Vilnius, September 7 (ELTA) – On Monday, President Gitanas Nausėda met with the heads of Lithuania’s diplomatic missions to discuss the most significant achievements and challenges of recent years, as well as the role of diplomacy in advancing Lithuania’s goals, reports the presidency.

During the traditionally held meeting, the president emphasized that the increasingly unpredictable international environment requires even greater attention to Lithuania’s national security and defense. This year, Lithuania became a NATO leader in defense spending and is rapidly expanding major investment projects in the defense industry. A major breakthrough was the Seimas’ adoption of the Law on the Kapčiamiestis Training Area, which will enable large-scale joint exercises with allies.

“The NATO Summit in Ankara demonstrated the solidarity, unity, and determination of the United States and Europe. The NATO 3.0 concept, which envisions a strong Europe within a strong NATO, became even clearer. We have to encourage other NATO countries to follow Lithuania’s example and to increase their investments in security and defense,” President Gitanas Nausėda said.

The head of state highlighted the decision adopted at the Ankara Summit to transition NATO’s mission in the Baltic states from air policing to air defense as a key achievement. Allies also unanimously underscored the long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security and acknowledged that Euro-Atlantic security would not be complete without Ukraine.

According to the president, the active engagement of Lithuanian diplomats on these and other issues is a fundamental prerequisite for the country’s success on the international stage. It is particularly important to strengthen ties with key strategic partners, including the United States, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, and France.

“The United States is Lithuania’s security guarantor and one of the country’s most important partners in modernizing its defense capabilities. We must do everything we can to ensure that our strategic partnership continues to grow and deepen,” the president said, calling for ways to further increase Lithuania’s visibility in the United States.

Speaking about Lithuania’s upcoming second Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Nausėda emphasized that it will provide a strategic opportunity to strengthen Lithuania’s visibility and influence within the European Union.

“We will strive to ensure that the European Union remains a strong, globally active geopolitical player. We will serve as an honest broker and help the entire EU make effective decisions in the face of crises,” the president said.

According to the Lithuanian leader, particular attention needs to be paid to strengthening the EU’s eastern border and countering hybrid threats, enhancing military mobility, including the completion of the Rail Baltica and Via Baltica projects, and addressing issues related to historical memory.

The president stressed that Europe’s long-term security is inseparable from the success of Ukraine’s European integration. Therefore, Lithuania will continue to support Ukraine and Moldova in their pursuit of full EU membership by 2030 and will advocate for further international pressure on the aggressor state, Russia, and its accomplices. Lithuania’s policy towards Belarus remains unchanged and aims to maintain and strengthen sanctions, isolate the regime, and encourage changes in its behavior.

Addressing relations with China, the president noted that restoring mutual diplomatic representation requires the willingness of both countries. Lithuania respects its international commitments, including the Vienna Convention and the One China policy, and expects the other side to do the same.

The president also welcomed the strong growth of the Lithuanian economy, supported by rising added value, robust domestic consumption, and investment in infrastructure. Economic diplomacy, focused on developing partnerships around the world, also plays an important role. A key shift in recent years has been the country’s growing focus on the Indo-Pacific region.

“I look forward to your focused efforts aimed at reducing strategic dependencies, building resilient supply chains, protecting critical infrastructure and advanced technologies, curbing hostile influence, identifying new markets, and bringing the world’s most advanced technologies to Lithuania,” the president said.

President Nausėda also urged the heads of Lithuania’s diplomatic missions to devote greater attention to uniting the Lithuanian diaspora, supporting Lithuanian education, and fostering cultural diplomacy.

“May every child of Lithuanian descent living abroad not only find their way to the nearest Lithuanian school but also nurture a dream of returning to Lithuania. Let us make every effort to ensure that Lithuanian education abroad motivates young people to tie their future to our country,” the president underlined.

Nausėda urged all Lithuanian diplomats to maintain unity and not allow often-exaggerated internal issues to overshadow the country’s positive agenda. He called on them to ensure the smooth operation of diplomatic missions, listen to the needs of their staff, and keep them motivated.

Vilnius, September 7 (ELTA) – President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda is disappointed with the victory of the party Alternative for Germany (AfD) in elections in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. He says the rise of populist parties in some German states is concerning.

