. While the Kremlin and Minsk are ardently assuring that this is only a […]