Contents tagged with Lithuania

  • Lithuania ratifies transfer of nearly €2 million of weapons to Ukraine

    On Wednesday the Lithuanian government decided to transfer weapons and ammunition worth nearly €2 million to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense for free. Weapons that were used by the Lithuanian military until they were replaced with new weapons, corresponding to NATO standards, will be given to Ukraine, the official website of the Lithuanian Defense Ministry reports.

    “The transfer of assets is consistent and comprehensive support of Ukraine by Lithuania, by strengthening her defensive …

  • Vilnius: Lithuania is interested in deepening cooperation with Ukrainian military educational institutions

    Lithuania is interested in enhancing cooperation with the military educational institutions of Ukraine, as stated by the Chief of the Joint Staff of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, Vitalijus Vaikšnoras, in a meeting with the Minister of Defence of Ukraine, Stepan Poltorak, the web-portal of the Ukrainian government reports.

    As noted, during the meeting enhancing cooperation and the exchange of experiences between the two countries' governmental universities were discussed.

    "We are interested in …

  • Lithuania to provide Ukraine with €2 million of weapons

    The Lithuanian government has decided to give Ukraine €1.93 million of weapons, including 7,000 Kalashnikov automatic rifles and 2 million bullets, and 80 machine guns, mortars and antitank weapons. This was reported on Sunday November 26 by RIA Novosti with reference to the Lithuanian government’s draft resolution, drawn up by the Defense Ministry of the Baltic republic and published on its official page.

    “The Lithuanian government has decided to transfer material property worth €1.93 million …

  • Lithuania puts 44 names on the Magnitsky List

    The Lithuanian Parliament or Seimas has decided to add 44 names to the list of individuals banned from the country under the law known as the Magnitsky Act, Diena newspaper reports.

    The decision was adopted by the majority vote of 82 out of 83 members of Parliament. One member abstained from the vote.

    “By this decision I am calling on the government to put on the black list individuals who were closely involved in the murder of Sergei Magnitsky. This will make our Magnitsky list complete,” …

  • Lithuanian parliament adopts ‘Magnitsky Law’

    The Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas) has adopted a law similar to the Magnitsky Act adopted in 2012 by Washington authorities to punish Russian officials guilty of the death of Sergei Magnitsky, a Ukrainian-born Russian accountant who stood up to Russian authorities, accusing them of large-scale fraud. The law passed by the Lithuanian Seimas bans the entry of people suspected of corruption, money laundering, and persons accused of crimes against human rights and civic freedoms.

    In particular, …

  • Lithuanian Minister of Defense: Lithuania will continue to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine

    The position of Lithuania regarding the supply of lethal weapons to Ukraine remains unchanged, Ukrinform reports, citing Lithuanian Minister of Defense Raimundas Karoblis.

    "Regarding lethal weapons, we already provided them several years ago. And our position remains unchanged: we are ready to provide [weapons] in the future, but, of course, based on our capabilities," he stressed.

    Karoblis recalled that Lithuania provides Ukraine with all kinds of assistance, from training of Ukrainian …

  • Lithuanian Security and Defense committee investigates why Lithuanian trains are equipped with Russian security system

    The Lithuanian parliament’s Committee on National Security and Defense has begun an investigation into who decided to install the Russian “CLUB-U” security system on Lithuanian Railways trains during their modernization, stated Committee chairman Vytautas Bakas after a closed meeting in the Seimas, reports Delfi news agency.

    According to Bakas, the Russian system may pose a threat to national security, since it is linked to the Russian military industry.

    "We will find out the circumstances of …

  • Lithuanian Foreign Minister to discuss assistance plan for Ukraine with EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn

    Next week, the Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Linas Linkevičius, plans to discuss with the European Commissioner for European Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn, the assistance plan for Ukraine, also known as the Marshall Plan, as he stated during his interview with Lithuanian news agency, Delfi.

    Next week Linkevičius will take part in an EU Council session during which he plans to meet with Hahn.

    "We have already talked about this and agreed to meet so …

  • Lithuanian Parliament approves Magnitsky Law in first reading

    The Lithuanian Seimas has adopted the so-called Magnitsky Law, which prohibits the entry of foreigners associated with large-scale corruption, money laundering and human rights violations, during the first reading, reported Delfi news agency.

    The relevant amendments to the law on the legal status of foreigners were approved by 78 deputies; one deputy voted against, and five abstained.

    According to one of the project’s initiators, conservative leader Gabrielius Landsbergis, Lithuania could …

  • European Union assistance plan for Ukraine presented in Lithuania

    On November 6, in the Lithuanian Seimas, ambassadors of the countries participating in the Eastern Partnership Program presented the so-called “Marshall Plan” – the EU's financial assistance plan to help Ukraine.

    According to the plan, politicians are offering to allocate 50 billion euros to Ukraine for the promotion of small and medium-sized businesses. This would begin in 2018 and extend over a period of ten years.

    “I would like to emphasize that this was first Lithuania’s plan to help …