“I treat this as disappointment. Unfortunately, this disappointment could have been predicted taking into account sociological polls or sentiments in Germany. This perhaps proves that foreign policy is far from being the only factor when people go to the polls and vote,” Nausėda told reporters Monday.

“Populist forces growing stronger and consolidating in some German states is a cause for concern,” said Nausėda, adding that this may lead to some changes in Germany’s national politics.

Nonetheless, the president stressed that foreign policies of Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his Government have been consistent and clear, with much empathy and support for Ukraine, which has been defending against aggressor Russia.

He also expressed hope that Germany’s policy regarding Lithuania would remain friendly and constructive in the future, and that promises given concerning the deployment of the German brigade would be honoured.

According to Nausėda, a shift in Germany’s national politics could complicate the planning of the European Union’s multiannual financial framework.

On Sunday, the AfD won the election in Saxony-Anhalt state having secured 43.8% of the vote. Christian Democrats (CDU) finished with 17.2%. Meanwhile, three left wing parties – The Left, the Greens and the Social Democrats (SPD) – each garnered around 9% of the vote.

Populist party Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) surpassed the 5% vote threshold and will be represented in state parliament, whereas pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) failed to surpass the vote threshold finishing with 2.6% of the vote.

Vilnius, September 7 (ELTA) – On Monday, President Gitanas Nausėda met with the Board of the Seimas to discuss parliament’s agenda ahead of the start of the autumn session on 10 September. He said afterwards that Lithuania’s defence spending in 2027 is expected to stand at around 5.25 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) or EUR 4.9 billion.

“If EUR 4.8 billion [defence funding allocated] this year would grow to at least EUR 4.9 billion in 2027, estimating based on the projected gross domestic product, this would account for around 5.25 percent of GDP,” said Nausėda.

The president noted that methodology differs in Lithuania and other countries how defence spending is calculated. He says that if defence related funding were to be included in direct defence spending, then Lithuania’s total defence funding would amount to 7 percent of GDP.

Speaking to reporters, the head of state also emphasised the importance of effective use of funding.

The actual amount of defence funding will become clear when the draft of the state budget for 2027 is prepared.

Lithuania has earmarked EUR 4.8 billion or 5.38 percent of GDP for defence in 2026, by 41 percent more compared with 2025, which is the greatest amount in the history of independent Lithuania.

Luxembourg, September 7 (ELTA) – In the second quarter of 2026, seasonally adjusted GDP increased by 0.6% in the euro area and by 0.7% in the EU, compared with the previous quarter, according to an estimate published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, seasonally adjusted GDP increased by 1.2% in the euro area and by 1.4% in the EU in the second quarter of 2026, after +0.6% in the euro area and +0.9% in the EU in the previous quarter.

During the second quarter of 2026, GDP in the United States increased by 0.4% compared to the previous quarter (after +0.5% in the first quarter of 2026). Compared with the same quarter of the previous year, GDP increased by 2.1% (after +2.7% in the previous quarter).

In the second quarter of 2026, Ireland (+10.2%) recorded the highest increase compared to the previous quarter, followed by Slovenia (+1.8%) and Lithuania (+1.7%). Austria (-0.1%) was the only Member State that recorded a decrease compared to the previous quarter.

GDP in Latvia increased by 0.7% and in Estonia by 0.3%.

Vilnius, September 7 (ELTA) – Reliable and up-to-date data is one of the most important prerequisites for effective forest protection and management. An overview of the state of forest resources and their protection, carried out by the National Audit Office, shows that some forests are still not accurately reflected in the state registers; naturally regenerated forests are not always recorded in a timely manner; and the potential of modern technologies to monitor changes in forests is not being fully utilised.

Consequently, there is an increased risk of making inaccurate decisions, planning forest protection on the basis of incomplete data, failing to detect infringements in a timely manner, and creating conditions for abuse and the misuse of forest land, reports the National Audit Office.

“Effective forest protection does not begin with bans or controls, but with a precise understanding of what we have and what is happening in our forests, particularly when faced with natural disasters such as those we have seen in recent weeks. The more reliable the data, the quicker we can spot changes, respond to them and make decisions that help preserve our forests for future generations,” says Auditor General Irena Segalovičienė.

