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Partnership with Poland should be Lithuania’s key foreign policy priority, says former ambassador to US
Many in Lithuania have been criticizing Poland‘s new government, but former Lithuanian ambassador to the US Žygimantas Pavilionis believes that the return of a strategic partnership between Poland and Lithuania should be our greatest foreign policy priority. According to Pavilionis, those now criticising the Polish government are the same people that accepted Barack Obama‘s attempts to reset the US relationship with Russia and improve the EU’s relationship with Russia. […]
CORPORATE
Supporters and critics of Poland clash in European Parliament
Ping pong of historical references pepper European Parliament debate on Poland reforms and European Commission investigation […]
Opinion
European Union
EU budget review likely to fund response to refugee crisis, says Finance Minister
The European Commission could find additional funding for handling the refugee crisis by reviewing the European Union‘s budget, said Lithuanian Finance Minister Rimantas Šadžius. […]
Uncategorized
Second gas pipeline bypassing Baltic States a key priority for Russia, says minister
Russia’s energy minister said a second gas pipeline, Nordstream 2, that will bypass the Baltic States and Poland to supply Germany directly with natural gas was a key energy project for Russia in 2016. […]
Politics
Local rules need to be explained to refugees, president’s advisor says
“Cultural norms” and laws will have to be explained to refugees who will be resettled in Lithuania, says Lithuanian president’s chief foreign policy adviser Renaldas Vaisbrodas. […]
Uncategorized
What does Poland’s political upheaval mean for Lithuania?
The nationalistic Law and Justice party that recently came into power in Poland has been eyed warily by neighbors and other countries in the EU. Some have been worried about the its moves to tighten its control over the media and constitutional courts, and Lithuanian analysts are also split about what to make of the new political climate. In a show on LRT, several respected political observers discussed the ongoing events in Poland. […]
European Union
‘Domino effect’ of border closures is threat to EU free movement, Foreign Minister says
Decisions to introduce border controls by Schengen Area countries have set off a “domino effect” that could threaten the entire free movement principle of the European Union, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius said. […]
Opinion
Russia paying financial compensation? A fata morgana
The issue re-appeared rather unexpectedly. On 5 November, after a meeting in Riga, the Justice Ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania released a statement, in which they peremptorily declared that their countries had been occupied by and had been “exploited for political and economic needs” by the Soviet Union. The “enormous demographic and socio-economic losses”, caused by “the totalitarian communist occupation regime of the USSR.” should be “calculated in a scientifically-justified manner”, they said. The final step would be that they would “claim legally and factually justified compensation from the Russian Federation”. […]
European Union
EU Commissioner attacks Lithuanian politicians for turning immigration into election issue
Lithuanians should show their support for the EU not just in relation to EU investments in energy projects in Lithuania but also in helping other EU member states to solve the refugee crisis, says Vytenis Andriukaitis, the EU Health and Food Safety Commissioner. […]
Economy
Companies struggle to find German speaking employees in Lithuania
As German investment and tourism booms in Lithuania, companies are looking for employees who speak German. Unfortunately, the language does not seem to be very popular with Lithuanian students. […]
Energy
Nord Stream 2 should not go ahead, President Grybauskaitė says
The planned Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany under the Baltic Sea should not be built, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė said on Thursday before leaving for an EU Council meeting. […]
European Union
Why Europe won’t protect its borders
The refugee crisis has uncovered a major flaw in the European Union‘s (EU) policy of free movement of people: porous external borders. Lithuanian commentators say some countries are just not interested in solving the problem. […]
Defence
Boxer deal bonanza for Lithuanian businesses
The biggest military purchase in the history of the Lithuanian army will present plenty of opportunities to local entrepreneurs. After the Lithuanian government decided to open talks on acquiring almost one hundred German Boxer infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs), negotiators say they will try to secure maintenance contracts for Lithuanian companies as part of the deal. […]
Defence
Lithuania picks German Boxer IFVs for EUR 400m armament upgrade
Lithuania will open talks with German manufacturers over to purchase Boxer infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) for the country’s military, the State Defence Council (VGT) decided on Friday. […]
Politics
President Grybauskaitė: benefits for refugees should not be increased
Refugees should not get bigger benefits than people who have worked in Lithuania for 30 or 40 years, President of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė told LRT Radijas radio. According to the president, Lithuania has already designated considerable benefits compared to other countries. […]
Foreign affairs
Minister Linkevičius: Any NATO-Russia conversation must include Ukraine issue
Now that Europe is facing numerous crises and cannot focus its undivided attention on assisting Ukraine, it is important not to trade one issue for another, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius said to LRT programme Savaitė. […]
Uncategorized
Will there be rapprochement between Russia and West?
Terrorist attacks in Paris and the plane crash over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula might provide a turning point in Russia‘s relations with the West, allowing Moscow to break out of international isolation. Major Western powers might have to adopt a more lenient tone when talking to Russia in order to have Moscow contribute to fighting international terrorism, says Laurynas Kasčiūnas, analyst at the Eastern Europe Studies Centre. […]