Contents tagged with Lithuania

  • 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 …

  • Lithuanian Parliament approves 'Magnitsky Bill'

    The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Lithuanian Parliament has unanimously supported the "Magnitsky Bill", which prevents foreigners connected with corruption, money laundering or violation of human rights from entering into the country, reports Delfi.Corresponding amendments, which will regulate the legal status of foreigners in Lithuania, have been proposed for inclusion in the law.

    "This will be applied as a political sanction - a ban on entry to the Republic of Lithuania for those who have …

  • Signs set up near the Soviet monuments in Lithuania stating their inconsistency with the truth

    The Biržai District Municipality in the north of Lithuania placed signs near the monuments to Red Army soldiers indicating that the inscriptions on them "are inconsistent with historical facts,” as reported by Lietuvos žinios.

    The signs that appeared near the memorials state: "The burial of soldiers of the USSR are from the times of the Second World War (an object of cultural heritage). The ideological inscriptions of the Soviet period are inconsistent with historical facts."

    These signs are …

  • Lithuania starts publishing KGB communications

    The Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania began to publish intelligence messages from agents of the KGB Soviet special service, as stated in the press release of the organization.

    "Such documents have been preserved in large numbers in the Lithuanian special archive. Their distribution will allow society to get a more accurate picture of the activities of KGB agents," the report said.

    Reports on messages from agents operating in Lithuanian immigrant organizations, the Supreme …

  • American Patriot anti-missile systems stationed in Poland will also protect Lithuanian skies

    Patriot anti-missile defense complexes that Poland plans to buy in the US will also protect Lithuanian airspace, as stated by the head of the Defense Committee of the Polish Sejm , Michael Jach, reports Delfi news agency. During the official visit to Lithuania, Jach stated that Lithuania faces the same threats as Poland.

    "The Patriot system should be the way; it could be integrated with neighboring countries," he added.

    There are currently no long-range missile defense systems in Poland and …

  • Lithuania blocks Russian TVCi channel over ‘incitement of war’

    Lithuania suspended the retransmission of the Russian TV channel TVCi Lithuania for six months for inciting war and hatred, as reported by Delfi news agency. The station is owned by the Russian State TV company, TV Center.

    According to Delfi, the Lithuanian Radio and TV Commission (LRTC) decided to suspend the retransmission two weeks ago, stating that the channel has repeated violations and the sanctions imposed earlier have not yielded any results. This decision by the commission was upheld …

  • Lithuanian Ministry of Defense accuses Russia of 'simulating an attack' on Baltic states

    The head of the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense, Raimundas Karoblis, said that during the Belarusian-Russian Zapad-2017 tactical exercises, Russia worked on the scenarios for an attack on the Baltic States, reported   Lithuanian newspaper Respublika.

    “The fact that Russia simulated an attack on all the Baltic countries is important,” Karoblis stressed. He noted that during the exercises there were obvious decisions made of a tactical and strategic nature, and there was actual bombing near the …

  • Lithuanian President: Russia is rehearsing attacks on its neighbors

    The President of Lithuania, Dalia Grybauskaite, speaking at the UN General Assembly, said that   Zapad-2017 joint exercises of Russia and Belarus are part of the information war and a rehearsal for a Russian attack on neighboring countries.

    "Today, the attention of the world is drawn to North Korea and other regions, but the same methods of blackmail and aggression are used in Ukraine and along NATO’s eastern border. About 100,000 Russian servicemen are taking part in Zapad-2017 exercises …

  • Russian UN delegation leaves before Lithuanian President’s speech

    The Russian delegation left the session of the UN General Assembly before the speech of Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite. Before her speech, First Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations Pyotr Ilyichev and the Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Leonid Slutsky left the hall. On Tuesday, Grybauskaite met with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

    The press service of the Lithuanian president reported that during this …