Registered as forest, in reality – roads, sports facilities and bodies of water

The overview by the National Audit Office found that the data in the State Forest Cadastre do not always reflect the actual situation. An example given in the report shows that the data in the State Forest Cadastre may not reflect actual land use – part of the registered forest area is also occupied by buildings, roads, sports facilities and bodies of water. Such discrepancies could be identified more efficiently through the wider use of geoinformation systems and remote sensing technologies.

Naturally regenerated forests are not always recorded in the register in a timely manner

The overview shows that, due to delays in the inventory process, some naturally regenerated forests remain unrecorded for a long time. In 2024, 1.85 thousand hectares of such forests had not yet been registered in the State Forest Cadastre. Consequently, the official data do not fully reflect the country’s actual forest cover, and the protection and monitoring of these areas become more challenging.

Technology can help identify changes more quickly

Modern geospatial data, remote sensing tools, artificial intelligence and automated data analysis enable real-time analysis and the rapid identification of changes in forests and potential infringements where forest land is used for purposes other than those for which it is designated.

However, the overview by the National Audit Office shows that the potential for synchronising and automatically analysing data accumulated in registers is still not being fully utilised in Lithuania. Wider application of these techniques would enable discrepancies to be spotted more quickly, timely action to be taken and data-driven decisions to be made regarding forest protection.

Data gaps – not just a problem for statistics

Shortcomings in the accounting, inventory and registration of forest land have wider implications than merely inaccurate statistical data. They distort the official picture of the country’s forest cover, complicate the planning of forest protection measures, and hinder the timely detection of infringements and the taking of data-driven decisions. Furthermore, such gaps may create opportunities for abuse, the inefficient use of funding or the misuse of forest land.

The National Audit Office recommended as early as 2018 that a clear procedure for the accounting of forest land be established, but this was only approved in April 2026. The National Audit Office plans to assess the results and impact of its implementation when carrying out the financial audit of the 2026 set of state accounts.

Vilnius, September 7 (ELTA) – Construction of a EUR 10 million green hydrogen plant has been completed on the grounds of Vilnius Second Combined Heat and Power Plant. Its equipment and systems are currently undergoing testing, announced district heat supplier Miesto gijos.

Meanwhile, a publicly accessible hydrogen refuelling station, the first of its kind in Vilnius, is being installed at the Viršuliškės Public Transport Park. Once the remaining equipment is tested and the refuelling point completed, the production of green hydrogen is expected to begin before the end of 2026.

The European Union has earmarked EUR 5.64 million funding for the project, while the remaining amount was allocated by Vilnius City Municipality.

Over its five‑year operational period, the plant will be required at least once to produce 1.42 million cubic metres (128,000 kg) of green hydrogen per year. Operating at maximum capacity, its annual production volume should reach 285,000 kg of green hydrogen.

In the first stage, 16 public transport buses will be supplied with green hydrogen, which will replace diesel buses. This will allow cutting around 1,400 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually. The plant capacity of 3 megawatts (MW) will be enough for 40 hydrogen-powered buses. Therefore, Vilnius city will be able to expand its ecological public transport fleet.

The hydrogen refuelling station will be open to public and may be used not only by city buses but also by commercial transport and individual drivers.

Luxembourg, September 7 (ELTA) – In June 2026, compared with May 2026, seasonally adjusted services production decreased by 0.3% in the euro area and by 0.2% in the EU, according to first estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

In June 2026, compared with June 2025, services production increased by 1.5% in both the euro area and the EU.

In the euro area in June 2026, compared with May 2026, services production increased for transportation and storage by 0.1%, increased for accommodation and food services by 0.1%, increased for information and communication by 0.8%, decreased for real estate activities by 1.0%, decreased for professional, scientific and technical activities by 0.7%, decreased for administrative and support services by 0.4%.

In the EU, services production remained stable for transportation and storage, increased for accommodation and food services by 0.1%, increased for information and communication by 0.7%, decreased for real estate activities by 0.8%, decreased for professional, scientific and technical activities by 0.7%, decreased for administrative and support services by 0.4%.

Among Member States for which data are available, the largest monthly decreases were recorded in Latvia (-3.7%), Germany (-2.1%) and Bulgaria (-1.1%). The highest increases were observed in Luxembourg (+7.8%), Portugal (+3.1%) and Lithuania (+2.6%).

In the euro area in June 2026, compared with June 2025, services production increased for transportation and storage by 3.0%, decreased for accommodation and food services by 1.4%, increased for information and communication by 5.2%, decreased for real estate activities by 0.3%, increased for professional, scientific and technical activities by 0.8%, decreased for administrative and support services by 0.4%.

In the EU, services production increased for transportation and storage by 2.4%, decreased for accommodation and food services by 1.3%, increased for information and communication by 4.9%, decreased for real estate activities by 0.5%, increased for professional, scientific and technical activities by 1.4%, decreased for administrative and support services by 0.2%.

Among Member States for which data are available, the highest annual increases were recorded in Greece (+9.3%), Slovenia (+8.5%), Estonia and Lithuania (+7.1%). Decreases were observed in Denmark (-6.5%), Germany (-0.6%), Italy (-0.5%) and Austria (-0.1%).

Vilnius, September 7 (ELTA) – Luminor bank has issued a EUR 13.6 million loan for the development of residential project Piliamiestis in Kaunas.

The project is being developed by the real estate company YIT Lietuva together with Usaldusfond EfTEN Special Opportunities Fund, managed by EfTEN Capital.

Financing has been provided for the construction of two apartment buildings – Spindulys and Rytmetis – on Brastos Street.

73 flats and 13 commercial premises are planned in the two apartment buildings currently under construction.

The construction of the first houses is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2027.

Vilnius, September 7 (ELTA) – As of September, Janusz Przemysław Wlodarczyk has become the CEO of Lidl in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. He has served as a member of the company’s management board in the Baltic States and the head of operations.

Mr Wlodarczyk has replaced Marin Dokozić as the CEO for Baltics, while the latter has joined the management board of the group headquartered in Germany and is responsible for operations in several Southern European countries.

According to the new CEO, the retail chain’s strategy continues to focus on customers and a strong price to quality ratio, while the dedicated team of employees helps ensure an excellent customer experience, a carefully curated product range and smooth store operations across all three Baltic countries every day.

Changes have also been made to the Lidl management board. Željko Marić, the head of the customer division, joined it starting September.

The board currently also includes Head of Human Resources Liina Kippasto, Chief Financial Officer Eglė Radžiūnė, Head of Real Estate Marius Kybartas, Head of Operations Łukasz Hejman and Head of Purchasing Alexis Latorre Garcia.

Lidl currently operates 87 supermarkets in Lithuania, 39 in Latvia and 22 in Estonia.

Vilnius, September 7 (ELTA) – Spanning over 150 hectares, the 78-megawatt (MW) Green Genius solar park in Šeduva is already generating electricity and transmitting it to the Lithuanian electricity transmission grid. A 15 MW and 60 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) is also undergoing final testing at the complex, Green Genius said in a press release.

This is the company’s first project connected directly to the Litgrid transmission network and one of the largest energy infrastructure facilities Green Genius has developed in Lithuania.

“Connecting the Šeduva solar park to the transmission grid is a significant step in strengthening local electricity generation from renewable energy sources. The hybrid solar park, implemented alongside a battery storage system, is particularly beneficial to the electricity system – it enables more efficient integration of large volumes of solar generation, ensures greater production stability, and provides system flexibility. Such solutions are becoming increasingly important as the share of green energy grows, contributing to the reliable and stable operation of the entire energy system,” says Ignas Mickevičius, Head of the Network Development Group at Litgrid AB.

“The renewable energy market is transitioning to a new phase – today, it is crucial not only to generate green electricity but also to manage its integration into the grid. Batteries provide flexibility and allow for a more efficient utilization of generation capacities and electrical infrastructure. In Šeduva, we have combined a high-capacity solar power plant with a four-hour storage system—such solutions will be critical as the share of renewable energy continues to grow,” says Ruslan Sklepovič, CEO of Green Genius.

Operating at a maximum capacity of 15 MW, the battery system installed in Šeduva can supply energy to the grid continuously for four hours. This allows solar energy generated during the day to be stored and discharged later when generation decreases and electricity demand peaks. Longer-duration storage also stabilises the electricity system by mitigating sudden generation fluctuations.

It is estimated that the Šeduva solar park will prevent over 60,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.